Yesterday's and Today's Movie Heroes Put in Perspective

[gunthorp]

From Lee Marvin to Captain Kangaroo, we had role models that walked the walk. I don't know about Howdy Doody.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Steve666]

[QUOTE=buckeye .45;2160153]There is even a disconnect from what I watched as a child born in the mid-80's, and what guys in my squad born 5 years later remembered watching as far as "substance"(if substance can be used to describe tv shows and movies). But I grew up watching Optimus Prime fight the evil Megatron, and the G.I. Joes battle Cobra, and the Voltron 5 fight the space monsters. Yeah, they were kid's cartoons, but they reinforced that good should stand up to, and when needed fight evil. That evil can always be defeated, and should be. They show that you need to take a stand for what you believe in, and that sometimes sacrifice for the greater good is necessary. And that working as a team is how to accomplish things.[QUOTE]

I grew up in the late 50's and early 60's watching the cartoons that they don't even show anymore because they are "too violent" and then the shows like Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Highway Patrol, Dragnet and later Combat, Rat Patrol, Adam-12 and Emergency. Shows that had heroes, highlighted fair play, and showed good triumphing over evil in the end.

[suntzu]

I grew up in the late 50's and early 60's watching the cartoons that they don't even show anymore because they are "too violent" and then the shows like Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Highway Patrol, Dragnet and later Combat, Rat Patrol, Adam-12 and Emergency. Shows that had heroes, highlighted fair play, and showed good triumphing over evil in the end.

whew!!! I am glad you stoppd the list, thought CHIPS was going to be on it

[wdbailey]

Are we talking about "leading men" or movie characters?

Not exactly a "hero" but Vincent puts a smile on my face every time I watch this movie

[suntzu]

I loved Rat Patrol. If you ever get to see the original opening scene (looks exactly like the others) it is amazing. When the jeeps go over the sand hill they were going full speed and one of the guys got hurt bad, you can see him getting jostled real bad and almost thrown out. They re did the scene again. I think on Netflix they have the original scene in the pilot epeisode.

[Rock and Glock]

What astounds me is the number of actors and actresses that merely play "themselves", and never stretch and create a believable role outside of their persona or image. The classic examples are Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts, and I can enjoy their movies at times, but they do not create a role that is otherwise memorable, such as de Niro in Taxi Driver (and even de Niro gets lazy in later movies) or most of Kathy Bates' movies.

Part of it is the Hollywood risk aversion and search for blockbusters, part the actors, and part the media industry.

Oh well...........

[Cold Shot]

What astounds me is the number of actors and actresses that merely play "themselves", and never stretch and create a believable role outside of their persona or image. The classic examples are Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts, and I can enjoy their movies at times, but they do not create a role that is otherwise memorable, such as de Niro in Taxi Driver (and even de Niro gets lazy in later movies) or most of Kathy Bates' movies.

Part of it is the Hollywood risk aversion and search for blockbusters, part the actors, and part the media industry.

Oh well...........

I would consider Tom Cruise to be an under rated actor. Most people consider him to be more of a movie star than an actor. He's worked with Scorsese, Kubrick, P.T Anderson, and Michael Mann in roles that he's not generally associated with. Those four guys would be on my top 6 favorite directors list, and if they saw something in Cruise, he must have some chops.

He's obviously not De Niro. De Niro had a run from the early 70's into the 80's where everything he put out was a groundbreaking performance in a top notch film. He's basically the man. With that being said, if you look at artists, whether it be painters, musicians, actors, etc., they generally have a short shelf life of creativity, which maxes out at about 10 years. The exceptions that I'm aware of are classical composers. The mental acuity required to act at the level De Niro used to is very hard to maintain, which is why people like Daniel Day Lewis put out very few films. You may call it lazy, but I would just chalk it up to "life."

[WD54241]

You know, one day while shooting the bull in Afghanistan, my squad and I had a discussion. And my point was pretty much the same. Part of what is wrong with society is reflect in the types of "leading men" who get roles in Hollywood.

There is no more Audie Murphy, or John Wayne. Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Kevin Costner and Bruce Willis are getting old. Clint Eastwood is still kicking it, and is tougher than pretty much any of the younger generation, Robert Duvall too. Instead now we get all these touchy feely kinds of leading actors.

There is even a disconnect from what I watched as a child born in the mid-80's, and what guys in my squad born 5 years later remembered watching as far as "substance"(if substance can be used to describe tv shows and movies). But I grew up watching Optimus Prime fight the evil Megatron, and the G.I. Joes battle Cobra, and the Voltron 5 fight the space monsters. Yeah, they were kid's cartoons, but they reinforced that good should stand up to, and when needed fight evil. That evil can always be defeated, and should be. They show that you need to take a stand for what you believe in, and that sometimes sacrifice for the greater good is necessary. And that working as a team is how to accomplish things.

The pudding that got fed into the younger guy's brain seemed to lack that sort of stuff. It was more kumbaya and fighting is evil type of stuff. I think it all started with Captain Planet actually. But, I do believe that there is a reason all societies (or any of them that ever amounted to anything), fill young men's brains with tales of hero's and war and courage. Yes, part of it is so that the young men will fight in the nation's wars, but the other part is it takes something tangible, and uses it to instill a moral compass and character into the young men, and gives them an ideal to strive for.

And yes, I do see us slipping away from that in current society, where the true heroes have generally been replaced with paper tigers in the social spectrum. There are still exceptions, but it is no longer the rule. And I shall now get off my soap-box, with the closing comment that I am glad I grew up watching old Westerns and military movies, as opposed to the fluff of today.

Very well stated! Semper-Fi

[Jason Storm]

That's why I rarely watch today's movies. It's now more about pretty boy looks and political correctness. I've even been chastised by some of my peers for looking too macho or rough and tumble. Where are the real men like us these days?

[Jason Storm]

Are we talking about "leading men" or movie characters?

Not exactly a "hero" but Vincent puts a smile on my face every time I watch this movie

This in far the only movie that Tom Cruise is convincing as a tough guy. And, the USP that I also own, except his is a 9mm, is also the costar in the movie.

[Jason Storm]

whew!!! I am glad you stoppd the list, thought CHIPS was going to be on it

I pretty much liked "The Shield" tv series too since it is pretty gritty and there are no such thing as good cops as each of them are portrayed as people with their own personal issues. I only have Seasons 1-4.

[Jason Storm]

John Wayne attempted to serve in WWII was prevented due to medical problems.



Clint Eastwood is one of my favorites also and as far as most current movies I will not waste the money to watch them.

I got his Dirty Harry movies and a few others. But I also have the Charles Bronson movies. They are definitely not pansies like today's stars.

[gasmitty]

You know, one day while shooting the bull in Afghanistan, my squad and I had a discussion. And my point was pretty much the same. Part of what is wrong with society is reflect in the types of "leading men" who get roles in Hollywood.

There is no more Audie Murphy, or John Wayne. Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Kevin Costner and Bruce Willis are getting old. Clint Eastwood is still kicking it, and is tougher than pretty much any of the younger generation, Robert Duvall too. Instead now we get all these touchy feely kinds of leading actors.

There is even a disconnect from what I watched as a child born in the mid-80's, and what guys in my squad born 5 years later remembered watching as far as "substance"(if substance can be used to describe tv shows and movies). But I grew up watching Optimus Prime fight the evil Megatron, and the G.I. Joes battle Cobra, and the Voltron 5 fight the space monsters. Yeah, they were kid's cartoons, but they reinforced that good should stand up to, and when needed fight evil. That evil can always be defeated, and should be. They show that you need to take a stand for what you believe in, and that sometimes sacrifice for the greater good is necessary. And that working as a team is how to accomplish things.

The pudding that got fed into the younger guy's brain seemed to lack that sort of stuff. It was more kumbaya and fighting is evil type of stuff. I think it all started with Captain Planet actually. But, I do believe that there is a reason all societies (or any of them that ever amounted to anything), fill young men's brains with tales of hero's and war and courage. Yes, part of it is so that the young men will fight in the nation's wars, but the other part is it takes something tangible, and uses it to instill a moral compass and character into the young men, and gives them an ideal to strive for.

And yes, I do see us slipping away from that in current society, where the true heroes have generally been replaced with paper tigers in the social spectrum. There are still exceptions, but it is no longer the rule. And I shall now get off my soap-box, with the closing comment that I am glad I grew up watching old Westerns and military movies, as opposed to the fluff of today.

Buckeye, you stepped off the soapbox but I'll step up on it briefly. Part of what the shift in movie hero-types illustrates is what I deem the feminization of our young men over about a generation. I'm all for equality of the sexes when it comes to scholastic and athletic endeavors, and I think the Title 9 movement in public education overall was a good thing. But the pendulum has swung too far in that direction, and boys are simply not allowed to be boys in school anymore. Normal signs of male aggression aren't just suppressed, they have been virtually outlawed and criminalized with "no violence" and "zero tolerance" policies. No, I'm not talking about letting kids have street fights in the schoolyards, but normal boisterous and aggressive play (cops 'n' robbers, playing "soldiers", mimicing Bruce Lee - that sort of thing) which is both healthy and imaginative for young boys is no longer tolerated. In the classroom, while the old gender roles which had boys steered toward becoming doctors and girls steered toward becoming nurses have long ago gone away, education now seems to favor higher academic achievement among girls than among boys, particularly in math and the sciences.

Add to that the fact that we have created a generation of "helicopter" parents (who hover over their kids' every activity), plus more and more passive entertainment is available for our kids, it's no wonder that the movie heroes are guys who have never really done anything except look pretty. Buckeye's comments about moral compass and character are spot on.

Rant off... stepping down now.

[deadguy]

I refuse to look at anyone in a movie or tv show and call them a hero or look up to them. I've got my father to fill that role. I'm working hard everyday to make sure my kids put me on that pedestal in their eyes.

[muzzleloader]

I believe Clark Gable also lost his wife during the war when her plane crashed while on tour selling war bonds. Can you picture Brad and Angela serving thus?