Angelina Jolie: The Last Action Hero

Can you believe it? The biggest action movie star in Hollywood is pregnant with twins.

By: Fred Cunningham | News Channel 7
Published: July 11, 2008 | 0 Comments | Post a Comment

Being a guy (a normal heavier than he'd like to be, good but not great about picking up after himself, handles the TV remote control like a phaser and known to get easily frustrated with modern technology) you've probably realized from an earlier column about my taste in movies. Good old fashioned action plus film comedy of the Caddyshack, Animal House and Blazing Saddles era.

So as a guy - who started with a Connery James Bond and enthusiastically backs new 007 Daniel Craig, who spent the best 15 minutes of my movie going past watching the start of Raiders of the Lost Ark and thinks Diehard is one of the best ten movies ever made - it pains me to say the best (last) real action star in the movies is....Angelina Jolie.

Did I just write that? Angelina Jolie? Multiple time mom Angelina Jolie? Currently expecting twins Angelina Jolie?

Where have you gone Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Steven Seagal, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chuck Norris (OK, a stretch) when we needed you?

But here are the facts. Boxofficemojo.com reports Jolie's three biggest moneymaking films (non-animation) are Mr & Mrs. Smith, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and Gone in Sixty Seconds. Her newest movie Wanted has made over $98 million heading into it's second weekend in theatres.

And who are the men claiming the action mantle these days? Guys are too busy acting in costumes. The big action franchises are Spiderman, Batman and Ironman. They star Tobey Maguire, Christian Bale and Robert Downey, Junior. I don't think any of them would pull off an action role outside of the costume ala Willis or Arnold. And that's what we have.

Keanu Reeves was an emerging star after Speed and Point Break (a Fred top 5 Guilty Pleasure), but he's dropped back off the radar after completing The Matrix trilogy. Segal appears to be double his size from the Under Seige days.

So that leaves Jolie, who had to be the reason behind a $52 million opening weekend for her latest shoot-em up.

As for the traditional action stars Ford made a brilliant return to Indiana Jones, but that has to be a final bow. That comes a year after Willis played John McLane for the fourth time. Stallone tried to get a few more miles out of Rambo, but that was one too many rounds at theatres.

Arnold is fighting fires in California today - as a governor. Chuck Norris is selling exercise equipment on TV.

And the biggest action movie star in Hollywood is pregnant.

Note to self: cue up Diehard tonight.