History of Action Genre

Action films usually involve one or more heroes where they are put into a series of challenges that can include physical feats, extended fight scenes, violence, and frantic car chases. They also require extensive stunt work and special effects. They tend to also have a character, which is struggling again incredible odds, which could include, life-threatening situations, a villain, or a pursuit that usually concludes with a victory for the action film’s hero. The genre of Action is closely associated with the thriller and adventure film genres.

The early action films were during the 1920s and 1930s, which were often “swashbuckling” adventure films with wielded swords and westerns. Action was seen in a new form in the 1940s and 1950s through war and cowboy movies. The success of the James Bond films (or series) in the 1960s introduced a staple of the modern-day action film: the resourceful hero. It also used fast cutting, car chases, and fistfights, a variety of weapons and gadgets and elaborate action sequences, which are commonly used in Action films now.
In the 1970s, martial arts themed action movies were made which were inspired by the James Bond movies such as Enter The Dragon and Rush Hour. In the 1980s and 1990s, action got more and more popular from the mega-hits like Raiders of the Lost Ark (1980) and Batman (1990).
In the 2000s, Sci-fi action was getting more attention with films being shown like Star Trek and the Dark Knight Trilogy, which are well-known films now.

The Action genre is split into many other sub-genres such as:

Action Comedy – This involves action and humour. The action scenes within this genre are generally light-hearted and rarely involve death or serious injury. Two examples of an Action Comedy are Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and 48 Hrs. (1982).

Action horror – This combines gunfights and frenetic chases of the action genre and things like gore, demons, zombies etc. from the horror genre. Two examples of an Action Horror are Dawn of the Dead and Ghost Rider.

Martial Arts – These films contain numerous fights between characters, which are usually actors who have been trained to be martial artists. They are often a method of storytelling as they are usually for primary appeal and entertainment value. Two examples of Martial Arts are The Karate Kid and Enter The Dragon.

Sci-fi Action – These films contain gunplay, space battles, invested weaponry, and other sci-fi elements which are weaved into action elements. Two examples of a Sci-fi Action are Star Trek and Transformers.

Action Thriller – This involves guns, explosions and interesting set pieces. They also include lots of violence, crime or mystery and are usually based in a limited location e.g. a single building. Two examples of an Action Thriller are Snakes on a Plane and Speed.

Other Sub-genres:

Disaster film
Spy film
Superhero film

There are also many famous actors who are mostly based on Action films such as:

Bruce Lee (1970s)
Chuck Norris (1970s)
Mel Gibson (1980s)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (1980s)
Sylvester Stallone (1980s)
Bruce Willis (1980s)
Jackie Chan (1990s & 2000s)
and many more…


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_film