In the minds of most, action heroes are supposed to be muscular and strapping. They should be dreadfully intimidating to all who are on the wrong side of good.
However, Hollywood has given us many conquerors of evil which are less than dangerous. LA Times staff members Deborah Netburn and Patrick Day have compiled this list of the wimpiest action heroes on the big screen. Here they are, in no particular order:
1. Toby Maguire as Spiderman (I always question the casting here)
2. Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in ‘Star Wars’ (wasn’t Harrison Ford the real hero here?)
3. Orlando Bloom in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ (may be a wimp, but nice to look at nonetheless)
4. Shia LaBeouf, who saved the world in ‘Transformers’
5. John Cusack in ‘Con Air’
6. Elijah Wood in ‘Lord of the Rings’
7. Lori Petty in ‘Tank Girl’
8. Chris Tucker in ‘Rush Hour’
9. Drew Barrymore in ‘Charlie’s Angels’ (too sweet to be badass)
10. Ben Affleck in ‘Daredevil’
Wimpy Action Heroes
LA Times Picks Best of the Worst
Trend Themes
1. Unconventional Action Heroes - Opportunity for innovative casting decisions that challenge traditional expectations of what an action hero should look like.
2. Character-driven Action Films - Opportunity for movies that prioritize interesting character development and plot over typical action hero stereotypes.
3. Satirical Action Films - Opportunity for films that satirize the genre by intentionally casting unconventional actors as action heroes or subverting typical action movie tropes.
Industry Implications
1. Film - Opportunity for studios to capitalize on these trends by producing films that explore unconventional action heroes, or satirize traditional action hero tropes.
2. Entertainment - Opportunity for writers, producers, and directors to create content that reinvents the action hero genre by breaking down stereotypes and expectations.
3. Marketing - Opportunity for innovative marketing campaigns that highlight unconventional casting choices or satirical takes on the action hero genre.