I just feel like I’m intruding on a private moment and just sit there tense and embarrassed until it’s over. Trying not to listen to the schlorp schlorp noises.
But it’s such a common trope, I so assume I’m in some weird minority.
Does anyone find it enjoyable to watch? If so, why and how?
I’m ok with them. What really bores me in movies are the fighting scenes near the end of the movie, when they encounter the bad guys. They share fists in each other’s faces for a good 10 minutes until one of them decides to go down. I usually skip forward. 1 minute fight scenes should be enough.
I always feel like I’m in the minority when it comes to action sequences. They are 80% of the time the most boring part of a movie. Plot and character development don’t happen during them, and usually (especially for the big climactic fight scene) the outcome is certain.
For me, the only exceptions are generally:
Fights that the heroes might actually lose. (So usually, the fights earlier in the show)
Fights where there are good character moments or development during it. (The Princess Bride sword fight scene is a classic for this)
Fights with lots of good strategy/tactics in them. (Game of Thrones had a lot of this, at least prior to the last season)
There are a very few fight scenes I’ll actually enjoy outside of these ones, and it feels like many action movies don’t bother with any of this.
I agree completely. Som many good movies spoiled by meaningless fights.
Agree on fight scenes. They are only interesting if they have uncertainty or show some clever and competent fighting. Any fight scene where the bad guy picks up his opponent and instead of strangling him to death just throw him a few meters away and goes “raah!” should just be edited out in its entirety.
Without that feeling that the hero may lose (which doesn’t exist in 99% of movies now), it’s just so boring to watch. Zzzz.
I feel similar about car chase sequences. There are occasionally creative or interesting moments in them but for the most part they are like you said, the outcome is certain and they feel like filler that for some reason every action movie needs to have.
They also rarely make sense, with high end sports cars struggling to outmaneuver big trucks, and motorcycles somehow managing to be any kind of threat to the main characters vehicle.
I don’t think any of these movies care at all about physics. They also have girls fighting as if they were twice their weight and power, kicking much bigger guys across the room. It’s silly.
Physical gender differences exist even in this crazy age of 2023 where people get upset for mentioning them.
I feel like Atomic Blonde did well to avoid this, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen it
I am with you. I think it is a great deal harder to write direct and develop complex characters than to Sicily make an all action movie.
Ever seen the Kingsman? Pretty good action movies with really good fight scenes.
Unless it’s Duel of the Fates of course
You would hate the movie “They Live” it has a comically long fight scene in it
At least that scene is funny and develops the plot. I think they’re talking more about stuff like all those 90s movies that have the plot grind to a halt so two characters can punch each other for ten minutes.
Possibly the greatest fight scene ever!
check the fight scenes in Kung Fu Hustle (Crazy Kung-Fu). I don’t like fight films so it was a challenge from a friend to watch this together. I ended up loving it.
Fight scenes in Everything Everywhere All at Once or Survive Style 5+ too were really fun.
Not to forget The Boys
The Boys has excellent fight scenes. Often they are used to develop the story as well.
Years ago I realized despite liking shows with lots of fights, often those were the parts I paid the least attention to. Think I like the genre because of the built-in breaks for my attention. But I’m also the type who was annoyed when my roommates paid for ad-free service on our livingroom TV because I preferred having them for the purpose of breaks.
How about movies like Fast and the Furious where every single fight scene is ridiculous? They really don’t care about realism in those movies. I watch like 10 minutes and then I turn it off because it’s like watching a computer animation.
I stopped watching that after the first 2?
You are watching a computer animation. It’s all digital effects and animation. Hell even the actors are digitally recreated sometimes, making it fully digital effects