Action Sequence of the year 2009!

[Hunter Rider]

The nomination process is complete and now it's time to vote!

 

[SuperJediHero]

"I take you all on"!!!



I LOVE Avatar, but HAVE to give this one to Optimus and Transformers!!!

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Gonna wait to see Avatar before voting, but cant see it beating that Prime forest battle.

 

[Shelly Godfrey]

Gonna wait to see Avatar before voting, but cant see it beating that Prime forest battle.

Oh, it does. The final battle in Avatar is UNBELIEVABLE.

 

[SuperJediHero]

I agree Avatar is great, but as a childhood FAVORITE cartoon, I must say the Optimus Prime (Transformers) fight was the BEST, so maybe I am biased LOL

If Avatar wins this poll, I also have NO complaints, but if District 9 wins this **** NO!!!

As long as it's either Transformers or Avatar!!!

 

[Tron Bonne]

Optimus Prime Vs the Deceptions

Probably about the only thing I really enjoyed fully in that movie

 

[Golgo-13]

The TF2 forest fight, hands down.

 

[Deaths Head II]

The Avatar final battle.

Cameron always knows how to direct an action scene.

 

[ChickenScratch]

TF2 forest chase/fight. I put in the DVD just to watch that scene sometimes.

 

[Crook]

I've got to be the only person in the world that was not even remotely impressed with ANY fight scene in TF2.

Maybe it was the awe of the cgi wearing off from the first film, or the incredibly boring time I had with the sequel, but even when I was looking forward to the forest scene because of everyone's ravings...I was still left wondering what all the hooplah was about.

Anyway, vote goes to Avatar. Cameron's still the king of action since he's practically the only director with the perfect balance of spectacle and finesse. Plus he's the only guy I know who can leave the game for over a decade and come back like he never even took a lunch break.

 

[Figs]

Exo suit sequence in District 9, easily.

My vote might have gone to Avatar's end fight but frankly people were overhyping the hell out of that saying **** like "the last 20 minutes is the craziest **** I've ever seen". It was cool and entertaining but aside from the amazing CGI...it wasn't as epic or mindblowing of a war scene as so many made it out to be. I was actually underwhelmed expecting a lot more to it.

With District 9, it wasn't really about flash. It had more emotion involved as well as being more touching with Wikus finally turning back to help out the alien. Of course it was still out of selfish reasons but it hit me stronger than the one in Avatar...which was still cool but that was more about oooh's and aaah's.

 

[Crook]

Figs, this thread clearly states....ACTION...sequence...

 

[Figs]

Figs, this thread clearly states....ACTION...sequence...

I understand that. When it comes down to movies like District 9 and Avatar, movies that are supposed to make you feel something as opposed to full on mindless action films, when judging the action scenes I think it should still involve the emotions and depth you felt with the characters and yourself while watching.

Put on an Ah-nuld film and I have no problem with watching him kill a multitude of bad guys just for show and leaving my brain off for a little while...same applies to Transformers 2 and GI Joe as well.

With those other films though(well minus Star Trek, not saying it's bad but it wasn't really a film that had a lot of emotional depth), I think it should be about a little more than just mindless action due to the message or themes that came before the final blowout.

It's just my opinion and I knew from the start people wouldn't agree with it and yes, maybe I am getting to into it rather than just pick the one that simply had the coolest deaths and **** blow up.

 

[Deaths Head II]

I actually don't feel action scenes are effective unless there is some emotional investment in the characters. I didn't like any of the actions scenes in Transformers 2 because I honestly didn't care what happened. If I'm not engaged then it doesn't matter how pretty the explosions look.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

^ Agreed. Therefore I vote D9. But I haven't seen Avatar yet.

 

[dark_b]

i really was thinking that nothing could top the forest fight in TF2 in 2009. but then avatar happened. i dont know why but a blue rambo just clicked with me.





-10 feet blue alien with a machine gun
-jumps down from a flying creature on a battle ship
- runs and kills soldiers
-throws 2 hand granades on the ship
- jumps back down on hes flying creature
-ship explodes

how crazy do you have to be to have a blue rambo doing all this so high up?

 

[Crook]

I actually don't feel action scenes are effective unless there is some emotional investment in the characters. I didn't like any of the actions scenes in Transformers 2 because I honestly didn't care what happened. If I'm not engaged then it doesn't matter how pretty the explosions look.

Eh, I think it's all about what you get from the scene itself. I honestly didn't really care about any of the characters in TF1, but for '07, the city battle sequence was easily the best action I had seen of that year.

Same for Matrix, actually. I loved the story more than anything, but the characters weren't something that I was so into particularly. But I can't deny that the action is some of the best of all-time.

If there is more emotional acting and storytelling going on in the action, than the action itself...I really can't consider it as an action scene, even though it is. It's all about balance. Just because there may be lacking attributes on the emotional side of things, doesn't mean there's nothing to appreciate in the choreography and composition the director has set up. It's best to look at the big picture instead of focusing on a specific portion.

Say what you will about Avatar's story/characters, but what Cameron pulled off in that last action setpiece...I dare anyone to even try and reference a movie that pulled anything of that magnitude in a similar fashion. You take into account the cinematography, the frenziness in every space of the shot, the choreography required for every single object on-screen, the imagination it takes to direct an epic sequence for 20 minutes, and the blending of photoreal cgi with actual live footage....sorry, but that takes so much creative balls that I feel emasculated just talking about it.

 

[Deaths Head II]

Same for Matrix, actually. I loved the story more than anything, but the characters weren't something that I was so into particularly. But I can't deny that the action is some of the best of all-time.

Story makes a difference too, because you at least want to see where everything plays out. TF2 had a convoluted plot and obnoxious characters that I wanted to die but I knew they were not going to die, so I didn't care about a single thing that was happening on screen. I didn't like the first TF1 but at least the plot was extremely simple and not way longer then it deserves to be.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

I haven't seen any of these. but zombieland's opening action sequence gets no love?

 

[Figs]

I haven't seen any of these. but zombieland's opening action sequence gets no love?

I really enjoyed Zombieland and the opening credits that you're talking about was badass. I wouldn't call it an action sequence though. It was more of a montage of zombie attacks.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I'm going to vote for Trek because I suspect that very few will.

 

[Shelly Godfrey]

I've got to be the only person in the world that was not even remotely impressed with ANY fight scene in TF2.

Maybe it was the awe of the cgi wearing off from the first film, or the incredibly boring time I had with the sequel, but even when I was looking forward to the forest scene because of everyone's ravings...I was still left wondering what all the hooplah was about.

I agree completely. I can't deny that it was a well-executed fight scene with great special effects but it had no substance. A really good fight scene has a strong story behind it and the TF2 forest scene just seemed shallow and gratuitous. And Shia LaBeef's obnoxious, unnecessary screaming didn't exactly help either. God, that movie was awful.

 

[LegendaryCaleb]

personal favorite was the big gun fight at the end of boondock saints II
but out of this list...Avatar

 

[CelticPredator]

I agree Avatar is great, but as a childhood FAVORITE cartoon, I must say the Optimus Prime (Transformers) fight was the BEST, so maybe I am biased LOL

If Avatar wins this poll, I also have NO complaints, but if District 9 wins this **** NO!!!

As long as it's either Transformers or Avatar!!!

I hope, for our sakes, that D-9 wins, and you leave the internet.



But I voted for Avatar. The final battle is the only reason I will watch it.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

More baffling than any scene from Transformers being on the list is GI JOE's inclusion. I found that movie's action scenes to be terrible.