The Psychology of the Action Hero and Its Fade via Sequelitis, or:

The First Cut Is the Deepestby

Jezreel Leung

The Action MovieThe Common Misconceptions

Mindless entertainmentStyle over substance

Robocop sequels criticized for over-the-top silliness

Commercial venture Rocky sequels grossed over $400 million

Coarse gratification of base desiresUnnecessary blood and guts External conflict onlyEmotionless actingCheesy, one-liner dialogueEverything blows up

The Action MovieThe Surprising Realities

Psychological studyStyle and substance

First Robocop hailed as clever satire of American mass culture

Artistic endeavor First Rocky won Best Picture Oscar

Deft commentary on social and psychological illsQuestions of morality Internal conflict, tooRestrained actingSubtle, layered dialogue

The Action MovieThe Surprising Realities

Psychological studyStyle and substance

First Robocop hailed as clever satire of American mass culture

Artistic endeavor First Rocky won Best Picture Oscar

Deft commentary on social and psychological illsQuestions of morality Internal conflict, tooRestrained actingSubtle, layered dialogueEverything blows up

The Sequelitis PhenomenonSuccess of an original property

well-crafted filmentertaining actionmemorable characters serious themes

massive box office numbersenduring popularity

Studio greenlights sequel(s)obvious profits

known property is a safe bet "strike while the iron is hot"

contracts multi-picture deals, usually trilogiesbusiness decision inconsistent with logic of story and characters

The Sequelitis PhenomenonNature of the sequel

reliant on brand name recognitionoften unplanned

awkward rationaleuncharacteristic behavior

different talentfast-track schedule may mandate new director original actors lose interest, sibling/cousin written in

"bigger and better" gimmicksnew sidekick(s)love interest(s)exotic locales more explosions

The Original Lethal WeaponDepression & Suicide Martin Riggs, a young LAPD detective, is on the edge after his wife's death, drifting between stupor and psychotic rage. He is constantly at odds with his reluctant, new partner, Roger Murtaugh, but slowly begins to find safety and healing in Murtaugh's friendship and family. Until then, Riggs is a man ready to pull the trigger on himself at any moment.

The Original Lethal WeaponMurtaugh: You want to kill yourself? You want to die? Yes or no? Just answer the question!Riggs: What do you want to hear, man? Do you want to hear that sometimes I think about eating a bullet? Well, I do!I even got a special one for the occasion with a hollow point. Look! Make sure it blows the back of my goddamn head out, do the job right. Every single day I wake up and I think of a reason not to do it.

The Lethal Weapon Sequels

Riggs gleefully makes bad puns (e.g. "Nearly a cat astrophe, huh?")Lethal Weapon 2 adds Joe Pesci for comic reliefLethal Weapon 3 adds Rene Russo for a "battle of the sexes" romance subplotLethal Weapon 4 adds Jet Li for kung fu kicks and Chris Rock for black comic reliefRiggs gets too old for this $#!+

The Original RockySelf-Defeating Personality All his life, boxer Rocky Balboa has been a hard-luck loser but that fact has mostly been his own fault. He is the "all-American tragedy, a man without much mentality and few social graces," who cannot escape a fate of unfulfilled potential. When given a gimmick shot at the heavyweight title, he does the right thing for once and grabs the opportunity of a lifetime. But he has a lifetime of self-defeat to overcome first.

The Original RockyRocky: I can't do it. I can't beat him. I been out there walking around, thinking. I mean, who am I kidding, I ain't even in the guy's league.Adrian: What're we gonna do?Rocky: I don't know.Adrian: You worked so hardRocky: It don't matter 'cause I was nobody before.Adrian: Don't say that.Rocky: C'mon Adrian, it's true. I was nobody. But that don't matter either. It really don't matter if I lose this fight.

The Rocky SequelsFantasy: Rocky gets a rematch with Apollo and winsRocky becomes a national hero, gets a 10-foot statue, and guests on The Muppet ShowRocky becomes a merchandising phenomenon, even has logo dinnerware Caricature: Rocky beats the cartoonish Hulk Hogan and larger-than-life Mr. TRocky hastens the fall of the Soviet Union and Communism

The Original Death WishVigilantism & Paranoia Architect Paul Kersey's wife is killed and his daughter raped by thugs, but the police cannot help. His inability to cope with reality sends him into a downward spiral, his faith in justice shattered. Once a conscientious objector to war, Kersey now appoints himself judge, jury, and executioner, baiting street riffraff and dispensing murder as justice, wantonly flouting law and order.

The Original Death WishKersey: If the police don't defend us, maybe we ought to do it ourselves.Jack: We're not pioneers anymore, Dad.Kersey: What are we, Jack?Jack: What do you mean?Kersey: I mean if we're not pioneers, what have we become? What do you call people who when they're faced with the condition of fear do nothing about it, they just run and hide?Jack: Civilized?Kersey: [sighs] No.

The Death Wish SequelsVigilantism and revenge glorified, with no question of integrityKersey spouts one-liners (e.g. "You believe in Jesus? Well, you're gonna meet Him.")Neighborhood senior citizens join killing spreePolice inspector (and former nemesis) joins vigilante crusadeBronson was 72 years old when he starred in Death Wish V: The Face of Death

The Original RamboPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder John Rambo is a Special Forces Vietnam vet who cannot forget the horrors he witnessed in the war, drifting from town to town aimlessly. A small-town sheriff strongarms Rambo and pushes him over the edge. POW flashbacks spark a terrifying rampage that requires the National Guard to step in. Rambo's former commander steps in to handle the situation, and soon discovers the private suffering of his best soldier.

The Original Rambo

Trautman: You've done enough damage. This mission is over, Rambo. Do you understand me? This mission is over!Rambo: Nothing is over! Nothing! You just don't turn it off! It wasn't my war! You asked me, I didn't ask you! And I did what I had to do to win, but somebody wouldn't let us win! And I come back to the world and I see all those maggots at the airport, protesting me, spitting. Calling me baby killer and all kinds of vile crap!

The Rambo Sequels

Fantasy: Rambo returns to Vietnam to rescue POWs ("Sir, do we get to win this time?") Caricature: Rambo becomes a one-man-army, kills hundreds Rambo III cited by Guinness World Records as most violent movie: 221 acts of violence, 70 explosions, 108 on-screen deathsRambo drives a tank in a game of chicken against a helicopter

The Original RobocopIdentity Crisis Alex Murphy, a Detroit cop who was murdered viciously by a street gang, is resurrected by the police force as a crime-fighting cyborg, Robocop. Murphy's memory was erased, but vapors of the past haunt him. He remains duty-bound to his directives, but suffers an identity crisis over the honorable, family man he used to be and the lone, killing machine he has become.

The Original Robocop

Robocop: Murphy had a wife and son. What happened to them?Lewis: After the funeral, she moved away.Robocop: Where did they go?Lewis: She thought you were dead. She started over again.

[pause]

Robocop: I can feel them. But I can't remember them.

The Robocop Sequels

Robocop battles a literal Robocop 2, a bigger and better modelRobocop confronts the city's top drug lord: a 10 year old boyRobocop cracks jokes (e.g. "Patience, Lewis. We're only human.")Robocop gets a jetpack and fights ninjas in a Japanese corporate takeover

LAAF LovelineDear LAAF Loveline,

My wife moved out to L.A. six months ago. She had a good job--it turned into a great career. But I'm a New York cop who used to be a New York kid, and I got six months' backlog of New York scumbags I'm still trying to put behind bars. I don't just get up and move. I thought she wouldn't make it out here, thought she'd come crawling back--why bother to pack? Hasn't happened. She took the opportunity, no matter what it did to our marriage. She went out the door so fast there was practically a jetwash. I mean, talk about your wind chill factor... Still, I love her. She was the best thing that ever happened to a bum like me. Should I have been behind her all the way? Did I screw up? What should I do?

Sincerely,Die-hard Love

LAAF LovelineDear DL,

You need to reach out to your wife. Give her a call. I can tell that you probably hate those "meaningful relationship conversations," but if she's receptive, you might think about flying out to L.A. You could arrange for something around the holidays so you've got a good reason to see her. I think she misses you more than you realize. I'm willing to bet she feels some guilt over her decision to move out west so don't be a jerk about it. Your aim is to reconcile, not start the arguments and accusations again. She needs your support now more than ever. She's probably heard you say "I love you" a thousand times, but never got to hear this: "I'm sorry." Marriage is a partnership where people help each other over the rough spots. Go see her. Who knows, you might like L.A.! Just make sure to bring an extra pair of shoes.

Statler & WaldorfFrom the Balcony

Anyone who satthrough that

must've had a death wish!

This lecture wasa lethal weapon...

to my ulcer!