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Last Action Hero

I am beginning to wonder if Hollywood has gone soft of late. Amongst the current generation of A list actors (and indeed lists B through F) there is not one genuine action hero to inspire cinema-goers. There is no shortage of contemporary action films, nor is there a shortage of actors, but each of the current crop of what could be termed as 'action-actors' is crippled by his sensitivity, either in an emotional sense or in terms of his physical appearance. Matt Damon, Tom Cruise, Daniel Craig et al would struggle to intimidate their own grandparents at the Sunday dinner table, and whereas Vin Diesel has the physique for the job, you can't help but feel that he could be easily outwitted by a toddler and tricked into beating himself up.

The archetypal action hero is physically and mentally strong; capable of making tough decisions which may result in other people's deaths; oblivious to human contact or emotion; instils fear in his fellow men; and is generally a loner, to be seen wandering solo into the proverbial sunset (or indeed sinking into liquid iron ore) at the end of a film. His work is rarely compromised by attraction to females, and even in the case of James Bond, his primary instinct is always survival. I am referring specifically to male action heroes, as until recently, the film industry has been a male-dominated profession, both behind the camera and in front of it, and so there is not a comparable history of cinematic action heroines.

Actors such as John Wayne, Sean Connery and Clint Eastwood defined their careers by playing cinematic action heroes, and will remain iconic figures for generations of movie-lovers to come. In more recent years, Harrison Ford, Sly Stallone, Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson have all enjoyed box-office success in similar roles, however one figure emerges head and shoulders (literally) above this pack; Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Austrian body-builder turned actor (in the loosest sense of the word).

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger, born in Thal (Austria) in 1947, was crowned the youngest ever Mr. Universe at the age of 20 in 1967, and moved to America the following year. He featured in a selection of small films throughout the 1970's, however his breakthrough came in 1982 playing the titular role in Conan the Barbarian . Two years later James Cameron chose to cast him as a mercenary cyborg in The Terminator , and in spite of the fact that he played the part with a thick Austrian accent, nobody cared. The performance spoke for itself. He went on to feature in a series of successful explosive action movies, and although currently spending his time governing California, is also rumoured to be associated with the upcoming fourth instalment of the Terminator films; all the more impressive considering he is now approaching sixty years of age.

Schwarzenegger is the definitive action hero, partly because nobody has arrived to supersede him, and also because I suspect he is the last of his breed. He has perfected the art of playing the indestructible, and unlike rivals such as Van Damme and Seagal, uses fairly mundane fighting techniques as opposed to fancy martial arts. His limited acting ability actually serves as benefit (on most occasions), as his wooden persona helps remove the humanity from the characters he portrays, and his bizarre accent brings a touch of distinction to any lines he does utter. A simple sentence such as 'I'll Be Back' would not have quite the same impact if voiced by another actor.

Gilbert Adair, renowned cultural theorist, once remarked that the key difference between Schwarzenegger and any of his contemporaries is that 'one sweats, the other doesn't'. Each of Stallone's finest roles sees him dripping with sweat in the heat of the moment, a sign of his ultimate humanity, and as such his weakness. There have been occasions when Schwarzenegger has attempted roles requiring a touch of sensitivity, and despite being generally poor films from a critical perspective (Kindergarten Cop, True Lies etc.), they are none-the-less laden with unintended ironic humour for fans of his work.

For an action hero to have any relevance, he must be placed within the context of a suitable period of time, both within the film world and the real world of the audience. For example, a swaggering grisly John Wayne would be little more than a bloated wino a contemporary action film, and a monotone European muscleman would have just been plain odd in a western (Westworld excepted). In terms of the real world, maybe there is no longer a place for the lone action hero: people are frightened of sitting beside someone of a different religion on a plane; children are stabbing and shooting each other over schoolyard disputes; and if a burglar breaks into your home you'd best put the kettle on and make them welcome, otherwise they might sue you.

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