Has Angelina Jolie been the biggest American "Action Star" of the last decade?

[jmt225]

It seems like a crazy statement to make, but I really want you to think about it.

In the eighties and nineties, we had Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger as THE action stars of the movie industry. When it came to action movies, those two were the stars of it.

However, since the new millennium, we haven't had any real action stars. Comic book movies basically took over the action genre. Of course, you had Jason Statham, but his action films were shit first of all, and secondly... none of them were really box office hits. Moreover, there was Matt Damon with the Jason Bourne movies and other CIA based Films, and also Daniel Craig and Clive Owen doing movies like that... but you know, it's just hard to take those guys as bad ass action movie stars, for one, and for two... those films take themselves very seriously. The Bourne movies, for example, while they're fantastic and easily my favorite action films of the last decade, they're not movies you watch like you would Rambo and True Lies. There's a bunch of intelligence and thought put into those films, instead of just a bad motherfucker running around killing bad guys, like you would expect from an action movie from the eighties.

So, that leads me to Angelina Jolie. Let's look at the action films she's done in the last 10 years:

Gone in 60 Seconds
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
Taking Lives
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Beowulf
Wanted
Salt

She's consistently been in action movies, playing the good guy who goes the bad guys. Nearly all those films are huge box office hits, too, keep in mind. And nearly all of those films are good, clean, fun action movies. Nothing more, nothing less. You go to the theater, sit back, and just enjoy watching this hot chick kill bad guys, much like you would have done in the eighties with Arnold and Sly (except of course those two aren't chicks, lol).

So, it begs the question... is Angelina Jolie truly the biggest American action star of the last decade? If it's not her, then who is it? Also, I guess you should ponder this as well... if you say Jolie does not fit that criteria for you, could a woman EVER be considered as the biggest action movie star in America?

 

[INDYjon22]

Well I think you certainly have put together a strong argument for Angelina Jolie. I don't necessarily know if she is the biggest action star of the last ten years but she may as well be in the running. In my opinion, it has been a very weak decade in regards to action movies and more importantly action stars. Jolie has certainly put together a strong resume that can be compared to other big stars.

That said, I think Gerard Butler may have been the bigger action star. 300 alone puts him near the top of the list. I would even make an argument that 300 was indeed the biggest action film of the last decade, very debatable and maybe something that would be worth taking a look at in another thread.

After 300, he released both Gamer, which I personally enjoyed, and Law Abiding Citizen which was fairly popular, at least with people I know. Both films were decent enough, not award winning material but I enjoyed them for the most part.

I also believe that Butler has the best look of any of the modern day action stars. He can be funny and a badass all at the same time. Sure, he makes a couple sappy love/comedies and kids movies but he always bounces back with an action film, the true genre that has defined him. Also, lets not forget that Arnold did the same kinds of cheesy comedies and kids films. But yeah, I would sat Gerard Butler has been the bigger action star then Angelina Jolie but it is a very close decisions.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Gone in 60 Seconds
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life

Three action movies.

Taking Lives

Not an action movie. If this is an action movie, then Mr. Brooks and Untraceable are action movies.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Four action movies.

Beowulf

Angelina Jolie's not a good guy in this film...I assumed you left off Alexander for a similar reason.

Wanted
Salt

So, she has six action movies under her belt. Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, and Nicholas Cage have just as many, if not more, action movies under their belt for this decade.

Besides the quantity of films, you have to take into account their popularity. You excluded Jason Statham from consideration because his films are shit and not as popular as Jolie's action movies, even though he has made more action movies than her this decade. However, we could turn this around on Jolie and say that her action movies aren't as popular or good as Tom Cruise's or Will Smith's, even though they haven't made as many this decade.

So, it begs the question... is Angelina Jolie truly the biggest American action star of the last decade?

No.

If it's not her, then who is it?

Tom Cruise or Will Smith.

Also, I guess you should ponder this as well... if you say Jolie does not fit that criteria for you, could a woman EVER be considered as the biggest action movie star in America?

Possibly.

 

[jmt225]

Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler's a very interesting choice.

I can't stand the guy personally, and I thought 300 was one of the biggest pieces of shit of the last decade. Plus, it's hard to include him when it was 300 that made him a star, since that movie was released only 3 years ago.

However, if you want to say of the last three years he's been the biggest action star, that seems reasonable enough (though Tdigs mentioned twp names that I think takes the cake). Just for the record though... I've yet to see a Gerard Butler movie I liked.

Not an action movie. If this is an action movie, then Mr. Brooks and Untraceable are action movies.

Fair enough.

Angelina Jolie's not a good guy in this film...I assumed you left off Alexander for a similar reason.

She's not a good guy, but it's an action movie hit where she plays a huge role.

And I didn't include Alexander because she had such a small role in it, with no action scenes that I remember.

So, she has six action movies under her belt. Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, and Nicholas Cage have just as many, if not more, action movies under their belt for this decade.

True, but excluding comic book movies (because let's face facts... the characters are the draw in those movies, not the actors), did their action films gross as much as Jolie's action movies? Crowe's Gladiator and Bale's Terminator are the only films that beat Wanted in Gross revenue, but Gladiator was at the very beginning of the decade, plus more so an epic movie that drew because it's plot, hype and effects more so than its leading man, and Terminator drew because it was fucking the Terminator.

The fact is, none of those guys can draw what Jolie can with just a generic, regular action film. You'll see what I mean when Salt gets released (which, by the way, seeing the commercial during is what gave me the inspiration to make this thread, lol).

Besides the quantity of films, you have to take into account their popularity. You excluded Jason Statham from consideration because his films are shit and not as popular as Jolie's action movies, even though he has made more action movies than her this decade. However, we could turn this around on Jolie and say that her action movies aren't as popular or good as Tom Cruise's or Will Smith's, even though they haven't made as many this decade.

Will Smith, who I know is one of your favorite actors, I'll give you. For some ******ed reason he slipped my mind when making this thread. He is, without a doubt, the biggest action star in the World. Hell, the biggest movie star period, to be honest. However, I will state that I think Jolie is a better actor than him and that her action flicks are better than his, too.

Tom Cruise though, man... that one's hard to give to you. But you're right there as well, because as hard as it is to believe... he mostly does action movies, and they're mostly all huge draws. I didn't realize this until just now, lol.

So, with all that said, Jolie is the third biggest American action star in the U.S. However, I will say... as weird as it sounds, I think more people still buy her as a bad ass more than they do Cruise and Smith. She just has that "look" about her where you can believe her characters truly could kick some ass. To me Smith and Cruise don't have that about. If people disagree then that's fine... but I really buy her more than I do anyone else from today when it comes to being a bad ass in a movie.

 

[BooCocky]

You must be on dope or something. I think she sucks and have never found one of her movies to be enjoyable. Will Smith on the hand makes solid movies. I believe he is also a bigger box office hit. Smith has, mib 2, hancock, i, robot, bad boys 2, i am legend. The smallest grossing movie out of the bunch made $273,339,556 worldwide, but the budget was only 60 million, so it made a ton of money. Will Smith takes this, and it isn't even close. Smith is a box office draw, Jolie really isn't. Name me an actor who made more money this decade? If you can, okay, but there aren't many, that's for sure.