Action scenes in movies have always caught our attention with dramatic actions, comedic effect, and its exciting for many viewers. What makes action films so popular is that action is the purest form of tension. Watching these fight scenes raises up the adrenaline in viewers, and it is exciting to see the outcome. Fight scenes are realistic when action forces during the fighting also have believable reaction forces, but in movies, the action and reaction principle can be exaggerated or end up non-existent during fight scenes to exaggerate movement or slowed down, for either a comical or a dramatic effect. The action/reaction principle is when there is an action force, there is always an equal reaction force in the opposite direction. Kamen Rider, Man of Steel, and Shaolin Soccer, are all three different live-action action films, but they all share moments where the action and reaction principle is clearly broken. While these films are all vastly different from each other, the believability of the fight scenes in these films range from film to film due to the bendable physics presented in these films.
The Kamen Rider Series is a popular series consisting of manga (Japanese comics), a Television series, and Film. The low-budget Japanese Television series and films are aimed mainly at kids, but its dark storyline makes it suitable for adults as well. Because it has low production values, the special effects and physics in the TV and films is questionable especially during the fighting scenes. However, the humor is held up in this cartoon-like fighting, despite the dark storylines. Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Mega Max is a 2011 film in the Kamen Rider Series and is used here to show how the action/reaction principle is broken many times. Many of the punches and kicks seem soft-hitting, and as the action/reaction principle states, for every action force there is an equal reaction force in the opposite direction. The Kamen Riders in every fight scene, ends the fight with the monster(s) with a “finishing move”. Near the end of the movie when the legendary Kamen Riders kick and punch enemy opponents, whenever the fist or foot made contact with the enemy, there should be a reaction force of the enemy’s body parts back to the incoming action force. Instead, there is no sign of recoil or any force pushing back against the incoming final punches or kicks. In fact, its like the Kamen Riders “land” into that pose and holds that pose there, while the enemies disintegrate and explode on the spot. If this were more realistic, there would be a rebound of forces back onto the those that initiated the punch or kick. And yet, because the Kamen Rider Series is low-budget, not to mention aimed at kids and teens, the physics of the fighting moves of Kamen Rider may not be real, but they are comical and “playful” to watch.
Man of Steel is a 2013 superhero film based on the DC Comics character Superman, a Kryptonian man who displays superhuman abilities that he resolves to use for the benefit of humanity. Man of Steel is definitely on the higher end of production with flashy special effects and attention to detail for this realistic live-action film. However, it can be noted that the action/reaction principle is still either exaggerated or non-existent for an emphasis of power or a very dramatic force in some fighting shots. Superman, during his fight with the Faora, who also hailed from the planet Krypton, is shown that, thinking about it realistically is shown not to be realistic at all. As that they both hail from the same planet with superhuman powers such as superhuman strength, it would make sense if they would exert similar forces on each other. However it is shown multiple times in the movie that whenever Faora punches or throws Superman, Superman is shown to fly at extreme speed, and at a very far distance, due to the force of Faora’s punches or throws. Faora's physics, in itself doesn’t make any sense, despite how “cool” the actions are and how desperate it makes Superman looks. When Superman goes flying after being punched or thrown, Faora’s actual punches and throws don’t match up to the speed that Superman flies away, perhaps due to the actress’s human movements that constraint otherwise what really would be “superhuman” strength. The action/reaction still applies here as that Faora is shown not to move from her spot with no recoil or follow-through in her body after punching or throwing Superman into very far distances. Also, if she were also to realistically not move from where she stood, the pressure she would exert onto the ground would equal the amount of force she exerted with her hands. Man of Steel definitely showed very cool fight scenes, but looking closely, the physics of the fight scenes were definitely pushed for dramatic moments.
Shaolin Soccer is a 2001 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film, and due to being a comedy, definitely shows the impossibility of physics through many of the fights and soccer scenes. Because the physics of this film is so obviously noted, it makes it even more humorous to the audience because of the sheer impossibility of the gags. Humor aside, there are plentiful of scenes that break the action/reaction principle. During the soccer match against the last opposing team pumped filled with steroids, when the main character kicks the soccer ball aiming for the goal, the ball is shown to have incredible speed like a raging tiger through special effects. However the opposing goalie stops the ball with merely his hand, perhaps to dramatically show how resilient he is. The soccer ball literally comes to a stop by his hand. Realistically, the action/reaction principle would cause the ball to bounce backwards with the same force, from the hand that came up to stop it.
Also during this last game, when the goalie for the protagonist team goes flying, tearing through the soccer net and into the walls of the bleachers due to the force of the ball kicked into him by the opponent, it once again shows the unrealistic physics. Even if the opponents have all been pumped with steroids, the amount of force the kicker exerted into the ball would cause the same amount of force back on him. However, the impossibility of this shot also amplifies the dire situation the protagonists are in for that dramatic effect.
While Kamen Rider, Man of Steel, and Shaolin Soccer are three separate live-action films, they all contain several examples of incorrectly following the action and reaction principle. However, all three films break these physics but in the end, serves the general feel of the respective films well. The directors for each film may have chosen to exaggerate or eliminate the action/reaction principle, but overall it payed off for the effect they were going for with the actions.
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