What's The Distinction Between a Good Action Scene And a Bad One?

[Timothy Hunter]

I started watching Bad Boys 2 over the strength of the first one and I was actually enjoying it until the first major car chase of the film. I couldn't exactly put my finger on why it didn't work.

This got me thinking, what makes a bad action scene? Please be inclined to give examples of your own.

[Soubhagya]

I don't know about everything that makes an action scene good or bad. But one of the most important things is editing. A lot of people try to hide their shortcomings by quick and unnecessary cuts to make things exciting. There's a video on Jackie Chan's action comedy which touches upon this point, which i am posting here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1PCtIaM_GQ

In John Wick for example the action is clear. We can see what's happening. We can feel that there is action as they are really doing it. And the director is letting us see it.





In contrast look at something like this from Taken 3. Its so blatant in trying to make something exciting that its laughable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCKhktcbfQM

[Frobisher]

Clarity of action is a biggie. There’s a language to an action scene so it doesn’t work as well if the language is muffled by bad editing and shaky cam. Fury Road famously monomaniacally keeps the action centre frame so they could cut quite freely without throwing off the viewer’s attention, but they also storyboarded the entire film, so it’s incredibly visual storytelling conveyed through the action.

And that’s another thing. The action should actually flow organically from and be part of the story. When Neo flies off after fighting hundreds of Agent Smiths for a few minutes, all you can say is “wait, is that it?”.

(In defence of shaky cam and fast cuts, Aliens used those techniques to imply rather than show a threat very effectively, but then James Cameron is incredibly well versed at mounting kinetic action scenes.)

[hulahulk]

I'll mention fight scenes for a sec. The GOT fights involving the Sand Snakes in Dorne were famously horrible. Inexplicable movements, bad choreography, etc. It almost made me angry, since I had read the books prior to watching the show.

On the other side of the coin were the Netflix DD & Punisher hallway fight scenes. Highly choreographed but entertaining and somewhat believable (for comic book action, anyway). The Darth Vader scene at the end of Rogue One and the Luke scene in the Season 2 Finale of the Mandalorian also come to mind.

Action scenes need believeability (sp?) within the context of the film/characters of course, but they also need to be entertaining.

[Vakanai]

Okay, you ever seen Daredevil? The movie with Ben Affleck, not the Netflix series. You know that fight between Daredevil and Elektra outside of costume at the park? With the seesaw and all? Yeah, that's an example of what not to do. In fact, all action scenes in that film are examples of things not to do.

Okay, Catwoman. The Halle Berry movie. Yeah, again, don't do that.

After Spider-Man there seemed to be this "style" of CGI acrobatic styled fight scenes they were trying out, but unlike Spider-Man all those attempts were...bad. Real bad. Eye rollingly bad special effects unrealistic looking rubbery...it's just bad.

[Castle]

This is an example of a good action scene. it opens the movie, good make up of the character with a bit of VFX is practical than generic CGI., very good use of music opera score, high stakes, but most importantly the action scene sets up a very important story plot point that will be wrapped up in the end of the film when the character again revisit the white house. this action scene is just not meaningless or there for the sake of action.

[Castle]

Bad action scene

X-MEN 3



The action scene feels very 2d dimension. it is there just to look cool and it stops the movie while contributing to the messiness of the overall film. while the characters do have their own story, all that is lost because the director is more into the action than the story.

[OopsIdiditagain]

Bad action scenes have too many cuts.

[SiegePerilous02]

Bad choreography and overstaying its welcome by being too drawn out in some instances don't help.

You also need to have investment in at least some, if not all, the characters participating to care.

Slow motion is also a big no for me, it kills the momentum. But I think that one is down to personal taste.

[DanMad1977]

I See we all are on the same page here.

Daredevil Netflix series had one of the best superhero action scenes, especially the one in the hallway or the on in the rain.

Slo-Mo kills it.

Watch older Jackie Chan movies, he is fast without wire action or too many cuts, you can see the action and feel it.

Conan the Barbarian with Arnie has great action, where it feels like they are fighting for their lives for real. The one in the arena at the beginning of movie feels like one.

The fight scenes in Rocky are great, I know that they are unreal and no Boxer would fight like that, but they get your blood pumping. Sly did a good job on it.

[green_garnish]

A good action scene should flow like the first four minutes of Spectre. That is not an action scene bit the principle is the same. Follow the movement, make the editing unnoticeable, and never let the viewer lose track of where the action is.

[green_garnish]

Bad action scenes have too many cuts.

Yes, I would point to Natasha's fight scene in IM 2. She clearly had no idea how to fight or do wire work, so they made sure no camera angle was more than one second long.

[AndrewCrossett]

For me, nothing ruins an action scene like the use of slo-mo. It should flow without interruption like a dance. Of course, that means you need stars and/or fight doubles who can do the choreography.

[Kirby101]

Bad action scenes have too many cuts.

The Wild Bunch says "hold my beer"

[Kirby101]

too many cuts?