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Most blockbuster action films these days are visually anonymous. So it’s nice to see a blockbuster action series push itself further and further into stylization and build a recognizable visual style. This is something rare, a set of action films that doesn’t look and feel like everything else. I hope the Ballerina spin off with Ana de Armas continues that.

Outside of this, Stahelski choreographies are at least visually effective at coveying impacts and spatial understanding. They're properly done, shot and edited, which isn't the case for way too many action movies... including Leitch's ones.
Stahelski worked on a few sequences of Birds of Prey, and they're pretty much the only visually effective action sequences.

Mr Sausage wrote: Wed Aug 09, 2023 3:24 pm Most blockbuster action films these days are visually anonymous. So it’s nice to see a blockbuster action series push itself further and further into stylization and build a recognizable visual style. This is something rare, a set of action films that doesn’t look and feel like everything else. I hope the Ballerina spin off with Ana de Armas continues that.

The fact that the Wick movies have generated their own mid-budget hitman action knock-offs (like, say, a lot of Netflix originals like Gunpowder Milkshake and Kate) is proof that they have a distinct-enough visual language to be worthy of ripping off.

tenia wrote:Outside of this, Stahelski choreographies are at least visually effective at coveying impacts and spatial understanding. They're properly done, shot and edited, which isn't the case for way too many action movies... including Leitch's ones.
Stahelski worked on a few sequences of Birds of Prey, and they're pretty much the only visually effective action sequences.

Leitch and Stahelski are co-owners of the same fight and stunt company, and I found Atomic Blonde’s big fight scene to have a lot of the same good qualities as the Wick films. I don’t actually remember any of Bullet Train’s action and haven’t seen Hobbs and Shaw.

Monterey Jack wrote:

Mr Sausage wrote: Wed Aug 09, 2023 3:24 pm Most blockbuster action films these days are visually anonymous. So it’s nice to see a blockbuster action series push itself further and further into stylization and build a recognizable visual style. This is something rare, a set of action films that doesn’t look and feel like everything else. I hope the Ballerina spin off with Ana de Armas continues that.

The fact that the Wick movies have generated their own mid-budget hitman action knock-offs (like, say, a lot of Netflix originals like Gunpowder Milkshake and Kate) is proof that they have a distinct-enough visual language to be worthy of ripping off.

It has even permeated the international market, with the Vietnamese female-centric action films Furie and Furies ably modeling themselves on the John Wick style. Which is a good thing—it promotes clarity and proper choreography in action again.

Mr Sausage wrote:

tenia wrote:Outside of this, Stahelski choreographies are at least visually effective at coveying impacts and spatial understanding. They're properly done, shot and edited, which isn't the case for way too many action movies... including Leitch's ones.
Stahelski worked on a few sequences of Birds of Prey, and they're pretty much the only visually effective action sequences.

Leitch and Stahelski are co-owners of the same fight and stunt company, and I found Atomic Blonde’s big fight scene to have a lot of the same good qualities as the Wick films. I don’t actually remember any of Bullet Train’s action and haven’t seen Hobbs and Shaw.

I found Atomic Blonde's fight scenes as anonymous as what Hollywood can indeed generate, and I thought watching them "Yeah, Leitch isn't the one with the visual flair with these". Bullet Train and Hobbs and Shaw felt to me quite in this lineage.

tenia wrote: Thu Aug 10, 2023 8:58 am

Mr Sausage wrote:

tenia wrote:Outside of this, Stahelski choreographies are at least visually effective at coveying impacts and spatial understanding. They're properly done, shot and edited, which isn't the case for way too many action movies... including Leitch's ones.
Stahelski worked on a few sequences of Birds of Prey, and they're pretty much the only visually effective action sequences.

Leitch and Stahelski are co-owners of the same fight and stunt company, and I found Atomic Blonde’s big fight scene to have a lot of the same good qualities as the Wick films. I don’t actually remember any of Bullet Train’s action and haven’t seen Hobbs and Shaw.

I found Atomic Blonde's fight scenes as anonymous as what Hollywood can indeed generate, and I thought watching them "Yeah, Leitch isn't the one with the visual flair with these".

Really. I'm surprised. That fight down the staircase using long takes (indeed stitched together to imitate a big oner) was for me exemplary, not just for its timing and the clarity of its movements, but in its sense for the roughness and the pain of impact. The performers really looked like they're pushing through the exhaustion and pain of combat, something movies generally elide. Outside of the John Wicks and maybe M:I Fallout, I can't think of any Hollywood production with a fight scene that good.

The long take fistfight in Hanna was far more impressive to me

I can't actually remember that one. But it's my bad, I should've said recent Hollywood production.