#NewsBytesExplainer: Exploring sub-genres of action films with popular examples
Action films are a charmer and have a sure-shot guarantee of drawing audiences to the theaters, especially in India. Like people flying in the air, holding on to dear life, falling off cliffs, cars getting overturned, bloodbaths, and more broken bones than you can count? You may be a fan of John Wick or Top Gun! Let's dive into the sub-genres of action films.
Martial arts movies
As the name suggests, martial art movies heavily emphasize hand-to-hand combat such as karate, kung-fu, and samurai. Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan are renowned all over the world for their movies in this genre. Some notable examples are Enter the Dragon, Drunken Master, Bloodsport, The Raid: Redemption, Mortal Kombat, Mulan, Bleeding Steel, The Accountant, Dynamite Brothers, and The Last Airbender.
Swashbuckler films
Swashbuckler films refer to movies that focus a lot on sword fighting and have a heroic character as the protagonist. It's also possible for these films to have a damsel in distress (a woman who needs a man to save her honor) and the heroic figure rescues her. Some examples are Krull, The Black Swan, The Exile, The Pirate, and The Crimson Pirate, etc.
War/military action
Per Premium Beat, "The rise of mainstream cinema coincides closely with several great wars all over the world" and such films depict "heroism and valor." The central story is about a famous battle and the script is usually inspired by real events and subsequently fictionalized to suit the movie. Some movies you can check out are All Quiet on the Western Front and Greyhound.
Action thrillers
Action crisscrosses with the thriller genre to whip up a fast-paced, pulsating story that revolves around spy secrets, clandestine missions, double-crossing, etc. and the plot usually focuses on saving the country from dangerous forces. Even when the story might not hold, at times, the action sails these projects' boats. Examples are Pathaan, Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, War, Madras Cafe, and Baby.
