For any given action movie one can follow the plot line along until the climax and it will follow, more or less, what I am about to describe. It is important to define the term action movie because there are many genres which can be confused with this one. Star Wars is not an action flick, it is an adventure film. Thusly, it follows the hero's journey plot line. A good example of a generic action movie is the Wesley Snipes film Blade, which I will be using as source material for the rest of this write up.

Ok, so, one gets through the whole rising action bit and they get to the climax of the film which is typically characterized by the protagonist meeting and grappling with his archnemesis. Typically, but not always, the hero will first be put at a disadvantage. This allows a further element of suspense and risk. In order to overcome this disadvantage, someone (typically the hero's love interest) will have to make a sacrifice. The sacrifice can vary from extreme (one's life) to minor. Anyway, after the sacrifice the hero is now ready to kick some villian ass and accordingly, a massive fight insues. One interesting thing, in contemporary action films (those produced in the past, say, 5 years) is that the big fight scene will often be preceded by, like, a bad ass moment. Something along the lines of the hero cocking his head to the side and smirking as pounding techno music begins and the rumble ensues. In Blade, this is when Wesley Snipes retrieves his sunglasses and begins beating the shit out of cronies. Finally, the climax is completed when the hero destroys the villian one last time. After that, the rest is falling action.

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