Sunday, January 15, 2012

Gina Carano and Haywire

I'm not a big media person...TV, movies, I'm just not the type to sit down and watch. My brother is constantly prodding me to start sitting through entire movies and just watch. He's fighting a losing battle.

Anyway, somehow, the trailer for a new action flick somehow made it past my eyes. Another woman kicking and punching and beating up guys left and right...nothing too new. Immediately, though, I noticed something different. There was something clean and deliberate about the female character's strikes. Something that wouldn't come from a few weeks of personal training.



Lo and behold, it was Gina Carano. I'm not a big watcher of MMA of either gender (though I do have a thing for Vitor Belfort and Alistair Overeem), so I didn't immediately recognize her, but I DID immediately notice the indelicate neck and thickened ankles of a fighter.

I stand by my opinion that action movies take too light a hand when addressing physical confrontation between men and women, but I give this movie credit for not perpetuating the study of Waif-fu and actually allowing the visual reflection of the type of training it would take to hold any kind of ground fighting an adult male. I may actually go and burn some time in a dark theater trying it out.


8 comments:

David J. Hirsh said...

"Waif-fu" wow. That's a good one. You are hella good at this blogging thing Miss Megan.

I saw the trailer to Haywire in the theatre along with the trailers to the new Underworld movie, and Mission Impossible. Three really great action trailers that each left me wanting to see the movies on the big screen (unlike you, I am a huge movie fan).

Of all three, the Haywire trailer really gripped me for one specific reason. The integration some authentic grappling moves that made sense in the fight sequence. Only later did I find out (like a few weeks ago!) that Gina Carano was a pro-fighter.

Something like 20 or so years ago, the Machado brothers starred in a truly horrible B-action movie called the "Flying Armbar" or something. The fight sequences were hokey despite the obvious expertise of the stars. BJJ in film has come along way baby. As have women depicted in action movies.

Don't forget that one of the key elements of any successful film is it's ability to get the viewer to suspend his disbelief of what he is seeing. If seeing a six foot tall, 110 pound women trade blows with the Rock doesn't seem real to you, the movie failed, not the idea. If watching Gina Carano take down a man after getting suckered does seem real, then it did it's job.

Megan said...

I unfortunately can't take credit for "Waif fu" (check the link).

I agree regarding the suspension of disbelief from the perspective of product quality, but at the same time, art does impact life, and at a certain point, images like that (and many others) can border on irresponsible, in which case, the movie still fails.

I'm new to seeing what's going on with grappling in movies (being a sparse movie watcher and a new grappler), but I was thrilled when I saw the giftwrap choke in Inception.

Liam H Wandi said...

inception. good one.

Have you seen the armbar in Blade? the triangle choke in Lethal Weapon? oh yeah, I said it.

I too noticed Gina's neck. hehe.

Megan said...

Liam! I feel like I missed a lot in my pre-grappling days. I probably brushed it all off as rolling around then some chick doing something with her legs.

A.D. McClish said...

Cool! My husband is always rolling his eyes at me now because I get all excited when I see bjj techniques in movies. Good eye on this one!

Megan said...

Lol...I know...I get so happy when fights go to the ground now.

Georgette said...

I like your take on ankles. Now I can stop thinking mine are just fat.

Megan said...

LOL@Georgette...I was jealous of people with thicker ankles for YEARS. Always thought mine were too skinny.