When I think action heroes,  I think Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise, and every actor who’s ever played James Bond; I think Fast and the Furious, Die Hard, Mission Impossible. We’re so spoiled with these incredible modern icons and franchises, that it’s  easy to overlook where the action industry all began. As it turns out, CineFix were on the same train of thought, creating a glorious three-part homage to the action star, appropriately titled A History of Kicking Ass. This saga takes us on a chronological look at the progression the action hero has taken in American cinema, and it had me on the edge of my seat.

If you haven’t seen the earliest action sequence ever recorded on film, you are in for a real treat here. Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat was directed by French pioneers the Lumiere Brothers, who patented the cinematograph in the 1890’s—the first motion picture camera and projector. Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat was filmed with that camera.

Like what you see? I love how they included a lot of Westerns in there like Shane and High Noon, two films that are definitely standouts from that genre. Here’s Part 2, where you get to see Jackie Chan in his element:

And now for the final chapter, where Die Hard gets its moment of glory:

If you haven’t seen some of the films they referenced, I recommend checking them out. And why not revisit your favorites, while you’re at it?

Now for the real question at hand, who’s your favorite action hero? They can be new or old, let us know in the comments below!

—

HT: Indiewire
IMAGES: Twentieth Century Fox