It only took one shot from “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” for editor Darren Foley to realize something crucial: Joe and Anthony Russo know how to do action. Unlike a number of their contemporaries, the TV directors-turned-blockbuster-filmmakers know how to create effective and dazzling setpieces, and that’s exactly what they did with both their 2014 Marvel release and this year’s action-heavy “Captain America: Civil War.” But how do they deliver on this feeling, especially where other filmmakers don’t? How are they exceptional at a time when big-screen action is exceptionally generic? That’s the thesis behind Foley’s latest video under his YouTube channel, Must See Films.
The key to the Russos’ success is, first and foremost, character. The action is built around characters and the choices they would make, and the action reflects the fighting styles of their individual personalities — whether it’s Captain America, Black Widow or Spider-Man, to name only a few. In the words of Joe Russo himself, “For us, the character beats are primary. The action is secondary. But the action has to turn on character.” The most notable example comes from Nick Fury’s (Samuel L. Jackson) car crash in ‘The Winter Soldier,’ and how it revolves around his point-of-view, the jeopardy he faces and his various options. That’s what makes Indiana Jones shooting down his sword-wielding opponent in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” far more interesting than anything Michael Bay produces, and that’s what makes the action scenes in Russo films stand out so prevalently.
But that’s not all, of course, and Foley breaks it down into five different reasons, which can be seen in the video below. Through using clip examples, both good and bad, from “Drive,” “Deadpool,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Raid 2,” “Warrior,” “John Wick,” “Gone in 60 Seconds,” “Mission: Impossible,” “The Scorpion King, “Casino Royale,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Matrix Reloaded,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Creed” and even “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” to name a handful, the editor gets his points across in a clear, concise, relatable and informative manner, much like how the directors themselves dictate their action. It’s an engaging, interesting watch, and, of course, a pretty action packed one too.