Tough Guys Files #5: Sho Kosugi

"The ninja--his mind, his art, everything--is very pure; that is, unclouded by emotion. Certainly, some were seen as evil because they would accomplish their tasks no matter what--without any feeling. It was always emptiness, similar to the concept of zen." -- Sho Kosugi, Star Warriors, October, 1986.

The 1980s was the most boisterous, over the top period for action film Tough Guys. There had been numerous war hero types, vigilantes, and wise-cracking cowboy lawmen throughout the decade, but there hadn't been an Asian action star since Bruce Lee; at least not one with any staying power. However, one Asian actor managed to break into Hollywood in surprisingly fast fashion, and with little acting experience to his name. Even Bruce Lee took approximately seven years to hit it big in the United States (only to die shortly thereafter). Synonymous with the word 'ninja' in the 1980s, that man is martial arts superstar, Sho Kosugi.

COMING TO AMERICA

Sho Kosugi started his martial arts training at the age of five. Coming from a poor family and calling himself a very weak child because of a hole in his lung, Sho's parents pushed him to take up Karate to strengthen his mind and body. Beginning with the Karate style Shindo Jinen Ryu, he then moved on to Ninjutsu at age seven under the private guidance of a neighbor Kosugi referred to only as Uncle Yamamoto. The aspiring martial artist amassed black belts in both Kendo and Judo, and accentuated his training regimen with Kobudo and Aikido. Naturally, the performing arts were on Sho's mind, having taken acting classes at a very young age; only to be kicked out for a lack of patience. Training in the fighting arts was the discipline that led the All Japan Karate Champion on his path to stardom in America.

After failing to get into a Japanese university, Sho fell into depression and attempted suicide. Pushed at a young age to attain martial enlightenment, Kosugi was now pushed by his sister to persevere at achieving his goals. In 1968 he would leave Tokyo for the USA. Calling Los Angeles his new home, Kosugi enrolled in college with the intention of obtaining a business degree. He later opened two Karate schools, accumulated some 663 trophies from tournament competitions, married, had two sons and a daughter, and found time for roles in a few Taiwan and Korean films; one of which was as a Japanese swordsman (see insert photo) who battles the hero in BRUCE LEE FIGHTS BACK FROM THE GRAVE (1976), aka STRANGER IN AMERICA.

ENTER THE NINJA

"Ninjitsu itself is a very secret process. There are no big fancy movements. They are very small and the art is viewed as espionage; you've got to kill your opponent no matter what. Just kill and complete the task, that's all that's important. Now ninjitsu is coming out with books, TV coverage, and everything. It used to be, however, that ninjitsu was low class and nobody wanted to know anything about it."--Sho Kosugi interview, Fighting Stars Magazine, October 1981.

Those sneaky, invisible assassins of numerous Japanese samurai films had a spotty track record in American made action pictures prior to the 1980s. Cannon's mediocre, yet highly successful Philippine lensed ENTER THE NINJA (1981) formally introduced not only the mysterious style of ninjitsu, but Sho Kosugi to the masses. Karate champion Mike Stone had written a treatment for the film and taken it to the producers at Cannon Films. He would also come aboard as the main ninja. He didn't stay on long, nor did original director Emmett Alston. The footage shot was deemed disastrous, so Menahem Golan took over for Alston (who would later return to ruin a Sho Kosugi production), but Stone remained as choreographer and stunt coordinator. Sho Kosugi was among those chosen as fighting extras. Once Franco Nero was brought aboard to replace Mike Stone, Sho's initially small role grew into a much bigger one after producers liked what they'd seen of him; ultimately giving him the role of Hasegawa, Franco Nero's nemesis. Sho likewise did double duty playing some of the other ninjas in the film, and reportedly doubled for Franco Nero for some scenes.

"Only a ninja can stop a ninja!"

With this films success around the world, Sho was tapped to headline the $90,000 gore spectacle, REVENGE OF THE NINJA (1983); the benchmark of ninja cinema in the USA, and a superior film to its predecessor in every way. It is particularly special in that this was the first movie to feature Kosugi as a leading man in an American production. This was a gamble on Cannon's part, having liked the actor enough to expand his role on ENTER, to now finance an entire picture built around him. Possibly if it had been another studio, Kosugi wouldn't have gotten a lead, and likely not so quickly. As much negativity that's directed at Cannon, Menahem, like Roger Corman, wasn't hesitant about taking chances on fresh faces. He gambled on Kosugi, and it paid off. Anticipation was high for ENTER, and the sequel, REVENGE, was planned right after, but didn't appear till 1983. As it was described in magazine articles in 1981, the original script was different. In it, Kosugi is a restaurant owner whose wife, father, and child are killed by ninjas hired by mobsters. He shows up to find his other son the sole survivor. The two set out to avenge their deaths. Some of this survived in the opening sequence of REVENGE, but the plot takes a different trajectory. Sho's popularity really exploded with this movie, and Sam Firstenberg garnered a healthy directorial career in action cinema for the next ten years.

 
NINJA III: THE DOMINATION (1984) didn't fare as well theatrically, but this story of ninja demonic possession remains a cult favorite. It has none of the splattery gore of the previous outing, but it does have a stunningly over the top opening sequence and a bizarre exorcism scene. Kosugi wasn't pleased with the picture, but he does look menacing wearing an eyepatch. 

With the rising (ninja) star on the horizon, Kosugi next got the role of Okasa on NBC's THE MASTER television series starring Lee Van Cleef and Timothy Van Patten. On this series, Sho was the antagonist who chased after John Peter McAllister, an aging WW2 vet turned ninja master who has left Japan for America in search of a daughter he didn't know he had. Feeling he has broken the code, Okasa makes it his mission to assassinate his former master. The series attracted an astonishing number of name stars, but remained in the shadows after a very brief run of 13 episodes. Kosugi not only choreographed the action, but doubled for Van Cleef by wearing a skullcap in those scenes. Having been dubbed in his previous movies, THE MASTER was the first time Sho's real voice was used. Remarkably, Sho's voice was similar to the one used for his Cannon films, the only difference being an obviously thicker accent. Finding working in television more difficult than making movies, Kosugi had little time to breathe while shooting cult favorite NINJA III: THE DOMINATION (1984) at the same time. THE MASTER series was shot in Los Angeles while the second NINJA sequel was being made in Arizona. According to Kosugi, he flew back and forth between states a total of 13 times.

1984 was truly the year of the ninja. Kosugi had about as many offers as he had weapons hidden in his ninja suit. Unfortunately, the one he signed on to star in immediately after the last episode of THE MASTER was the beginning of the end for the popular film star. A dispute over both the NINJA III script and his contract compelled Kosugi to say 'sayonara' to Cannon and seek his fortune elsewhere. 

Till then, Sho was literally EVERYWHERE. He was on the cover of every martial arts magazine in the country--many of which were solely about the art of ninjutsu. Sho's likeness--particularly his famous leaping sidekick--was plastered all over any number of toys, comic books, video games, and anything else that could be marketed to the young boy demographic. Cannon Films even recycled the classic pose to market future productions even after the actor had already left the company. Sho even got his own ninja fan club.

That same year in '84 Sho was back in the Philippines again, but this time shooting what is likely the worst movie of his career -- 9 DEATHS OF THE NINJA (1985). While a certain contingent of filmdom would say anyone working for Cannon was a misstep, Sho's decision to accept this offer from executive producer Robert Friedman and exploitation producer Ashok Amritraj was anything but progress. Whereas Emmett Alston wasn't allowed to wreck the already bad ENTER THE NINJA, he did get his chance to thoroughly sabotage a Sho Kosugi movie with this one. Originally titled AMERICAN NINJA (it was changed to avoid being confused with Cannon's film of the same name, but retained that title in foreign territories), 9 DEATHS could have been titled 9 WAYS TO KILL YOUR CAREER. Marketed as a ninja James Bond, Kosugi carried a variety of gadget-like weapons strapped to his person; and among his weapons of death was an attachment of.... lollipops?! Kosugi seemingly enjoyed working on the project (till he saw the finished product), even designing some of the weapons he uses. The result is anything but good.

Following this misfire that combined sloppily photographed Rambo theatrics with ninjas and rampaging midgets, Sho had another picture lined up to have been shot in Texas. Titled DARK WARRIOR, this futuristic actioner for producer Richard L. Albert (advertising agency president who worked with a lot of major and independent companies) was hyped as crossbreeding ninjutsu theatrics with Mad Max. Lance Kerwin was co-starring and Robert Clouse (ENTER THE DRAGON, FORCE: FIVE) was directing. Futuristic ninjas sound interesting, but it's probably for the best that this ambitious film never took shape. Sho's next motion picture did--a NY based thriller that was self-referential and arguably the most violent action movie he'd made up to that point, garnering an X rating in the process prompting some cuts.

"Stay away from the Saito family... they don't know anything about the Van Atta Necklace... if you don't, I promise you... you will pray for DEATH!"

PRAY FOR DEATH (1986) was his first production for Trans World Entertainment, a then new video company started by Moshe Diamant and Eduard Sarlui that specialized in videocassette rentals and sales; and also, like other similar companies like Vestron Video, branched out into film production. PRAY FOR DEATH was the actors most highly publicized movie to date, garnering coverage in virtually every martial arts magazine from Black Belt, to Inside Kung Fu, to Ninja (which debuted in 1983), and others. Reportedly the first of Sho's catalog to be shown in Japan, it was basically a ninja version of DEATH WISH (1974) in which Sho, at the behest of his wife (Donna Kei Benz of THE CHALLENGE [1982]), moves his family to America only to immediately get into trouble with mobsters.

PRAY FOR DEATH was successful, so a sequel was proposed (AKIRA: PRAY FOR DEATH 2), yet like DARK WARRIOR, this too never came to fruition. Still, ninja mania remained hot and Trans World took advantage of it.

"Hi, I am Sho Kosugi... welcome to The Ninja Theater!"

Kung Fu Theater was a popular small screen attraction for fans desiring a HK kung fu fix; and with the booming videocassette industry an indomitable revenue stream, Trans World did their own version, crowning it 'Ninja Theater: Hosted By Sho Kosugi'. Over a dozen titles of Hong Kong and Taiwan made martial arts films were acquired ranging from SHAOLIN DRUNK FIGHTER (1983), WOLFEN NINJA (WOLF DEVIL WOMAN[1981]), VENUS THE NINJA (MATCHING ESCORT[1982]), PHOENIX THE NINJA (MIRACULOUS FLOWER[1984]), FISTS OF DRAGONS (1977), NINJA TERMINATOR (1985), YOUNG HERO (1980), NINJA CHAMPION (1986), and on and on. Ninja Theater not only had Sho hosting an intro before the movie, but he'd showcase a particular ninja weapon and demonstrate its use against a handful of attackers in shot-on-video segments. Going a step further with the 'horror host' tradition, this was a unique approach to the marketing of kung fu films on videotape.

Like Elvira at Thriller Video, Sybil Danning did a similar thing for USA Home Video's Adventure Video line; only she didn't partake in choreographed action, but did hosting duties at the beginning and also at the end of each picture where her bountiful assets were the major selling points.

TWILIGHT OF THE NINJA

With the 80s past the halfway mark, Sho's star would begin to wind down to a degree. He was still a viable merchandising commodity, though. Honda used him to help sell their Honda Hurricane motorcycle in 1986; and USA Home Video and Trans World Entertainment released MASTER CLASS, a Sho and Kane Kosugi martial arts instructional video in April of '86. This 60 minute martial arts crash course did double duty as a promotional tool for PRAY FOR DEATH, which had opened in LA in February of that year. It was the last truly good movie he would headline. From here on out, his remaining filmography as a leading man would be very different in style from his previous works. Kosugi was also attached to a few productions that, like DARK WARRIOR, never got off the ground, or were altered in some way.

RAGE OF HONOR (1987) was the man's next Trans World picture. Announced as WAY OF THE NINJA in 1985, the film was advertised as pairing Kosugi with Telly Savalas(!) and directed by Oscar winning makeup artist Robert Short. By the time it went into production late in '86, neither Short nor Savalas were attached. One of the actors least discussed works, it's an underrated little movie with a lot of over the top craziness and stunning location shooting to recommend it. It's the first movie where Kosugi uses guns in addition to his ninja arsenal; and an early example of a soon to be classic Action Hero staple--the slow-motion shot of the hero running away from a stream of explosions going off behind him.

Another unmade Sho flick was something called THE DEVIL'S ODDS: AMERICAN TRINITY. It would have paired Kosugi with Paul L. Smith in a Terence Hill-Bud Spencer style team-up with writer John Crowther listed as director. Taking the problems Smith had with Edward L. Montoro over the use of his name on CONVOY BUDDIES (1975/1978), it seems logical this one didn't get passed the planning stages; not to mention the poster art had the look and feel of repeating the NINE DEATHS fiasco.

Sho's last lead of the decade came with the unremarkable BLACK EAGLE in 1988. From producer Sunil R. Shah (who produced Sho's Trans World actioners) and released on video through the then newly formed Imperial Entertainment, the best thing to be said about BLACK EAGLE is that it co-starred Jean Claude Van Damme as the main villain. It also offered a few fights between him and Kosugi in his last heroic, and first official non-ninja role in an American feature. A flood of no-budget ninja flicks (many of which were released by Imperial) contributed to the banishment of the cinematic ninja to video store shelves. Ninja was old hat and kickboxing had supplanted it as the "in thing"; ironically it was Jean Claude Van Damme who was responsible for this transition. Director Eric Karson (of THE OCTAGON) delivers a moderately entertaining, if mostly disappointing action-intrigue-spy picture, but a far cry from any of Sho's earlier and better works.

"You have to take advantage of something like this while you can. This may not last more than a couple more years. And I've made more money in the past year than in the ten years before!"--Sho Kosugi, The Best of Martial Arts Movies, January 1985.

Sho had a very small role in Phillip Noyce's BLIND FURY (1989), a modern day, North American remake of ZATOICHI CHALLENGED (1967). Listed in the opening credits as 'Special Appearance By Sho Kosugi', the once stoic leading ninja was now playing a sword-slinging villain hired to combat Rutger Hauer's blind swordsman during the finale of that picture.

Prior to BLIND FURY, another Sho picture was announced titled SHOGUN MAYEDA (see insert). He was once more to be directed by Gordon Hessler. A few years went by and the film did get made as JOURNEY OF HONOR (1991); yet this period set US-UK-Japan co-pro went unreleased theatrically in America.

In 1986, Sho was asked in an interview if he'd ever return to Japan. His response was that it was doubtful as he had so much opportunity in America. His intent was, by the close of the decade, to produce his own movies. Things didn't quite work out that way (he did co-produce JOURNEY INTO HONOR), and Sho did indeed return to Japan where he directed for the first time, opened up some Karate schools, and released a peculiar exercise video built around using nothing more than a towel. He returned to his ninja roots in 1998 by doing motion capture on the hit Playstation game TENCHU: STEALTH ASSASSINS. After a couple false starts with rejuvenating ninja mania in the mid to late 2000s, 80s ninja fans rejoiced in 2009 when Sho Kosugi landed a prominent role in NINJA ASSASSIN playing the lead heavy.

OTHER ASIAN STARS IN AMERICA

To further put Sho Kosugi's career into perspective, there have been other Asian actors that have come to America, but their road was a bit more difficult to travel. 

HK superstar Jackie Chan tried two different times to break into the American market--once in 1980 with the bland THE BIG BRAWL, and again in 1985 with the DIRTY HARRYish THE PROTECTOR. Neither film made a dent, nor made Chan a breakout star. The consensus was that if Chan had been allowed to do his own thing, he would have broken big. Kosugi was allowed to present the ninja to American audiences through Cannon, and he became a star right out of the gate; Chan had been a big star in Asia since 1978 and took nearly 20 years to find favor in the USA. To theorize, nobody else was doing ninja movies in America so it stood out. However, even when Chan did get his desired US intro in 1996, it couldn't have been a worse picture in RUMBLE IN THE BRONX (1995). With all the ballyhoo, it grossed over $32 million. One of his earlier movies (1992s POLICE STORY 3) and a newer one (1996s FIRST STRIKE) were released in edited form with new music and increasingly lesser box office.

In the same year, Jet Li was introduced to American audiences with BLACK MASK (1996), another film tampered with by the releasing studio. With an even more tepid debut to Chan's (over $12 million), Li was then cast as the main villain in LETHAL WEAPON 4 (1998). With that films success, Li's acceptance was obvious since he went on to headline a few action films; unlike Chan who was cast in a string of buddy movies as opposed to solo ventures. Chan has been the more successful of the two, but it's interesting to compare Chan and Li's US debuts with that of Kosugi from the 1980s. A combination of right place, right time, and a company who (somewhat) understood the product. Additionally, the martial arts was huge at that time what with Bruce Lee, Shaw Brothers productions, and now Sho Kosugi bringing ninja to America.

Not an Asian, but the son of the legendary Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee could have been the next big action star to fill the martial arts void left open by Kosugi. With his pedigree, he was well on his way to becoming one before an accident on the set of THE CROW (1994) ended his career and his life. He only starred in a few films and roles on television, but RAPID FIRE (1992) remains a curious window with which to see what he might of brought to the action-martial arts genre had he lived.

In recent years, Thailand's major action star Tony Jaa has tried to break into the American market, and had a promising debut with the stunt-heavy ONG BAK (2003). Nonsensical scripts, troubled productions, and outright ridiculous movies have kept him from attaining mainstream recognition outside of the international spectrum; but that may change since Jaa, ten years after the stateside release of ONG BAK, has made his US debut in the ensemble actioner, FURIOUS 7 (2013).

THE RISING SUN SETS

Throughout his career, Sho Kosugi always spread a positive message in martial arts, discipline, and even in child rearing. He was very family oriented, and founded SKI (Sho Kosugi Institute) in 1998. This was a similar venture to Sonny Chiba's JAC (Japan Action Club); the focus wasn't just on creating potential film stars, but instilling respect and discipline into young minds. Schools were opened in the United States, Nagoya and Toyko. His son Shane was the primary instructor at the Nagoya facility. The schools closed down in September of 2012, the reason given being due to a lack of available instructors. Sho Kosugi Productions, Inc. is still around, though; and so is its charismatic founder.

His star might not of shone as bright as Norris, Schwarzenegger, or Stallone, but Sho Kosugi did what hadn't been done since the early 70s. Whereas Bruce Lee was largely responsible for the longevity of the kung fu craze, Sho Kosugi was solely responsible for bringing ninja out of the shadows, and into the mainstream.

The Rise & Fall of the Action Hero Part 3

We're now into the 1980s, the most important era of Action Hero iconography. The 80s Tough Guys drew inspiration from much of what came before them creating a monstrous package that reflected not only the elder statesmen, but the time period in which they were made. It was this decade that Action Heroes would not only be big box office attractions, but attracting new revenue through merchandising that hadn't been seen before or since. The 80s was both the crescendo and the collapse of the Action Hero.

Chuck Norris had his eye on success from an early age growing up in a small Oklahoma town. He got into martial arts during his time stationed in post war Korea, attaining a black belt in Tang Soo Do (later to become a Tae Kwon Do Master and found his own style). Returning to the states he amassed an amazing amount of trophies and public interest that led to the opening of a number of Karate studios. Movies weren't far behind. Of his early roles, the most famous is his fight with Bruce Lee in WAY OF THE DRAGON (1972). Norris next played the villain in a film he wasn't too fond of, SLAUGHTER IN SAN FRANCISCO (1974), a Golden Harvest production with Tae Kwon Do practitioner Don Wong Tao (making his debut). Critics started paying attention to Norris in the underrated GOOD GUYS WEAR BLACK (1978) and his career took off from there. Each new film was bigger than the last, and Chuck soon found himself as 'that karate guy'. Much like Chiba did in Japan, Norris carried American martial arts movies in the States even after he'd stopped doing them. Desiring something more as an actor, by 1983, he veered away from martial arts movies to action pictures that had martial arts in them. It didn't much matter as Norris's Karate heritage remained paramount no matter what type of film he did. In 1986 he had a cartoon mini-series called KARATE KOMMANDOS which he created, and did his own voice work. There was also a comic book and toy line. Norris patterned himself on the type of characters John Wayne played in his pictures. Concurrent with Wayne's stoicism, Norris would eventually turn into a seemingly indestructible force for good. This reached parody proportions in INVASION USA in 1985. Norris did find what he desired that same year with CODE OF SILENCE, and that was critical acceptance in what is considered his best movie.

In previous decades we had Tarzan and Hercules among the Action Hero cognoscenti. Arnold Schwarzenegger brought that physicality, that musclebound look that had been absent since the 1960s and multiplied it times a hundred. A fierce competitor in bodybuilding, some of his heroes (and colleagues) were in fact Hercules actors; the one Schwarzenegger idolized the most was the massive Reg Park famous from HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD (1961). Arnold was hungry for stardom, and it came to him in 1982, fittingly, with CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982). Here was a movie that played to his strengths... literally. Arnold's movies were sold on his muscles and his intimidating face. For  a lot of Tough Guys, you passed muster not just by your look, but your face (especially in the eyes). Some of these guys might not of been thespians, but charisma and intensity sold them to audiences; Sonny Chiba had it, William Smith had it, and Arnold Schwarzenegger had it. He also had a penchant for catch-phrases. THE TERMINATOR (1984) was an iconic milestone for the actor in that it was the debut of the now famous, "I'll be back" line. COMMANDO (1985) accelerated the over the top heroism the 80s became known for, and it brought the wisecracks which became a Tough Guy staple from here on out. Schwarzenegger could cinematically do no wrong from this point forward.

One of the more gifted Action Heroes of the 1980s was Sylvester Stallone. The man was a machine. Even Ivan Drago thought so in ROCKY 4 (1985). Stallone was akin to Jackie Chan in that he had a hands on approach to the films he was starring in; so it wasn't unusual to see his name listed as a writer and director in addition to the star. Already established for ROCKY, Stallone expanded his box office power as an action star with the release of FIRST BLOOD (1982), and even more so with the blockbuster RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II (1985). John Rambo was far and away the most influential Action Hero of the entire decade. Rambo clones popped up all over the place. 70s Captain America, Reb Brown, made a career out of them; The Rambo-alikes weren't limited to American soil, but around the world. Rambo even affected the marketing of action pictures worldwide. In reality the actor in the clone films might not look like he just left the gym, but you'd never know by the advertising. By the dozens, various action-war pictures all looked interchangeable with one another. All you needed was a shirtless, enraged, muscled up guy with an M60 and explosions going off around him and your picture was sold.

Carl Weathers had already been in the movies by the time he was being groomed for Action Hero status in the 1980s. He was a hitman after Pam Grier in FRIDAY FOSTER (1975) and was one of Fred Williamson's buddies who turned against him in BUCKTOWN (1975) to name just two. FORCE 10 FROM NAVARONE (1978), DEATH HUNT (1981), and PREDATOR (1987) were three of his bigger productions. ROCKY (1976) put him on the map giving a fantastic performance as Apollo Creed. Weathers became ACTION JACKSON in 1988; a success at the box office, the potential for a action franchise never materialized. Despite this, he did a couple action films that were more or less disguised sequels to ACTION JACKSON. Weathers did get his own TV series with FORTUNE DANE, but unfortunately it only lasted five episodes.

Like Weathers, Dolph Lundgren had all the right ingredients for Action Hero heights, but never quite reached the peak of his colleagues. He surprised many with his turn as Ivan Drago in the gigantic hit ROCKY 4 (1985). Weathers had more experience, but Lundgren's Tough Guy career lasted longer even if he never got a signature breakout role as a single. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (1987) and RED SCORPION (1989) were his two big theatrical 80s lead roles. Lundgren would alternate between roles in big Hollywood pictures and limited release/direct to video movies. One of his best is ARMY OF ONE (JOSHUA TREE) from 1993. At this time everybody was doing John Woo style actioners, and it wasn't long till the Chang Cheh influenced director was in America directing movies here. For Lundgren, he ended up finding even greater success with a steady stream of DTV action films till his recent return to the big screen in THE EXPENDABLES franchise.

From Japan came Sho Kosugi. The Japanese Shotokan stylist virtually came out of nowhere, and was chiefly responsible for making the word 'ninja' a household name. Often casting his two sons in his films, Kosugi had a nice run as an Action Hero. Largely forgotten by the mainstream these days, the man was at one time comparable with the big names of the 80s. There wasn't a martial arts magazine Kosugi didn't grace the cover of, and he had his own merchandising line, fan club, and instructional video, and hosting duties on Trans World's Ninja Theatre line among other things. To see Kosugi at his best, check out REVENGE OF THE NINJA (1983) and PRAY FOR DEATH (1985). Kosugi was then the biggest Asian star in American cinema since Bruce Lee. Some bad choices aided in the fizzling out of his career by the close of the decade, but he did get some nice buzz surrounding his return to the screen in NINJA ASSASSIN in 2009. 

Bruce Willis was the last of the big Action Heroes to emerge in the 1980s. His is one of the more surprising since he was known mostly for comedies. So in his case, the reverse applied. Here was an actor who'd never done action before, and went from comedy to starring in DIE HARD (1988), one of the greatest action films of all time. Willis's off duty cop, John McClane, was different from the likes of Norris, Stallone, and Schwarzenegger. The only trait he shared with those guys was a penchant for one-liners. Performing nearly the whole movie bare-footed, Willis's performance helped make him and DIE HARD an overnight sensation and pop culture phenomenon. From here on out, every Hollywood actioner was a DIE HARD.... Die Hard on a Bus, Die Hard on a Plane, Die Hard on a Ship, etc, etc, etc.

In the 60s and 70s, producers would parody popular genres that were growing stale. By the late 80s, Action Heroes began doing comedies; only this time it seemed more of a career move as opposed to an act of desperation. It was sort of Action Hero Capitalism. One guy offered an alternate product to the norm, and people bought it. If the audience liked it, then another guy in the same field decided to offer the same service to compete. Schwarzenegger did it, Norris did it, and Stallone did it. Arnold was the most successful of the Macho Trifecta in doing comedy; or mixing laughs with action.

Schwarzenegger got surprisingly good notices when he did TWINS in 1988. It was a choice he made and not one dictated by declining ticket sales. He was back in action after that, with a few other lighter films spread out like KINDERGARTEN COP (1990), the action hero parody THE LAST ACTION HERO (1993), and JUNIOR (1994). His line in KINDERGARTEN COP, "It's not a tumor!" became as memorable as "I'll be back." Schwarzenegger's career finally began losing steam by the new millennium. He was getting older, and the invincible hero of the 80s was long past its prime.

Stallone attempted comedy much earlier than his colleagues. He was never very good at it. The only time he seemed comfortable was when he was in a Tough Guy scenario. When he tried placing that archetype in a comedic framework, it never gelled well. For example, RHINESTONE (1983) was an epic disaster for a few reasons--Stallone sings and it simply wasn't funny. If at first you don't succeed doing comedy, try, try again; and so later attempts at funny business with OSCAR (1991) and STOP! OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT (1992) were all flops as well. Once Stallone returned to the Action Hero mold with CLIFFHANGER (1992), he was back in business.

Norris lightened up, although his first go at it remained within the action realm. FIREWALKER (1986) was a Cannon movie that paired him with Louis Gossett, Jr. in an Indiana Jones type adventure. After years of violent action pictures, two of which (MISSING IN ACTION 3, DELTA FORCE 2) cost the lives of crew members during each production, Norris switched gears in the 90s to do some family friendly fare with the KARATE KID oriented SIDEKICKS (1992) and TOP DOG (1995); the latter film was the third in the buddy cop-dog sub genre that included K-9 and TURNER AND HOOCH (both 1989). Norris's action movies often had humorous touches (like in LONE WOLF MCQUADE), so comedy didn't feel alien in his movies, even if it was predominantly low-key humor.

Once the Reagan Era was over, it was like something died in the Action Hero arena. The gung ho air of patriotism and jingoistic bravado would slowly whither away. In recent years, this sort of attitude, and the 80s period itself, has been turned into a negative stigma politically. But then the era we're in now is the polar opposite of the era at that time. In the 90s, a new crop of action stars emerged, but few stood out; but some found longevity in the viable direct-to-video market. Wesley Snipes seemed like he might be the next breakout star. An accomplished martial artist, he co-starred with Stallone in 1993s DEMOLITION MAN as the main villain. He never capitalized on Action Hero status like some of his contemporaries, but did a few films in that vein till a tax evasion scandal sidelined his career. 

Some of the more durable stars that were popular in the 90s, but didn't explode into the mainstream were Cynthia Rothrock, Mark Dacascos, Billy Blanks, and Don "The Dragon" Wilson. Dacascos and Blanks were probably the most successful in parlaying their films careers into other avenues (Dacascos with the IRON CHEF TV show and Blanks with his Tae Bo video series). During this time period, there were also lots of guys challenging other guys to fights; just like what you'd see in one of your finer kung fu movies.

Two of the most successful men who carried the Action Hero torch, Jean Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal, weren't of the same stock like Norris and Stallone. They came on the scene at the tail end of the 80s action craze. Ego got in the way, leading to lawsuits and oddball behavior that eventually relegated them to video store shelves instead of theatrical releases.

Steven Seagal is likely the most peculiar Action Hero of them all. He was a fight coordinator on films like THE CHALLENGE (1982) and made his debut in ABOVE THE LAW in 1988. His next three pictures (all with three words in the title) made more money than the last, and he became a household name by the time he did his version of DIE HARD with UNDER SIEGE (1992). It was around this time things began to go downhill even though Seagal had been ruffling feathers virtually right out of the gate. In the late 80s, Seagal had denigrating things to say about Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris that pissed off a number of martial artists including Bob Wall (you'll remember him from ENTER THE DRAGON). His injuring stunt men on movie sets stirred the ire of others like Richard Norton. Eventually, Seagal stated that he could beat anybody in the world, anytime, anyplace, and issued a challenge to anyone to fight him; to the death, no less. So Karate champion Bob Wall had enough of Seagal's arrogance and gathered 11 other martial artists (Bill Wallace, Benny Urquidez, Howard Jackson, Blinky Rodriguez, Roger Carpenter, Allen Steen, Richard Norton, Dennis Alexio, Pat Burleson, Jim Harrison, Billy Robertson), and called the group 'The Dirty Dozen'; twelve men who were eager to take Seagal on. Naturally, the big fight never took place. Seagal apologized and that was the end of it. But it wasn't the end of Seagal bizarre behavior amidst a flurry of dubious claims and sexual harassment charges too many to list here.

Jean Claude Van Damme is cut from the same cloth. Another guy who came to popularity rather quickly, and had an enormous ego to boot as well as questionable credentials. Van Damme was central to replacing the ninja craze with a flood of increasingly tiresome kickboxing movies. BLOODSPORT (1988) was his big debut. KICKBOXER (1989) followed. Both were moderate successes considering very little money was spent on them. UNIVERSAL SOLDIER (1992) was his first big Hollywood style movie. While very limited in what he showed onscreen (he did the same three kicks over and over again), the women absolutely fell in love with the man; and he responded by showing as much skin as possible. Van Damme did a handful of interviews on the Arsenio Hall Show. In his first in 1991 he was asked if he'd ever hurt anyone on the set of a movie, to which he said never. He did say that what small accidents there were, it was the other guys fault. A few years earlier, Van Damme had been involved in an accident with Jackson Pinckney, a stunt guy on the set of CYBORG (1989). Much like Seagal, VD had a rep for not pulling his blows during fight scenes. During the bungled scene, Van Damme was supposed to slash Pinckney's chest, but stabbed him in the eye instead. The suit was filed three years later in 1991 and settled in Fayetteville, NC in 1993. Pinckney, who lost sight in his left eye, was awarded $487,500 in damages. Naturally there were conflicting testimony's, pro and con over the course of the trial, but Van Damme's actions can be summed up this way--when asked to comment, VD's response was, "I'm not a lawyer, I'm just here to make great movies. You will like my next film, HARD TARGET". Speaking of HARD TARGET, you could write an entire article about Van Damme's runaway ego on this picture alone.

It's interesting to note that, considering both their attitudes, Seagal and Van Damme had a long rivalry via a war of words that lasted throughout the 1990s. Both men were fond of issuing challenges, it seems, but it all came to nothing but a lot of talk. In the 90s, there were lots of this sort of thing going on between actors and martial artists. How much of it was actual machismo overload or publicity stunts is debatable.

Accomplished kickboxing champion Don "The Dragon" Wilson issued a similar challenge to Van Damme in 1989. Some thought it was just a stunt since Wilson's BLOODFIST (1989) was in competition with VD's KICKBOXER. At any rate, VD had made remarks about his martial arts past as a kickboxing champion, yet no record could be found substantiating his claims. So Roger Corman offered $100,000 for a winner take all fight between the two. Van Damme declined citing it would be stupid for him to fight for a paltry sum when he was making $6 million on his movie contract. What's funny about this is that Van Damme was supposedly willing to fight Steven Seagal for free! Wilson wasn't done with goading Van Damme, though. If you've seen his RED SUN RISING (1994), there's an in-joke poking fun of VD. During the finale, Wilson is fighting one guy after the other and this one guy jumps into frame that looks and acts like VD. He then kicks at Wilson who promptly grabs the leg and quickly disposes of the adversary all with a big grin on his face!

In is own right, Don Wilson is one of the most prolific action stars. Few of his films had theatrical play, but he seemed to star in a new one every other week. His BLOODFIST series is arguably his most popular work with eight films in the series. Wilson is still making action movies today.

By the time the new millennium rolled around, there were a few actors who tried to become the new breed of Action Hero. It didn't quite work out for them; at least not in the way of the bigger names discussed above. Guys like Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson were looked upon as the next big thing in action pictures. Diesel ran out of gas just when he was getting revved up, and Dwayne Johnson got more attention on wrestling for the WWE than he did on the Silver Screen. Diesel's arrogant Xander Cage in XXX (2002) wasn't too far removed from the actor with the inflated ego playing him. 

Johnson's sagging Action Hero status was a genuine surprise. His first star turn in THE SCORPION KING (2002) didn't exactly set the world on fire, but the build-up to his next star turn in THE RUNDOWN (2003) hyped him as the successor to Schwarzenegger and his cohorts. With no competition, THE RUNDOWN was a letdown in ticket sales. His star turn in the WALKING TALL (2004) remake was an unnecessary, utter misfire. Johnson wasn't even the main character in his next genre film, the SciFi-Action picture DOOM (2005).

Martial artist Jason Statham has shown the most promise, although he has yet to truly break out the way past big screen Tough Guys have. His films are moderate successes, but consistent; especially in that the man seems to have a movie coming out every month. Possessing a great look, boatloads of charisma, and uttering his dialog at barely a whisper, Jason Statham is the closest to the classic Tough Guy mold. A prolific actor, he's also a really good one, and a fine martial artist who can do the HK style very well. He's the closest to a Chuck Norris the genre has at the moment. Strictly an action guy, he's yet to headline a comedy; although some might say IN THE NAME OF THE KING (2008) would qualify, if unintentionally so.

Speaking of funny business, within a few years of their being in the spotlight, both Diesel and Johnson were doing comedies and kid pictures, and enjoying great success with them; which, by this point, was where you went when you couldn't attract an audience any other way. However, the two actors finally struck upon Action Hero style success in the recent FAST AND THE FURIOUS sequels; which were ensemble pieces as opposed to solo vehicles. Of the two, Johnson has the most potential, and the right attitude to be as big as any of the major Action Heroes to come before him.

Meanwhile, old schoolers of the Action Hero variety were doing ensembles of their own to show they still had it. The real test, though, was in if they could carry a picture by themselves like they used to do. 

THE EXPENDABLES series offered old school action fans an opportunity to see their favorite stars herded together in the same film. As movies, they're not very good, and little more than shells of the actors' former glories. Still, it was nice to see the old guard back in action. Ironically enough, THE EXPENDABLES movies were far more profitable overseas than domestically. With an $80 million budget, the first film made a little over $103 million US. By comparison, it made $171 million overseas. The sequel had a $100 million budget vs. $85 million domestic gross, but an impressive $220.4 million haul overseas. The third film (rated PG-13) has an unconfirmed budget between $90-$100 million, could only muster $39 million domestic, but cleaned up yet again overseas with $167 million.

With the success of this series, both Schwarzenegger and Stallone decided to go it solo and do some good old fashioned R rated actioners like in the old days. Audiences couldn't have been less interested, which is unfortunate since THE LAST STAND (2013), Arnold's first action movie lead in ten years, was a great throwback to better days. With a few back to back failures, Schwarzenegger and Stallone are still managing to get theatrical releases. Both THE LAST STAND with Arnold and Stallone's BULLET TO THE HEAD (2013) bombed worse than a Rambo raid on a VC stronghold. The two did ESCAPE PLAN (2014) together, which did a little better, but was another bomb. Curiously, that films original title was THE TOMB. It would seem likely they changed the title to avoid any critical barbs using it as a metaphor for their respective careers. Both men are starring in upcoming projects that are sequels to past triumphs, so it remains to be seen if they can replicate the same level of their past successes.

Possibly one attributable factor to the lack of any new, bankable action stars, or a thriving Action Hero genre in general is the changing of movie technology. The advent of CGI has rendered such films nearly obsolete. Instead of making a film centered around a single character, action pictures are sold instead on their special effects. Comic book superhero movies have become the new wave of action film, and yet few say how this actor or that actor stood out, as opposed to how good the SPX were. The current BATMAN trilogy is an exception to this rule, although it's the comic character people are going to see as opposed to Christian Bale. The CGI action has become the selling point and not necessarily the actor. Once audiences finally tire of these empty special effects driven productions, a new Bronson, or Norris, or Stallone may well emerge; or possibly Vin Diesel or Dwayne Johnson can make some single hits on the level of their group efforts in the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise. Johnson's recent HERCULES film is a sign that he can pull it off.

Regarding the glut of superhero movies, in the place of the standard Action Hero, we get guys in superhero outfits custom fitted with built in muscles. Chris Hemsworth in the THOR films is the closest, but then his build is more out of duty to the character than any desire on his part to be an action star. As specified in the previous articles, one thing these men, most of them, had in common is individualism, a desire to succeed at whatever they put their mind to. The look they brought to their roles was actually them--a reflection of their personality. Bronson's chiseled features and Chuck Norris's natural build is missing from the slate of current action stars who have been built by the movie studio as opposed to their own ambitions.

Another possible reason for the decline in Action Heroes is this effort by feminists (and, amazingly enough, some males) to castrate masculinity. The times when a man could be a man are now deemed offensive, and chivalry is apparently dead in the eyes of many. Moreover, Politics in America has taken on a dangerously radical position in recent years, and it's infected pop culture and the entertainment industry. Political correctness has laid the smack down on barrel-chested, oiled up, muscular men in the vein of Schwarzenegger, Stallone, or Bronson--emasculating the male action star to the point where it's like walking on eggshells to even suggest such a thing. You couldn't make an overly brawny movie nowadays without special interest groups taking issue with something, or throwing around words like 'chauvinistic', or 'sexist'. What passes for an action star today are comic book characters, or these teen heartthrobs fresh out of college. Even Conan (as played by Jason Momoa) has been sanitized, looking like he just got done surfing at a California beach.

Whatever the reason for the decline of Macho Action Heroes, their time may come again and enjoy the sort of success they did, particularly in the 1980s. If not, fans of Tough Guy cinema have a great many gems to relive over again, and dozens more left to discover.

THE END