MovieChat Forums > G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) Discussion > Why does everyone think action movies ar...

Why does everyone think action movies are supposed to be dumb?

posted 13 years ago by Iron_Eagle74
11 replies | jump to latest

After reading one person after another defend not only THIS movie, but also so many other recent so-called "action" movies, why is it that our culture now perceives a "good" action movie as being nothing but mindless action and CGI? I don't recall that being the case when I was younger and going to see movies like "Lethal Weapon" and "Die Hard." Those movies are action movies, but they aren't mindless either. Those movies actually had stories with at least some emotional depth, and the actors actually acted.

Now it seems, in 2011, all you have to do is put acting dummies in front of a green screen, plug in the CGI, and people love it. I'm TIRED of people defending this stuff. Action movies may never win the Best Picture Oscar, but they don't have to be mindless either. I get nothing from just watching crap blow out for 2 hours. I could play a video game if I want that. But sadly, some video games have better stories and acting than many movies these days.

[–] speedolitec 13 years ago

You've definitely got a point there!

[–] TheSolarSailor 13 years ago

People like to reward laziness and have no quality standards at all anymore. It is the people's fault, for if they stopped rewarding crapola, then maybe the movie makers would take not and realize that they need to actually try.

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[–] Ricochet84 13 years ago

They don't. See above.

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[–] Siel_O 12 years ago

so not true. this movie is so much better than (most of) the action movies of the 90's and got (in my opinion) much more heart than them.

i certainly do not think action movies are supposed to be dumb, i definitely do not think this movie is dumb, and it's one of the best action movies i've seen.

http://imdb.com/user/ur3406880/ratings
http://imdb.com/user/ur3406880/lists

[–] dudemonkeydan 12 years ago

This movie has no heart at all. It is made for morons.

[–] palmercin 12 years ago

I thought this flick could have been made a tad better. Like getting rid of Tatum. However. Why do you expect superb tight cerebral quality. From a film based on Hasbro action figures for 7 year olds in 1982?

http://lscottpalmer.blogspot.com/

[–] kjhuang17 10 years ago

I don't think that anyone is saying action movies are "supposed to be dumb", just that they don't have to be smart. Obviously a "smart" (or more deep, I suppose) action movie like Die Hard is going to trump G.I. Joe any day. But the point is that an action movie can be dumb and still be enjoyable, even if it's not as good as a deeper action movie.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] zoewalle 10 years ago

This is something that has been bothering me for a while. I can think of no better example than the ruthless criticism that Rambo II and III received in the 80s, despite being intelligent intellectual masterpieces compared to the slaughterfest that was Rambo IV.