[Global Times Special Correspondent Dong Ming] Recently, a photo of Demi Moore visiting her ailing ex-husband Bruce Willis has made many movie fans, especially action movie lovers, sigh. As one of the representatives of Hollywood action stars, Willis, who once "killed everyone" c

[Global Times Special Correspondent Dong Ming] Recently, a photo of Demi Moore visiting her ailing ex-husband Bruce Willis has made many movie fans, especially action movie lovers, sigh. As one of the representatives of Hollywood action stars, Willis, who once "killed everyone" can only curl up on the sofa. People can't help but lament that the era of "punch to the flesh" movies is gone, and the next generation of screen tough guys will not know. Where.

The tough guy action movies that were very popular in the 1980s and 1990s are now increasingly declining. With the extensive use of digital special effects, Hollywood actors no longer rely on muscles to conquer the world, and the audience's tastes are becoming more and more keen on coolness. picture. Superhero movies represented by Marvel have given way to traditional action scenes with various superpowers, and the first-line superstars of the year "Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Willis" were all marginalized. Even though films such as "The Matrix" were briefly "revived" by relying on Hong Kong martial arts guidance and kung fu, they still cannot stop this trend. Today, only a few stars such as Keanu Reeves are still on the screen. Desperate, and Keanu Reeves is almost 60 years old.

Schwarzenegger, data picture

These former action superstars are also not convinced by old age. The " Expendables " series directed and starred by Stallone once recalled a group of "old and honest" screen tough guys: Stallone, Schwab Singer, Chuck Norris, Harrison Ford, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lundgren, Mel Gibson, Randy Couture, Mickey Rourke, and Jet Li, who "shoots" less and less once set off a retro style. However, the box office and reputation of the series have also declined significantly over time. By last year's " The Expendables 4: The Final Chapter ", its global box office was only 37.91 million US dollars.

There is an old saying in China that "boxing scares the young." Actors born in the 1940s such as Ford and Schwarzenegger find it difficult to complete action scenes that require high physical strength and skills as they grow older. They can only rely on montage and special effects. and substitutes to remedy the situation. But sharp-eyed movie fans can still spot clues: Keanu Reeves' actions in "John Wick 4" are not as coherent as before, and Jackie Chan has fewer and fewer desperate scenes in recent years. In the upcoming new work Digital special effects are also used to "reduce age".

It can be seen from this that the aging and discontinuation of tough men on screen have long been a common phenomenon in the world of film circles. From a certain perspective, these tough guys are also "popular idols". The heroic images they create are full of personal charm and have formed a lasting appeal to the audience. Their bodies are their "capital" and another kind of "appearance responsibility" . But they are becoming more and more impatient. Now all that is left is the aura of nostalgia. If the action movie genre wants to continue to survive and shine, there must be younger generations to take over the mantle.

Looking around Hollywood, there are not many such stars who can take on big responsibilities, and they are no longer young: Jason Statham and Vin Diesel are both 57 years old, and "The Rock" Johnson is also 52 years old. Further down the list of popular tough guys in their 30s and 40s are Chris Hemsworth, who became famous with "Thor", and Jason Momoa, who made "Aquaman". Although these two male stars, born in 1983 and 1979 respectively, became popular through superhero movies, their rugged images and strong muscles still followed the acting methods of their predecessors such as Stallone. In " Mad Max: In action films such as "The Goddess of Fury", "The Rescue" and "Fast and Furious 10", more reliance is placed on personal physical fitness rather than superpowers to shape characters and advance plots. This is somewhat retro in today's global movie environment.

In addition to "Thor" and "Aquaman", there are also American entertainment media that are optimistic about the potential of some other young Hollywood actors to grow into tough guys on the screen, such as the "talented and martial" Jake Gyllenhaal, who starred in "Wrath of the Monkeys" Indian-American actor Dev Patel, Zac Efron and Jeremy White in "Iron Claw", black movie star Michael B. Jordan starring in the boxing movie "Creed 3", and Scott Adkins, who has participated in the " John Wick " series and " Ip Man 4", all have the ability to show off their muscles on the screen.

However, if you want to become a new generation of Schwarzenegger, in addition to personal conditions, you also need to look at the development and opportunities of the times. After all, the track for pure action movies is no longer as spacious as it was a few decades ago, and today's audience has more diversified tastes. The simple and crude, routine plot that starts fighting at the slightest disagreement has fallen behind. Relying solely on "masculinity" is not enough to get out of the circle. Richer elements and innovation are needed to revitalize the genre. Even Schwarzenegger, when talking about his masterpiece now, the first thing that comes to mind is the science fiction film "Terminator 2", not the early B-level action film "Conan the Barbarian". If the new generation of screen tough guys want to stand out, in addition to improving their muscles and kung fu and strengthening their own efforts, they must also keep up with the trends of the times, because the film industry is eager for upgraded tough guys that are more suitable for contemporary people's tastes.