We know the component parts of action movies as well as we do. The actors who made the genre their own.
They’ve, found reliability in this shadowy realm, if not quality and the chance to stay relevant Here are some stars whose action movie careers, aren t.
What they once were, Between 1987 and 1992 Steven Seagal made a streak of three word: titled action films that prominently featured him, kicking major, ass and running very awkwardly Movies, such as Marked for Death and Above the Law were hits and Seagal’s.
Star rose But Hollywood grew weary of his attitude and audiences moved on with Seagal finding his way into the wild frontier of direct to video releases, a land where his ego was free to roam Belly of the Beast Code of Honor Out of Reach Against the Dark And A Dangerous Man all feature Seagal doing what he does best: no, not sick, Aikido moves employed against an army of thugs, but feeding his insatiable need to flood the zone with Steve.
I have something in my pocket right now that ll completely clear up that bruise on your forehead.
What bruise That bruise, Often produced by Seagal many of these films, are built around the concept of Seagal As Badass, even if he’s, ultimately, not even in them very much Case in point, Outlaw Vern wrote of 2016 s Sniper Special Ops, Despite Seagal being the Only person photoshopped onto the cover he’s, not the main character at all Contract to Kill also from 2016 and yet another three word title is the exception: AV Club’s Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, noted that Seagal is in every scene, but he gives the kind of Performance traditionally associated with stars who died during filming After a lauded late career, comeback that included a Best Actor nomination for 2008’s, The Wrestler and a high profile role as a villain in the Marvel Universe.
Mickey Rourke drifted idly into the direct to video universe and hasn’t looked back.
The offbeat eccentricity that was his calling card for years, has served Rourke well in this world, too.
Rourke is often tasked with helping to sell a film on his name recognition, but only has to show up for a few scenes, full of quote weird charisma, as The Hollywood Reporter described his brief appearance in 2015’s Blunt Force Trauma Rourke played Satan in a Bizarre action, horror, romp from 2013 called Dead in Tombstone, but according to Collider, he just kinda loafs around Hell, saying esoteric things and staring contemplatively at the floor.
Variety was blunter concerning Rourke’s, appearance in The Legion released in 2020 Muttering his way through an extended cameo as a Roman general, it’s the spectacle of a lazy actor who can’t be bothered to take anything seriously anymore? Are you saying I risk being forgotten The moment Cuba, Gooding Jr,’s, career skidded off the Hollywood highway is very clear. It was with the 2002 release of the widely panned Boat Trip for which he received a Razzie nomination for Worst Actor.
A nearly unbroken string of direct to video releases followed most featuring artwork with a stern faced.
Gooding holding a gun, Clunky actioners began to pile up like 2009’s, The Way of War which IGN described, as quote a tedious war.
Thriller 2012 s, One in the Chamber or the paper thin’09 action, sci fi, hybrid, Hardwired, where Gooding’s performance was described by Reelfilm, as quote lazy and far from engaging.
He is seen brandishing a gun on the DVD cover, though, so there is consistency And, as Gooding settled, into DTV momentum, his best supporting actor Oscar for Jerry Maguire, a distant memory.
He became the subject of articles pondering the question of just what the hell happened to his career, Bruce Willis, that direct to DVD started appearing next to titles.
In Bruce Willis’s filmography A bankable, reliable action lead throughout the 1990s and 2000s Willis was suddenly and frequently appearing in cheap DTV actioners and thrillers where he had little to do but show up and convey a sense of vague irritation.
While deploying his wry half smile, Esquire asked the question burning on so many of our minds.
Why does Bruce Willis Keep Making Films He Clearly Hates There s no way.
I could ever explain that to you. Well, one big reason is the steady paychecks proffered by dreck like Extraction The Prince Vice and Reprisal.
Even if you’ve never heard of these films, they find markets for the distributor internationally or on streaming services with Willis 39.
Well known, mug scowling from the front cover.
Look, not even John McClane.
Can single handedly take down teams of bad guys forever? Sometimes work is work, even if it’s for as The Independent put it remnants of his name, And if viewers still crave a bit of that famous Willis cantankerousness, maybe a late night, viewing of Extraction will do the trick Of this particular flick.
Den of Geek said It’s not totally awful, just kind of dull and predictable with Willis’brief action, chops being the opposite of tested.
The Rock John Cena Hulk Hogan it’s a well traveled road between professional wrestling ring and action movie, marquee For Steve Austin, who ascended to wrestling’s elite upper reaches in the 1990s, with his Stone, Cold moniker and the catchphrase Austin 3 16.
The transition to cracking skulls on the silver screen seemed like a natural progression And that happened Kind of In 2007, Austin starred in The Condemned a World Wrestling Entertainment produced spin on The Most Dangerous Game that was critically condemned for its brutality and questionable moral compass From There it was on to a litany of direct to video releases films with hard bitten titles like Tactical Force and Maximum Conviction where there was plenty of brawn displayed, but an obvious lack of budget.
Austin’s run at action: film, heroics, wasn,’t even fooling genre fans.
Considering the 2015 bruiser Chain of Command Manly Movie’s, reviewer questioned whether Austin’s brief scenes were filmed anywhere other than in one room And Den of Geek damned 2010’s The Stranger with the faintest of action movie praise It has bursts of violence That are ugly uninspired and lazily choreographed, but at least make for a reason to keep watching Megan Fox. After a series of smaller movie and television roles, Megan Fox’s career really took off with her appearance.
In 2007,’s Transformers The big loud Michael Bay, directed sci fi action spectacle spawned too many sequels, but Fox only made one having been dropped from the project after she made disparaging comments about Bay, A live action role in the Bay produced Teenage Mutant, Ninja Turtle Films, followed and Fox appeared on TV and, in numerous mildly, successful films.
She eventually returned to action with 2020’s.
Rogue a film Fox seems to have taken, at least in part, to reckon with her own action movie past In Rogue Fox plays the leader of a team of mercenaries who face off against a pack of CGI lions.
Critical comment is mixed on the film, with some outlets offering praise for Fox’s, performance and others reacting negatively to the film’s budget constraints and the aforementioned computer generated animals.
For now, the jury is still out on whether Fox can transform herself back into an action star Wesley Snipes’run in the’90s was unparalleled thanks to roles in films like Blade To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie, Newmar, New Jack City.
U S, Marshals Demolition, Man and Major League And in the 2000s he would of course go on to star in two more Blade flicks.
But, as Snipes fans have noticed, his career, doesn’t have the momentum.
It once did Say what you want.
I promise you ll be dead by dawn From high concept flops like 2000 s, The Art of War, which Variety called a quote B level international thriller to real-life trials like Snipes 3 year stint in jail over tax crimes. Snipes has hit some roadblocks in his quest for continued action stardom.
Luckily, with Snipes’name recognition and well known, look there was work to be had in the direct to video world Snipes seized on this and his early aughts filmography teems, with quickie DTV action.
Films: 2007.’s.
The Contractor was shot in Bulgaria and 2006’s.
The Detonator was produced in Romania and Snipes appeared as some form of rogue operator or black ops trigger man.
In both, He even made a direct to video sequel to The Art of War, which Variety called tired and uninspired, And as no one probably recalls Snipes entered the second half of the 2010 s.
By battling aliens in 2017,’s, The Recall, We were pleased to see Snipes in a prominent role in 2019 s.
My Name is Dolemite, as well as a hilarious bit part in FX s.
What We Do in the Shadows, so maybe this action vet s next act – will be more promising than the last Career.
Wise John Travolta has been on top with hits like Saturday Night Fever and on the bottom, with duds like Two of a Kind Of course later he d appear on top again with Pulp Fiction, But these days he’s mostly sideways. Since 2010, Travolta’s, film output has showcased a tendency for roles as a broad, despicable villain or a Man Wronged 2016.’s.
I Am Wrath, is a great example.
The New York Times called it a quote: revenge movie and a buddy movie and a spiritual crisis movie with the result doing none of those genres justice.
There is, of course, plenty of violence and a chance at redemption for Travolta’s character.
So there’s material for him to mine, however, muddled it might be.
Writing about the misbegotten biopic Gotti in Rolling Stone, Peter Travers said Starring in this manic.
Mess is one offer.
John Travolta should have refused With various grim crime, thrillers and awkward character.
Studies filling out Travolta’s recent slate of work.
It seems like the nagging question of what happened to Travolta’s. Career is going to keep being asked.
It’s hard out here for an aging heartthrob.
While he has worked steadily in film since his teenage years, John Cusack has more recently found roles, or at least access in Hollywood, a little harder to come by Cusack told The Guardian in 2012.
It used to be that if you did a big big movie, then you could leverage it and make some smaller cooler ones, But now they just want you to put on the tights.
If you don’t put on the tights, they just get rid of you.
Not interested in populating a superhero flick for Marvel or DC Cusack has instead stepped into the murky waters of Video On Demand.
In 2014, he made Drive Hard with Thomas Jane and The Prince with Bruce Willis 2017 found him chewing scenery beside Nicolas Cage in the DTV action thriller Arsenal Dean Cain landed the role of a lifetime when he was tapped to bring Superman back to the small screen.
Abc aired four seasons of Lois Clark between 1993 and 1997, and the show later developed a bit of a cult following for its lasting quirky appeal.
Well, one thing s for sure: nobody, s gon na, be looking at your face, Mom.
Well, they don t call em tights for nothin Forever tied to his part in the ongoing narrative of Krypton’s. Favorite son Cain drifted from Lois Clark into TV movies, guest spots on CSI Miami and film, where he made low budget.
Martial arts actioners like Max Havoc Ring of Fire director Renny Harlin’s; 2011;’s limited budget war, film, 5 Days of War and 2014’s Airplane vs Volcano, Like so many of his contemporaries action, particularly of the VOD variety, has offered a landing place For an actor still coming to terms with his legacy, or at least just looking for a solid gig In 2015 Cain put up his dukes in the World.
Wrestling Entertainment produced prison fight, film Vendetta, which The Hollywood Reporter called quote ruthlessly efficient.
Despite its formulaic aspects As the late period, action movie, work of so many of these actors suggests ruthlessly efficient counts as gold when a paycheck is the next best thing to a box office hit Check out one of our newest videos right here, Plus even more Nicki.
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