Heroes

what makes gladiator an action hero?

• What he is wearing
• what his name is
• Body Structure
• Weapons
• Fighting 
• tone of voice

The hero needs to be physically strong to be able to fight and travel long distances across difficult terrain. (Hancock) - In one particular scene. He lifts up cars with his bare hands and when he lands back down, he makes dents in to the ground. 

The hero needs to be intelligent and a quick thinker in order to solve problems. (Jackie Chan in Rush Hour) -  In one particular scene Jackie Chan is faced with a problem to fight around ten guys at once and he thinks fast and climbs a wall and hits the men with things that are around him which shows he's a very quick thinker. 

The hero needs to be a leader to have followers and gain our trust. (Robin Hood) - He is a leader of trained band of fighters which shows he is capable of leading a group. 

The hero needs to be unstoppable to keep the audience interested. (Hancock) - in one particular scene Hancock keeps trying to help people, and by helping others, he would ruin something else which would cause problems for the city. 

The hero needs to be experienced in order to cope with all dangers and obstacles. (Batman) - In one particular scene Batman has a mechanical cape which includes weapons and helps him fly. 

Why did you choose the heroes you chose?

- I chose these heroes because they really stand out in the film and even though they may not be the main character they still stand out because of how they act and how their character develops throughout the film to then become a hero and save people from things that are not good. 

Iconography:

-Superman is iconography. The superman symbol is used frequently and is recognisable to many.

Iconography:- Gladiator
We can tell from the pictures that it is an Action Adventure film because the image shows two men fighting dressed in an armour holding swords. It connotes anger and the urge to win against the enemy. They are very built which shows strength and power. It shows low key lighting with shadows which may suggest death towards the end. The image also shows an audience which signifies power because they are all there for him and are supporting the gladiator.

Raiders of the lost ark:- This is set in Egypt, i know this because of the transcript written all over the walls behind him, it also looks like he is sitting in a tomb. It is set using high key lighting which may represent a happy ending or a happy life. He is looking down at something with a worried facial expression which may connote he is afraid of something and or someone. He also has his hand out which may suggest he is reaching out for something. He is arabian, i no this as he is wearing arabian clothes which connotes that he is trying to fit in as he may be a spy or an undercover agent or maybe secret police trying to find out about something that he may think is going on. This image however does not show that it is based on an action adventure film as there is no fighting involved or any weapons shown in the image.

casino royale

Men
Women
Teens
Adults
British Viewers
American Viewers

Action/Violence/ Weapons/Attractive Women: - this would appeal to Men as most men tend to like movies full of action and love a fight.
Man walking out of the sea/ Romance:- This may appeal to Woman as some women may want to watch it because of him and he could be connoted as one of the heroes in the movie. also because women are stereotyped to like romantic films.
American Viewers: As some people had an American Accent in the trailer. Expensive Cars, Planes,
Teens: Bombings
British Viewers: James Bond, British Film, Women had a british accent.

The two categories that had the most annotations was Men and American Viewers. The category that had the least was teenagers and adults.

I dont think that the makers of the film and trailer intentionally tried to involve the top two groups and, alienate the bottom two because. no matter whether your a teenager, men, women, adults, british or american, if the trailer interests you then that up to you whether you want to go and watch it or not. They haven't made the trailer/film just for a particular category. They would want a large audience and for that reason i don't think they have alienated the audience.

I think the figures of Casino Royale do support my ideas above because worldwide the gross was: $594,239,066. I don't think that the film would of been so successful if all of the categories listed above didn't go to watch it. I think because men, women, teenagers, and british and american viewers went to watch the film. it was more successful so it wasn't alienated for a particular person. However, if Men went to watch the film and no one else from the category above did, the gross wouldn't be as high as it is and they may have lost out on millions however the makers of the trailer had certain clips from the film which may appeal to different age group and genders so that more people would watch it.

Pirates of the Caribbean:- 3 things that are on the poster which suggests it fits in to action adventure...
- Holding Swords, connotes danger, fear and anger.
- Skull on the right, connotes death,
- scary looking man on the front.

The Fugitive:-
- Worried/ Scared facial expression
- Looks like he's running away from something
- Male

gladiator:-
- Holding a sword, connotes power and suggests that people should be afraid of him.
- wearing an armour, connotes that he is ready to fight which suggests a battle.
- Background colour which is orangey brown which signifies fire and death.

Avatar:-
- Two characters on the front are not normal humans which could connote fantasy action/adventure
- Planes flying around which suggests action taking place
- the actual name of the film 'Avatar'

The poster which seems to fit neatly in the action adventure genre is Pirates of the Caribbean. This is because it has a lot on it to suggest action and adventure. For example, the skull, the characters on the front with a scary facial expression which could be intimidating to the audience because they all have a slight look on their face. The swords also suggest action adventure because it could connote murder, a fight, a battle between others.

The hardest to define as an action adventure film is The fugitive. This is because the poster does not give much away. It is of a man who is running from something/someone but no one know why or who he's running from. Also the background is of a train which is quite blurred out from moving which could connote a murder because of the mans facial expression but you could not guess that from the poster.

What should an audience expect from a film in the Action Adventure genre?
An audience should expect a hero, villain, someone who may die or be saved by the hero. A happy ending in some or a tragic ending in another. it should include a lot of fighting and blood. It should be fairly typical in most action adventure movies and include a lot of weapons and a team of people on either side who are fighting for the opposite things. It should also have a plot which will involve murders, journeys, romance, and something that will come together and be sorted out in the end. It should control how much we already now till the very end to keep us watching and waiting to see what the outcome is in the end. This is because if it gives the story away people will lose interest and wont bother watching it.

Why are Action Adventure films so popular with audiences?
- People enjoy watching action and enjoy fighting
- The storylines are simple, short and easy to follow
- Most people prefer Action/Adventure compared to a lot of other genres as it can be quite entertaining
- It keeps you entertained and theres always something going on in the film
- Suspense
-You want to no what will happen and how it ends
- Some action adventure films have certain celebrities who play heroes/villains which will get more people to watch it
- It can be exciting depending on the storyline and how its structured.
- Often portray institutions
- Stereotypical Conflict

Why do some people criticise Action Adventure films?
Some people may criticise Action Adventure films because that particular genre may not interest them. The storyline in nearly every action adventure movie is the same. They are very predictable. It has a very simple theme and cheesy dialogues which people will not enjoy. They are also stereotyped as women who are the ones getting saved by the hero that is a male. Also low quality scripts.

Pitch Idea for a new Action Adventure film that shows many of the usual conventions of the Action Adventure genre. Ensure that at least one of your main character is 'Non Stereotypical' describe the film...

- Title: Shadowed Identity
- Age Certificate: 15 +
- plot:- The story is about a young guy called Nathan who goes through troubles to make his dream of being a musician become a reality. He struggles through his life as his dad was his rock and he died when Nathan was a little boy. Nathan goes on a journey of stardom and after everyone turning him down and going against him, his dreams come true. Once he becomes successful rumours started to spread about him saying he was an undercover superhero. Everyone is against him apart from the heros. Watch the film to find out what happens to him!
-Characters:
Aston:- Hero
Aishah:- Heroine
Alexandra Burke:- Villain
Nathan:- Victim


-What films inspired your idea: CatWomen
- How you have ensured that one character is 'non stereotypical.' I have made myself the hero as women are always sereotyped to be the weak ones in films as the victim. However my story is different as the woman saves the male instead which shows the stronger sides of girls!

Action Adventure Notes

Explain the main features of action/adventure films and provide examples to support your ideas, referring to at least two action adventure films: -

• Rush Hour
• Hancock

Include:-

Representation

Institution

Media Language - Storyline and Plot, Structure, Oppositional Characters, Journey/Quest, Action Sequences. 

The main features of a typical Action Adventure film always will involve a hero and a villain. 

Rush Hour:- This film is about a young girl who gets kidnapped by a couple of guys, two police officers then get on the case to find her and are represented as 'Heroes'. They are both represented as good guys who are out to fight crime and evil. The Institution is New Line Cinema and Roger Bimbaum. The main characters are Jackie Chan and and Chris Tucker. With time running out they must join forces to catch the criminals and save the eleven year old chinese girl named Soo Yung. Both main characters carry a gun and ID cards which connotes power and heroism. They are represented in this way for the audience to feel afraid of them both as they have power and weapons which would scare people. The language used in this film is not standard english and does include a few swear words and slang which may not be suitable for the younger audience. Throughout the storyline, both characters go on a journey together to find out exactly where the girl is and are concerned about her safety which signifies that they are caring and hardworking. the villain phones up Soo's father to threaten him and say that they will kill his daughter if they do not give them money.

Hancock:- This film is about a hard-living superhero who is in a questionable relationship with his wife as she does not know that he is a under cover superhero till later on in the film. The institution is columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Blue Light. The main characters in this film are Will Smith, Charlize Theron, and jason Bateman. The storyline is based on Hancock and how he becomes the most hated man in Los Angeles, even though he saved many peoples lives, he ruined a lot of peoples property and it costs the country millions. Hancock is extremely powerful and can destroy things with his bare hands. This connotes power and strength. He is represented in this way as he is both the hero of the country and the one everyone is afraid of. 

New Action Adventure Films

The Matrix:

Synopsis:

Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives. By day he is an average computer programmer and by night a malevolent hacker known as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality but the truth is far beyond his imagination. Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by Morpheus, a legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government. Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines which live off of their body heat and imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix. As a rebel against the machines, Neo must return to the Matrix and confront the agents, super powerful computer programs devoted to snuffing out Neo and the entire human rebellion.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/

Directors and writers: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss.
Rating: 15
Duration: 136 minutes.
Released: 11th June 1999.

Why So Serious?

http://www.whysoserious.com/

When the website has fully loaded,the first thing that was said was, 'This is a GCN traffic update' and a lot of commotion is heard in the background and people asking for help which connotes a bank robbery taken place by the joker, this is because a bank is mentioned. The first thing that caught my eye was the Jokers To Do list. It has a loads of jobs that he wants to complete some of which are; 'Make everyone everywhere look like me' this signifies that he is very vain or it connotes that he thinks he is absolutely amazing and everyone should look like him. 'Send cops down the wrong lane' which obviously signifies his character or being a very cheeky joker, who thinks doing and saying the wrong things is hilarious. When you click on to it, it comes up with a newspaper article which is titled, The Ha Ha Ha Times which denotes that this was written about the Joker. This website is similar to the poster because it has similar use of colour which is quite dull and dark. The poster and the website both have the words 'why so serious' which is another similarity. It is also similar because the poster is made up of Joker cards and the website was made for the Joker and has pictures of the Joker on there. They are different in the respects that the website doesnt have 'The dark knight' written on it anywhere, the webasite is not an image made up of Joker cards, however they both have a few quotes that were said in the film which makes it similar.

Action Adventure Movies

The three Movies i have chosen are...

- Rush Hour

- Hancock

- Avatar

Rush Hour

- 79% Rated                                               
- Genre: Action/Adventure, comedy
- Rated: pg 13
                                       - Released December 4th 1998
                                       - Distributor: New Line Cinema
                                       - Running Time: 1hr-38 mins
                                       - Directed by: Brett Ratner
                                       - Written by: Jim Kouf and Ross LaManna
                                       - Stars: Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan
                                       - Box Office Budget: (estimated) - $33,000,000
                                       - Production Company: New Line Cinema and Roger Birnbaum
Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes:
"I didn't have very high expectations for this film, and it was much better than I thought it was going to be."
"Terrific entertainment"

Hancock

- Genre: Action, crime, fantasy, comedy

- Release Date: 2nd July 2008

- Director: Peter Burg

- Writers:- Vincent Ngo, Vince Gillian

- Stars: Will Smith, Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman

- Rated: pg 13

- Running Time: 1hr-32minutes

- Distributor: Columbia Pictures

- US Box Office: £227.9M

- 67% Rating

- Production - Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Blue Light

Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes:

"This is a different take on the superhero genre with an interesting, offbeat twist."

"The structure of Hancock is a bold risk that supplies more storytelling ambition than your more typical summer popcorn blockbuster."

Avatar

- Director: James Cameron

- Writer: James Cameron

- Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver

- Release Date: December 17th 2009

- Budget: $237,000,000 (estimated)

- 92% Rating

- Genre: Action/Adventure, Mystery, suspense, science fiction and Fantasy

- Rated: pg 13

- Running Time: 2hours-50 mins

- US Box Office:£760.5M


Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes:
"As a fantasy epic, Avatar is an undeniable victory ... but outside of the narrow confines of immersion he's managed, it's also quite limited."
"As adventure movies go, it is impressively new in every way except the way that matters most -- storytelling. Its look will last. But its heart won't go on."

Walkers Television Advert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoT0Me5T8_4

This advert advertises Walkers Crisps. The advert itself is based on short story about how your sandwich could be more exciting with Walkers Crisps.
This advert includes celebrity Endorsements like JLS which will also help the sales rise, also get more people buying the crisps based on the advert itself.
At the beginning of the advert, the music playing is JLS: One Shot.
This may be because they are trying to tell you that you only get one shot, to buy these walkers crisps as they are that spectacular. After that it shows a man talking about how Walkers Crisps can be that little bit more exciting which may make you want to listen on for more. Or it could just simply make you want to carry on watching. It then shows a bunch full of six formers in a normal school assembly with a slight twist. The school teacher invites JLS onto the stage and everyones face lights up. This may be to show that with Walkers Crisps everyone is happy! The advert then continues on to people meeting up with others and people making sandwich with Walkers. This may show that Walkers makes everyone happy and it makes your sandwich that one bit more tastier. It also has a small slogan which says... "Any Sandwich is more exciting with Walkers" which obviously means no matter what sandwich you have, its always better with Walkers. At the end of the advert it has a website for people to go on to see what other exciting flavours they have to offer and much more!