Worst Action Movies Actor of All Time?

[Brahmsian]

   These 'worst of' threads on movies that Karl has started, along with the mention of Steven Seagal in the 'Last Movie You Watched' thread, brought up an idea for this thread.

Since I turned 16 or 17, I completely lost interest in the 'action' movie.  Found them too formulaic, and just got tired with them.  The cheese factor got to an all time high (or low) with Bruce Willis and Die Hard.

So, who is actually THE worst action movie type actor?  Well, there are a lot of nonimees for sure, but my vote has to go to Jean Claude Van Damme.   

[DavidW]

Maybe Stallone.  He can't act that well, he doesn't have the skill that some of the martial artists bring to film.  I like First Blood and Rocky, but he made a ton of just okay movies.

[Brahmsian]

Arnold deserves a mention as well, although I did enjoy Conan The Barbarian and the first Terminator.   

[Brahmsian]

Maybe Stallone.  He can't act that well, he doesn't have the skill that some of the martial artists bring to film.  I like First Blood and Rocky, but he made a ton of just okay movies.

True, I actually remember enjoying Copland.  Hey, at least he's a wicked rock climber.   

[Josquin des Prez]

He can't act that well

Understatement. The last scene in First Blood is just ludicrous.

I don't know about the worst protagonist, most of them all seem to be equally bad with a few good moments here and there, but the worst villain i've ever seen in an action movie is the guy from Commando. Atrocious attempt at acting tough made all the more ridiculous by the fact he looked like a fat wuss. Arnold was still in top notch form at the time and the disparity was just absurd.

[Josquin des Prez]

BTW, i'm assuming this thread is about famous action actors and films. There's way too much low budged stuff that's terrible in every way possible, not to mention foreign action films from places like India or Turkey.

[Brahmsian]

BTW, i'm assuming this thread is about famous action actors and films. There's way too much low budged stuff that's terrible in every way possible, not to mention foreign action films from places like India or Turkey.

Yes, that's what I was aiming for.  Feel free though to digress, though.

[Josquin des Prez]

Arnold deserves a mention as well, although I did enjoy Conan The Barbarian and the first Terminator.   

Predator was good too, and True Lies was also not that bad. 

[Todd]

Let's see: Shaquille O'Neal, Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jean Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Steven Seagal, Sylvester Stallone.  I could probably think of some more, but I want to stop.  In comparison, Bruce Willis and Arnold are thespians of very high caliber.

[Sandra]

Jackie Chan! Annoys the hell out of me!

[The new erato]

I wasn't aware there were actors in them.

[Lethevich]

For me it's Charles Bronson. While he can actually act to a limited capacity (unlike some others), he has a way of appearing in the most dreary and nasty action films.

[DavidW]

Jackie Chan! Annoys the hell out of me!

But he does his own stunts, that should count for something!

[Sergeant Rock]

I've only seen one Vin Diesel film, xXx, but it's enough to make him my choice as the worst action movie actor. It was the longest, most excruciatingly boring and irritating 124 minutes of my life: he can't act; he's ugly as hell; the story was absurd (par for the course, I know, but this film seemed to go a step beyond--into lunatic territory); and the final chase went on for 90 minutes (seemed that long anyway  )  My best friend chose that film to show off his new home theater. Having to look at that guy on a screen that was almost as wide as the room was pure torture.

Sarge

[Grazioso]

I've only seen one Vin Diesel film, xXx, but it's enough to make him my choice as the worst action movie actor. It was the longest, most excruciatingly boring and irritating 124 minutes of my life: he can't act; he's ugly as hell; the story was absurd (par for the course, I know, but this film seemed to go a step beyond--into lunatic territory); and the final chase went on for 90 minutes (seemed that long anyway  )  My best friend chose that film to show off his new home theater. Having to look at that guy on a screen that was almost as wide as the room was pure torture.

Sarge

I had forgotten I'd seen that. Why, oh, why did you have to remind me? 

But he does his own stunts, that should count for something!

And he's funny. But I bet the PR folks get ulcers dealing with him. Check out his candor here:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298648,00.html

[Sandra]

But he does his own stunts, that should count for something!

I'm not really against slapstick. He's entertainment is for children and yet they're advertised as movies for adults. As cheesy as he is, I'd prefer Steve Martin over Chan every time.

[Grazioso]

I'm not really against slapstick. He's entertainment is for children and yet they're advertised as movies for adults. As cheesy as he is, I'd prefer Steve Martin over Chan every time.

Steve Martin doesn't put the martial arts smackdown on villains, though 

[DavidW]

Cool article Grazioso.  I like Chan's earlier movies (from Hong Kong I think) more than his American ones, though the first Rush Hour is good... there are some bad ones like the Tuxedo.  The American films don't really play to his style of slapstick humor, glad he thinks the same thing!  He basically goes underused in formulaic plots...

[Sandra]

Steve Martin doesn't put the martial arts smackdown on villains, though 

He does it sometimes, Pink-Panther-style..

I admit his earlier movies were really funny - gems like "the Jerk" and "All of me"

[Grazioso]

Cool article Grazioso.  I like Chan's earlier movies (from Hong Kong I think) more than his American ones, though the first Rush Hour is good... there are some bad ones like the Tuxedo.  The American films don't really play to his style of slapstick humor, glad he thinks the same thing!  He basically goes underused in formulaic plots...

I'm amazed he was so forthright with the media. The Rush Hour movies all sort of blend together for me. I just remember that the one in France is the weakest  But they do have some funny moments in them, provided Chris Tucker is your comedic cup of tea.

He does it sometimes, Pink-Panther-style..

I admit his earlier movies were really funny - gems like "the Jerk" and "All of me"

I've never been a huge Martin fan, but I do dig this loving spoof of film noir: