Action movie is a movie genre in which the protagonist is put into a series of events that usually have violence and physical actions.
The genre is usually about a resourceful hero fighting against high odds. These movies often have life-threatening situations, a villain, or a chase which usually ends in victory for the hero. Action movies became cheaper and easier to make as computer-generated imagery (CGI) changed. Action sequences and other visual effects that needed stunt crews were more expensive in the past. Reactions to action movies with a large amount of CGI have been mixed. Some movies use CGI to create events that are not realistic and are unbelievable.[1] Action has been a part of movies for a long time but the "action movie" genre did not start until the 1970s along with the increase of stunts and special effects. This genre is often used with the thriller and adventure genres. It can also have elements of comedy, drama and spy fiction.[2] Screenwriter Eric R. Williams says action movies are one of 11 super-genres in his screenwriters’ taxonomy. He says that all feature-length narrative movies can be classified by these super-genres. The other 10 super-genres are Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction, Slice of Life, Sports, Thriller, War and Western.[3]