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Michael Jai White in Never Back Down: No Surrender; Credit: Courtesy of Sony Pictures

The State of Action Filmmaking, 2017

In the '80s and '90s, there were action movies. They starred muscly guys like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone, or martial artists from Jean-Claude Van Damme to Cynthia Rothrock, or actors who were dedicated to the physical demands of the genre, like Bruce Willis or Wesley Snipes. They mostly told......

It's a Good Time for Bruce Willis, Action Star, to Die Hard

Something's seemed different about No. 1 American action hero Bruce Willis lately. His action movie output in recent years has mostly been stunt casting in mediocre sequels (The Expendables 2, G.I. Joe: Retaliation), or supporting roles in little-seen B-movies (Setup, Catch .44, Fire with Fire), as if he's in a...