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Where went all the great action movie one-liner?

GAMEPROFF

Banned
Yeah, I know, they went away like all these amazing 80s action flicks in the vein of Commando, Predator, Terminator, etc, where the plot is just a reason to have big muscle mountains running around shooting other people, but I miss them big time.

I am a sucker for Arnold Schwarzenegger movies and I saw a few of them this week to get me prepeared for a screening of Terminator 2 tomorrow night, and I just loved all the time how great the one liners were. Its something unique, that only works in the movies of that time period.

I have the feeling that even modern Action movies rely a lot on nostalgia. Between the 15 Fast & The Furious Sequels (That may be good - I dont know about them, I dont watch that stuff, its not for me), I feel like there are only movies featuring the old stars, the usual Stallone and Schwarzenegger move, where they booth play the old dude who usually gives the torch to the new generation. Other action movies kinda went away, I love these movies and I just have a hard time right now remember more then 3 of the last years.

Even the movies featuring the old legends arent that clever anymore, I have seen a Ill be back reference in like 15 movies now, I am even starting to think that its a bit sad that Arnold hast to reference himself now everytime.

So, what do you think, why went the great One Liners away? Are the writer for action movies not good enough anymore? Not that they were ever really clever, but the one liner were really good. Or are the actions stars not charistmatic enough to deliver them?
 

Mediking

Member
"Welcome to the party, pal!" - from Die Hard 1 will always be gold.

Expendables tried to the one liner thing... lol.
 
Mister Freeze emptied the supply in Batman & Robin. It should take another decade or two before Hollywood writers can start using them again.

I am always ashamed to admit it, but I have somehow overlooked Willis so far completly. I have not even seen Die Hard.

wat

If you want some one-liners, go check out the first three Die Hards asap and most of Willis' 90s filmography, especially The Last Boyscout.
 
Lockout is the closest we've had to that 90's throwback action movie in recent years.

Guy Pearce does a great job of channeling the world weary, wise cracking reluctant hero of Last Boy Scout Bruce Willis with a dash of Die Hard "What the fuck have I got myself into?" Bruce Willis. He's absolutely perfect in that role and he has some great lines.

I am always ashamed to admit it, but I have somehow overlooked Willis so far completly. I have not even seen Die Hard.

What is wrong with you? Go watch Die Hard, then Last Boy Scout, then Lockout.
 

GAMEPROFF

Banned
What is wrong with you? Go watch Die Hard, then Last Boy Scout, then Lockout.

wat

If you want some one-liners, go check out the first three Die Hards asap and most of Willis' 90s filmography, especially The Last Boyscout.

do u even like action movies

I have actually a good reason to never have watched Die Hard. I watch movies always in their german version (where of course something from the oneliners goes away, but they are most the time still pretty amazing and I of course know the originals from the web)
but in the german version from Die Hard, the german terrorists arent from germany, they are "europeans". They still have their clearly german names, but they arent from germany and this really turned me of on watching that movie. I know, its a bit silly, but still.
Also we dont have a good pack that includes the extended Cut of Die Hard 4 and does not have the fifth included.

Aren't most Superhero movie dialogue nothing but one liners and quips?
True, but they are not that kind of action movies.
 
They got saturated to the point where there were multiple parody/satire movies.

Hot Shots, Big Trouble In Little China, The Last Action Hero, Hot Fuzz, Tropic Thunder, Shoot Em Up.
I am always ashamed to admit it, but I have somehow overlooked Willis so far completly. I have not even seen Die Hard.
bazqF.gif

Also we dont have a good pack that includes the extended Cut of Die Hard 4 and does not have the fifth included.
The first one is the only one you need to see.
 

DiscoJer

Member
Speaking as a middle aged guy, I think action movies are like rock music. They still exist, but the tone and structure is completely different to the point where I almost don't find it recognizable.

Best example I can think of is James Bond. He was doing the quip thing in the 60s* through the Craig years. But Craig was all serious and grimdark

* For instance in Goldfinger, to a guy he electrocuted. "Shocking, positively shocking"

To a guy Goldfinger crushed in a car "I see he had a pressing engagement"
 

GAMEPROFF

Banned
Speaking as a middle aged guy, I think action movies are like rock music. They still exist, but the tone and structure is completely different to the point where I almost don't find it recognizable.
I am 25 and I can just agree with you. Modern action movies are so often not for me. I cant bring me to watch 2 Fast 2 Furious. Most the time I see a trailer I just roll my eyes.
Asia makes a lot of cool action movies that appeal due to their freshness to me. But its even more different.
 

tbm24

Member
I think if you didn't grow up with them, it's hard to explain why they are so epic? Showed some people Commando who've never seen it before, or other Arnold flicks. The plane one liner when he leaves a dead guy in the seat or "I lied" dropping dude off a cliff. No reaction, made me feel really weird. Watched Predator after by myself and felt better.
 
Speaking as a middle aged guy, I think action movies are like rock music. They still exist, but the tone and structure is completely different to the point where I almost don't find it recognizable.

Best example I can think of is James Bond. He was doing the quip thing in the 60s* through the Craig years. But Craig was all serious and grimdark

* For instance in Goldfinger, to a guy he electrocuted. "Shocking, positively shocking"

To a guy Goldfinger crushed in a car "I see he had a pressing engagement"

There is an earnestness to a lot of those old movies that is endearing. Modern movies beat you over the head with "Oh look at how self-aware and ironic we're being, isn't it great?" and it stopped being clever years ago. Superhero movies are especially guilty of this.
 
I have actually a good reason to never have watched Die Hard. I watch movies always in their german version (where of course something from the oneliners goes away, but they are most the time still pretty amazing and I of course know the originals from the web)
but in the german version from Die Hard, the german terrorists arent from germany, they are "europeans". They still have their clearly german names, but they arent from germany and this really turned me of on watching that movie. I know, its a bit silly, but still.
Also we dont have a good pack that includes the extended Cut of Die Hard 4 and does not have the fifth included.

If it helps I believe Germany is never mentioned in the original Die Hard anyway. It's obviously implied with accents and names like Karl and Hans, but the terrorist group has at the very least a few nationalities in there. It was only in Die Hard With A Vengeance that 5hey mention Germany for the first villains.
 

Lupercal

Banned
Here's hoping a charismatic enough actor rises from the ashes of the mediocre action movies and brings back worthy one liner entertainment.
 

GAMEPROFF

Banned
Here's hoping a charismatic enough actor rises from the ashes of the mediocre action movies and brings back worthy one liner entertainment.
I thought that the bald dude from Transporter may the successor but after Transporter 3 he vanished into 2F2F exclusivity and now I cant even remember his name.

If it helps I believe Germany is never mentioned in the original Die Hard anyway. It's obviously implied with accents and names like Karl and Hans, but the terrorist group has at the very least a few nationalities in there. It was only in Die Hard With A Vengeance that 5hey mention Germany for the first villains.
Ahhh, when I talked with friends they always said that they were germans in the original. Well, then I dont have and execuses left ;)
 

Xero

Member
I am 25 and I can just agree with you. Modern action movies are so often not for me. I cant bring me to watch 2 Fast 2 Furious. Most the time I see a trailer I just roll my eyes.
Asia makes a lot of cool action movies that appeal due to their freshness to me. But its even more different.

the fast and the furious movies are some of the most 80's/ 90s action movies out. Absurd and no fucks to give.
 

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
I am always ashamed to admit it, but I have somehow overlooked Willis so far completly. I have not even seen Die Hard.

EDIT: nvm, it's been handled
 

itwasTuesday

He wasn't alone.
Fast and Furious 1 stands with the greats. But that's fine if you don't include it, it's more in line with a Ghostbusters in terms for quotability than a pure Arnold "stick around" fest.

Even if it never intended to be what it became at the time of filming F&F.

edit: typoes
 

Lagamorph

Member
If you've never watched Die Hard we're still close enough to summer for you to watch it. Itd be just weird to watch it much later in the year though.
 
everybody here is wrong.

The real answer is that Shoot'Em Up was so good with its pun one-liners that no other movie could live up to it and they stopped trying.
 

Anth0ny

Member
The rise of "Dark and gritty and serious" movie making has killed the hammy/cheesy/awesome one liners, I think.

We get some every once in a while, though:

giphy.gif
 

dofry

That's "Dr." dofry to you.
This thread posted today is super weird because I was Googling "80's best action movies" yesterday and was going to create a similar thread.

I am craving for that kind of action and those kind of cheesy dumb one liners. Someone should synth some bad songs with calypso on top and shoot some bad guys with over the top effects and meaty gun shot sounds.

If you've never watched Die Hard we're still close enough to summer for you to watch it. Itd be just weird to watch it much later in the year though.

But it's an xmas movie? Or am I missing a joke here?
 

LiK

Member
"We're not friends, we're family." - Fast & Furious series

It was so so good that GotG Vol 2 stole it.
 
Speaking as a middle aged guy, I think action movies are like rock music. They still exist, but the tone and structure is completely different to the point where I almost don't find it recognizable.

Best example I can think of is James Bond. He was doing the quip thing in the 60s* through the Craig years. But Craig was all serious and grimdark

* For instance in Goldfinger, to a guy he electrocuted. "Shocking, positively shocking"

To a guy Goldfinger crushed in a car "I see he had a pressing engagement"

For me there are a few movies that have managed to retain the classic feel while still being modern movies. The best of the bunch are Dredd and Mad Max, but something like John Wick is good as well. Shoot 'em up was also good when it came out, although that is a while ago.

Edit: and op, watch Die Hard.
 
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