Every genre has its cliches and conventions which make it distinctly the genre which it aims to be. In this post I shall be assessing some of the cliches associated with the action genre:
The Antagonist
- Physically weak antagonist with incredible mind.
- Owns a dangerous pet, such as a shark.
- Has a repertoire of several cliche lines such as: 'I've been expecting you', or tells the protagonist a long story about their childhood that somehow relates to the situation.
- A fan of inventive torture techniques.
- Gets captured by the protagonist and then escapes to the shocking realisation that 'he wanted to be caught'
- Is accompanied by physically strong bodyguard.
- Tortured childhood or past.
- Kills own men without a second thought over the smallest error.
- An expert of the double-cross.
- Has a mole in the government.
- Psychologically unhinged.
The Protagonist
- Haunted past.
- Orphan
- Has some sort of tutor, usually an old man.
- Half way through gives up and then finds a reason to carry on.
- Self surgery expert.
- Bursting muscles.
- Has a love-interest
- Is accompanied by a loveable side-kick
- Can work any type of vehicle, from helicopters to diggers...whatever's convenient
- An expert at improvised weaponry - particularly explosives
Story
- Chase and fight sequences
- Torture scenes
- Sex scenes
- Slow motion explosives with the protagonist either walking away or getting blown away.
- Bomb diffusal seconds before detonation.
- Hacking into computers, to the elated cry of 'I'm in'
- 'Have you done the job?'
- 'You're going to wish you'd never been born'
- 'It's done'
- 'You really shouldn't have done that'
- 'Bond, James Bond'
- 'He wanted us to capture him!'
- 'Never'
- 'We meet again'
...the list is endless...
