'The Hunger Games' success indicates Hollywood needs to look to women of all ages like Jennifer Lawrence for action
DAILY Announcement New York News Politics Activities Entertainment Opinion Living Automobiles Search Confidential Gossip Telly Movies Music Arts Math comic strips Games Entertainment Pics Weblogs
BY Elizabeth Weitzman
'The Hunger Games' success shows Hollywood has to look to women like Jennifer Lawrence in working order Actress continues path moved by Sigourney Weaver, Pam Grier and others NEW YORK Regular NEWS
Monday, March Twenty-six, 2012, 6:00 Was
A A A
Murray Close/AP Actions star for 2012: Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games"
This has never, on the whole, been a great times for action heroes. Sure, we have cops and spies in addition to superheroes and gods and leaders crawling out of every corner from the cineplex. But can you even remember the identity of the guy who works John Carter? Which is around theaters right now?
The movie industry has been trying to revive the actual Golden Age of Action considering the fact that its '80s heyday, by using little success. Alex Pettyfer, Taylor Lautner, Jer Momoa, Justin Timberlake, and "John Carter's" Taylor Kitsch are the type of who've failed in the last 12 months alone.
Jason Statham comes nearest to replicating Bruce Willis' deadpan swagger, while The Stone had potential, until he donned a tutu for "Tooth Fairy.Inch But even once unassailable stars like Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger have to group together as they will on this summer's "The Expendables 2" to make any sort of impression.
Chic REVIEW: 'THE HUNGER GAMES' HITS THE TARGET
RELATED: JENNIFER LAWERENCE ON Staying KATNISS
YOUR GUIDE TO PANEM AND 'THE Food cravings GAMES'
And when they do, will it compare with the impact we're going to see from a 21 yr woman? Because this year's greatest action hero is very destined to be "The Hunger Games'" Jennifer Lawrence.
As Katniss Everdeen, Lawrence brings us a Ralph Lauren Home Australia warrior tougher than any throughout recent memory. At just Of sixteen, she single handedly supports the girl family. Stares down demise on a tragically regular basis. Cheap Lacoste Polo Australia Insists, despite intense opposition, for remaining the master of her own fate. And is far more likely to conserve boys than swoon over them. (Though "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games" are sometimes compared, the self reliant Katniss possesses little in common with the oft recovered Bella, a character perpetually determined by her relationships.)
Granted, a good amount of ladies have used brute drive to break down barriers onscreen. Pam Grier acquired the '70s covered, within films like "Coffy" and "Foxy Dark brown." Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hamilton will remain eternally iconic for their "Alien" as well as "Terminator" roles, and Carrie Anne Moss set the standard for "Matrix" fans in advance of co star Keanu Reeves even appeared.
For the most part, though, women wielded guns because men told them so that you can ("La Femme Nikita") or they looked wonderful in leather (pick a "Batman" sequel) or both ("Charlie's Angels").
Action legend for 2012: Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen around "The Hunger Games"
Finally, around 10 years ago, action heroines became (simply) common enough that we may possibly stop thinking of them since the exception to the rule. experienced ever seen. Uma Thurman brought us your Oakley Radarlock Xl bloodthirsty Bride in two volumes of "Kill Bill." Milla Jovovich strode through numerous "Resident Evil" entries knowing that she owned them. And no one brought more confidence to the video game than Angelina Jolie.
While Yeoh's submit "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" didn't result in the influx of Hong Kong heroines many wanted them to be, Jolie seemed to consider Hollywood hers to take and nobody had the nerve to object. By the time she'd moved from "Gone in Sixty Seconds" to "Salt" with two "Tomb Raiders,Inch "Mr. Mrs. Smith" and "Wanted" in between female steps heroes no longer felt like such a novelty.
We can notice many of these women in Lawrence's depiction especially Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, whose emotional weeknesses and maternal instincts aid fuel her strength. Although Katniss' most relevant precursor can't in reality be found on film she came from television, and was decidedly life sized.
When Abercrombie And Fitch Australia Joss Whedon created "Buffy your Vampire Slayer" for the small monitor, he was aiming for a similar young adult audience now primed for "The Hunger Games.In . Though more powerful than the girl's peers, Buffy was at heart the confused teenage girl pressed into a harsh life she'd never have chosen on her own.
Just like Katniss, Buffy had to balance insecurities along with desires with an urgent generate to protect herself and others in the slightest necessary. And it was the girl weekly presence that truly adjusted contemporary audiences to a sensei who could kick ass in high heels.
Unfortunately, you cannot assume all filmmakers are as enlightened as Whedon. So there will still be times when the top heels matter more than this heroism: witness last season's inane thriller "Sucker Punch," wherein Zack Snyder treated his actresses like lingerie models.
And it's critical that novelist Suzanne Collins and movie director Gary Ross have contextualized the ugly violence of "The Hunger Games" as opposed to recent films that more satisfied turned little girls into murders. Though movies like "Hanna" as well as "Kick Ass" have their fans, they feel to many people including me like exploitation of cash Ralph Lauren Polo Cheap counting adults.
But because Saoirse Ronan and Chloe Moretz, the stars of those 2 films, come of age, they might find opportunities their folks did not. Once, the sight of a lady superhero was unusual. Now, with movies like Whedon's future "The Avengers" and last year's "X Gentlemen: First Class" which also starred Lawrence oahu is the norm.
We've watched Hollywood push actor after actor or actress through the action mill, having unimpressive results. Maybe they've been looking in the wrong spot all along.
Most Popular
Almost all Read Most Shared 1 'Furious 7' trailer released online A pair of 'Horns,' movie review Several Jamie Chung crazy over new Walt disney flick 'Big Hero 6' 4 Pertaining to Eddie Redmayne, playing Stephen Hawking was hard 5 'Nightcrawler,' movie overview 6 Channing Tatum's 'Gambit' movie Womens Air Jordan High Heels officially inside works 7 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' movie trailer reveals new scene 6 'Nightcrawler,' 'Ouija' tie for package office lead with $10.In search of million 9 Katniss declares warfare in final 'Mockingjay Part 1' trailer 10 'John Wick,' movie review
Editors' Picks EXCLUSIVE: The writer Z business partner Damon Sprinkle ordered to testify beneath oath A Manhattan government judge recently ordered any particular one of Jay Z's founding partners, Damon Dash, be deposed in a $7 million lawsuit over royalties stemming out of Roc A Fella Records' logo.
