An Introduction

The year 2000 was a strange time for all of us.  It was probably the last time any of us can remember where there was no apocalyptic threat to our civilization:  no pandemic outbreak, no terrorist attacks, no intrusive internet telling us how corrupt our leaders actually are.....  and this kind of mentality bled over into the films of that year.

....and we needed something to take our minds off of how stupid we all felt....

in all honesty, most of the movies that will be looked at in this series were made in 1999, the year we all thought that Y2K was gonna end the party (and Bill Gates ascended to God status).  The action movies of 2000 were, in many ways, the pinnacle of what the 90s had built toward; basically, a bigger, badder, more politically correct version of the craziness that was 80s action movies.

It was also a time of transition.  Many of the conventions of the last decade were starting to show their age, along with many of the stars that dominated the genre (lookin at you Schwarzenegger) falling out of favor with audiences.

Though it's anyone's guess as to why.....

Why am I doing this blog series?  Because I'm a movie nerd with a penchant for the action genre.  Also, in many ways the action genre (along with science fiction) is one of the drivers for movie technology and technique as a whole.  It's interesting to look back on the sensibilities of a more innocent, pre-911 time.  James Cameron put it very well when asked if we'll ever get a sequel to True Lies when he said "an action comedy about Islamic terrorists just doesn't play anymore".

sigh.....  just not as fun as it used to be...

So if you have any interest in action movies (especially if you think the genre has gone to hell these days) then keep an eye on this blog.  Seeya soon.