Most Convincing Action Hero

frankus

Why be negative eh?

I think Mark Wahlberg in Lone Survivor was pretty convincing.
Also Wesley Snipes martial arts always convinced me

Deadman

Bruce Lee, naturally.

JAYJO

Daniel Craig
Jackie Chan
Clint Eastwood
JohnWayne
Johnny Weismuller

equalsql

I was surprised how good Matt Damon has been as an action hero, given his baby-face. Both in the Bourne films and recently in Elysium.   Although not an action moment my favourite scene with him has always been in Good Will Hunting:

ICBM

Lee Marvin.

JAYJO

James Colburn
Steve Mcqueen
fck it The Magnificent 7 and Alan Ladd for Shane (Hes only lickle)
Earnest Borgnine
Kirk Douglas
 Mel Gibson in the first 2 Mad MAX

digitalscream

I'm actually a bit of a Statham fan. Michael Jai White was pretty good (if a little wooden) in Bone, too.

jonnyburgo

Jason Stayfem, tough as fuck. Actually he is an accomplished martial artist in his own right and is very watchable, you can tell if somebody has the chops in real life.

I am tempted to say Bruce Lee but we only got to see a tiny portion of what he was capable of. His Jeet Kune Do system was completely different to what we saw on screen, less flowery and more like the dispays you see on screen today like in the Bourne movies, very direct and snappy, always using the shortest route, dirty tricks etc.

Its hard to find an actor that can really act and walk the walk with the action too. Non fighters can be made to look very good on screen these days.

guitarfishbay

digitalscream said:

I'm actually a bit of a Statham fan. Michael Jai White was pretty good (if a little wooden) in Bone, too.

Yeah I like Statham.

I accidentally named him in the least convincing thread because I didn't have my glasses on and thought it said 'last' convincing action hero.  I can't think of anyone since who I've liked as much.

guitarfishbay

I liked Matt Damon in the Bourne films.

fretmeister

I liked the Bourne films - but Damon's fight scenes were so obviously sped up.

The main problem is that often the real martial artists realise that proper fighting has nothing to do with the poncy crap that the directors like.

Dolph Lundgren is an amazing martial artist and was European Champ, but in many films he looks lumbering - because on the mat he would not have fought like that and won.

Fretwired

Stallone, especially in the early Rocky movies.

Myranda

Toni Jaa - though he's a gymnast by training rather than a martial artist looked like a brutal fighter in Ong Bak.

Jason Stayfam! - Brilliant fun to watch and looks like enough of a bruiser that he's convincing as a fighter on film.

Liam Neeson in Taken was very believable ... 

fretmeister

Liam Neeson in the fight scenes in Taken was believable.

Liam Neeson acting is just not.

Myranda

fretmeister said:

Liam Neeson in the fight scenes in Taken was believable.

Liam Neeson acting is just not.

Wait? There was acting in Taken? damn.

axisus

Not exactly 'action hero', but I was really surprised at how good Benedict Cumberbatch was playing a tough baddie in the last Star Trek film. He generally looks a touch wimpy, but he played the part very well.

Myranda

axisus said:

Not exactly 'action hero', but I was really surprised at how good Benedict Cumberbatch was playing a tough baddie in the last Star Trek film. He generally looks a touch wimpy, but he played the part very well.

I thought he was brilliant - but over-exaggerated-Matrix-punching ruined the believability 

PolarityMan

Shouldnt this bullshit be in the parody thread forum.

fretmeister

Myranda said:

fretmeister said:

Liam Neeson in the fight scenes in Taken was believable.

Liam Neeson acting is just not.

Wait? There was acting in Taken? damn.

Nope.

And in fact there isn't any in any of his films. Not by him anyway.

His 'performance' in the A Team made Quinton Jackson look as good as Pacino!

VimFuego

I quite like Jimmy Nail as Oz in Auf Wierdeshen (sp) pet, in that he portrayed "proper" street fighting, i.e. all headbutts and shin kicks and sucker punches, which you don't generally get to see in Hollywood fighting (mostly cos it's boring I guess. I'm sure he isn't the only one, but he comes to mind.

 

EDIT: and I quite like the taken fight scenes. Though I still haven't forgiven him for Rob Roy, the only film that's ever made me cry like a bitch with a skinned knee (cos I was a poor student and aid good money to see that rubbish).

frankus

Actually if we were talking action characters not necesarily heroes then Sharlto Copley in Elysium as Kruger - he's a bad-ass!