Last Action Hero?

Vin Diesel returns to his action roots with Babylon A.D., the first time in four years he has done something in the action genre. After trying his hand at family in The Pacifier and giving drama a go in Find Me Guilty, Diesel wisely returns to his bread and butter, and with the latest Fast and the Furious and Hannibal the Conqueror on the horizon, it looks like he has no intention of venturing away soon.

Sadly, Diesel may be our last claim to a true action star. While we have action movies, such as the Bourne series and the never ending Bond sequels, the stars of these films seem content to dip their toes in the action water before returning to more serious fare. The Jason Stathams of the world look to make a small career out of monosyllabic heroes, but much like Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme, he will most likely find a final home on video.

What does it say if Vin Diesel is the last semi-bankable action star? A generation removed from an abundance of big names such as Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Willis, what does that say that one of the last of a dying breed is Diesel? While action isn’t dead yet, you can hear it gasping for breath.

Benji
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