Action comedy explained
The action comedy is a genre that combines aspects of action and comedy. Films in this genre feature "fast and furious" action that is mostly lighthearted, with humor often derived from the characters rather than intense action sequences. Early examples include The General (1926) and swashbuckler films of the 1930s, while the genre became more common in the 1980s with buddy cop films and works featuring actors like Jackie Chan. In the 1990s, the genre incorporated more violent humor, and it continued to evolve in the 21st century with numerous notable films.
Action comedy has also been a recurring theme in television, with series such as The Dukes of Hazzard (1979–1985) and Peacemaker (2022).
Film
AllMovie describes action comedy films as those with "fast and furious" action yet being "mostly lighthearted", rarely having death or serious injury. The Script Lab wrote, "[The genre] relies on the characters to bring out the humor, while the action scenes tend to be less intense than in the traditional action movie."[1]
Action comedies often have "fish out of water" themes; for example, using a starring actor's celebrity to contrast the setting, such as how comedian and actor Eddie Murphy's "streetwise, sarcastic persona clashes with conventional police procedures in the Beverly Hills Cop films" in the late twentieth century.[2] The 1926 film The General starring Buster Keaton may be the first action comedy film.[3] Other early forms of action comedy films were swashbuckler films from the 1930s. Allmovie wrote that its "stars combined wit and one-liners with a thrilling plot and daring stunts". In the 1980s, the genre became commonplace, and buddy cop films emerged as an extension of action comedy films such as Midnight Run (1988) and the Lethal Weapon film series.[4] Other action comedies from the decade included The Blues Brothers (1980) and the films of actor and martial artist Jackie Chan.
In the 1990s, action comedy films "became more violent, with fiery deaths and emphatic shootings increasingly used as punchlines". Rotten Tomatoes wrote that Rush Hour (1998) revitalized the genre's formula and that Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) was a highlight from the decade. In the first two decades of the 21st century, the films Kung Fu Hustle (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), Tropic Thunder (2008), 21 Jump Street (2012), and Bad Boys for Life (2020) were among numerous instances of the genre.
TV series
Further reading
- Book: King, Cynthia M. . 2009 . Comedy in Action . Kendrick . James . A Companion to the Action Film . Wiley . 978-1-119-10076-8 . 140–164 .
Notes and References
- Web site: Buffam . Noelle . Action . The Script Lab . March 12, 2011 . December 5, 2022 . February 8, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230208170751/https://thescriptlab.com/screenplay/genre/948-action/ . live .
- Book: Gallagher, Mark . Restaging Heroic Masculinity . 2006 . Action Figures: Men, Action Films, and Contemporary Adventure Narratives . Palgrave Macmillan . 163 . 978-1-4039-7723-6 .
- News: St. James . Emily . The General . . December 9, 2009 . December 2, 2022 . December 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221202193257/https://www.avclub.com/the-general-1798207566 . live . Perhaps the first action comedy, Buster Keaton's defining 1926 classic The General makes great use of Keaton's laws-of-physics-defying body and face... .
- Web site: Staff . Action >> Action Comedy . allmovie.com . . December 2, 2022 . February 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230212222806/https://www.allmovie.com/subgenre/action-comedy-d513 . dead .
- Web site: Deadpool & Wolverine Rotten Tomatoes . 2025-01-04 . www.rottentomatoes.com . en.
- News: Baldwin. Daniel. July 29, 2016. From Grieco With Love: Remembering 'If Looks Could Kill'. live. Forbes. https://web.archive.org/web/20231227035018/https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielbaldwin/2016/07/29/from-grieco-with-love-remembering-if-looks-could-kill/. December 27, 2023. December 29, 2023.
- News: Beard . Matthew . 'A-Team' is viewers' most-wanted oldie for prime-time revival . December 15, 2022 . . October 23, 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221215220335/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/ateam-is-viewers-mostwanted-oldie-for-primetime-revival-92658.html . December 15, 2022.
- News: Staff . Action Comedy TV: Showrunner Matt Nix . . March 14, 2010 . December 2, 2022 . December 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221202191519/https://deadline.com/2010/03/action-comedy-tv-showrunner-matt-nix-23122/ . live .
- Book: Proulx . Mike . Shepatin . Stacey . 2012 . Social TV: How Marketers Can Reach and Engage Audiences by Connecting Television to the Web, Social Media, and Mobile . Wiley . 978-1-118-23965-0 .
- News: Butler . Karen . Season 4 of 'Doom Patrol' to premiere on Dec. 8 . upi.com . . October 10, 2022 . December 12, 2022 . October 10, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221010135208/https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/TV/2022/10/10/doom-patrol-hbo-max/6681665405020/ . live .
- Book: Perlmutter, David . 2018 . The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows . . 978-1-5381-0374-6 .
- Web site: Action Comedy . hulu.com . . December 2, 2022 .
- News: Shachat . Sarah . How 'Our Flag Means Death' Built a Realistic but Farcical Pirate Ship . . March 12, 2022 . December 12, 2022 . December 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221212142133/https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/our-flag-means-death-pirate-ship-revenge-1234705721/ . live .
- News: Truitt . Brian . How HBO Max's 'Peacemaker' became a hair metal superhero spin on the ensemble comedy . . January 13, 2022 . December 12, 2022 . December 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221211231546/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2022/01/13/peacemaker-hbo-max-superhero-show-brings-hair-metal-friends-vibe/9160893002/ . live .
- Book: Taylor, Larry . 2018 . Nomads . John McTiernan: The Rise and Fall of an Action Movie Icon . McFarland . 978-1-4766-3233-9 . 17 .
- News: Swift . Andy . Rush Hour TV Series In the Works for CBS from Bill Lawrence, Brett Ratner . . September 30, 2014 . December 12, 2022 .
- News: Nemetz . Dave . Teenage Bounty Hunters Trailer: High School Girls Kick Ass After Class in Netflix's Edgy Action Comedy . . July 30, 2020 . December 12, 2022 . July 30, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200730161215/https://tvline.com/2020/07/30/teenage-bounty-hunters-trailer-netflix/ . live .
