Action Coolness

Although the topic for this week is cool satire, part of the coolness that is generated by RoboCop is the action that permeates the film. Although the satire definitely delivers a compelling message, action is an exclusive part of RoboCop that is cool regardless of a person's ability to understand the satire that is in the movie. Scenes of explosions, gunfire and car chases are cool because they allow the viewer to experience a world of excitement and danger from the safety of a movie theater seat. RoboCop is designed as a great action film. By discarding the normal conventions of science and technology, machines like RoboCop and Ed can battle each other with maximum explosive power. If this scene was to be reproduced in real life with a viewer of RoboCop as a participant, the viewer would most likely be scared and run away in horror. However, because of the safe barrier of fiction, any viewer who suspends a little bit of disbelief can revel in the exiting scene.

One film that masters the art of the action film is Terminator 2: Judgment Day. In this film, the shape shifting robot T-1000 is attempting to kill John Connor. In order to save his life, another terminator and John's mother flee from the T-1000, but upon realizing that it needs to be stopped, they arm themselves to the teeth and destroy it in a blaze of fire. The coolness from this movie is generated through the sheer amount of action that is present throughout the film. For example, in one scene, John Connor and his terminator guardian free his mother and narrowly escape from the steely death of the T-1000. Although the evil machine is very powerful, the three heroes are able to escape when the T-800, John's protector, uses his body as a shield against bullets. In a very similar way to how RoboCop and all action movies entertain us, the coolness of action films is generated by incredibly exciting scenes that would be horribly frightening in real life. I can guarantee that if most people saw a real T-1000 advancing with quasi mercuric limbs shaped as knives, then they would cower in absolute fear instead of handling the situation in an exciting manner. Another aspect of Terminator 2 that is also mirrored in RoboCop is the use of special effects. Although special effects are nowhere near our current level of computer-generated special effects, the use of explosions and robots in both films adds to the coolness of the action. Without special effects, the action becomes closer to real life, and as a result, the movie becomes less exciting and cool.

Ultimately, action films serve as more of an escape than anything else. By presenting us with incredible scenes of action that would normally strike fear into our hearts, we are able to enjoy the excitement and thrills that can never enter our own lives without also introducing tragedy. Without action, our lives would be horribly boring. Because we are able to sit back and experience the kinds of excitement that we can never have in our real lives, action movies are definitely cool.