Hundreds of action pros voted, and George Millers postapocalyptic action team reigned supreme.
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Filmmakers and audiences alike grew more aware of the fact that when we witness (Witness!
All of which brings us to an unexpected place.
If something is memorable, beautiful, or challenging, they love to do it.
In some way, I feel they have the same qualities as a ballet dancer.
Hell, sometimes they dont even get breakfast.
But we wont rehash the arguments around that matter.
Well continue doing our part, too.
Here are this years Stunt Award winners.
.The Nominees:
.
In George MillersFuriosa, action always reveals character.
(Flying wind-fan parasailers hanging off motorcycles!
A symphony of carnage.
Each new absurd escalation giant chains!
Its also the kind of scene that would not be possible outside of a major studio production.
They are big, thick things, easy for the visual effects artists to erase.
The nonagenarian proudly did her own stunts inThelmas raucous scooter-chase.
Woven intoThelmais a deep understanding of what makes action work, says critic Brian Cartwright.
When action is escapist it touches on our desire for agency and empowerment.
Thats right, the indie sensationHundreds of Beaversand its Beaver Brawl, simply couldnt be denied.
Wildly inventive and funny, its crazy to me that more people havent seen it.
When people say something feels like a live-action cartoon or a video game I always roll my eyes.
It actually does feel like the best parts of animation and gaming together in a live-action film.
IndiasKillgave us new heartthrob Lakshya exacting revenge on a fast-moving train.
Any one of these face-melting fisticuffs couldve taken home the crown.
Bren FostersLife After Fightingis an unmitigated labor of love.
The Aussie actor, primarily known for TVsThe Last Ship, is a martial arts icon.
The result is one of the best martial arts films weve seen in years.
Its the kind of jawdropping sequence that brings a perfectly solid drama into the stratosphere of modern action cinema.
Cant wait to see what he does next.
Best Shootout
Awarded to any sequence involving guns at relatively close range.
Cops)
.The Winner:Rebel Ridge(Terry vs. Like,reallyhigh; were living in a post-John Wick era, after all.
Most of this years nominees play in this familiar space, and quite entertainingly.
Sometimes a movie meets a certain cultural moment.
Best Vehicular Stunt
Awarded to any sequence involving motorized vehicles.
Its understandable that vehicular stunt was one of our more competitive categories this year.
And lets not forget the bridge flip fromThe Killer, from one of cinemas most legendary names.
(Artistic expression in action sequences as interpreted by one of our modern masters of the form.
It is damn good to have John Woo back.)
No one can step to the king of vehicular stunts.
Best Aerial Stunt
Awarded to any sequence that takes place predominantly in the air.
Has a kite ever looked so menacing?
Probably not, but how many kites look like a spectral cephalopod haunting the night?
(Norriss other son Harlan also worked on the films stunts.)
(Post-production VFX work included adding in the Wasteland environments and parachutes, and tweaking characters and vehicles.)
Nothing else this year really compares in that domain so yeah, it wins again.
Best Practical Explosion
Awarded to any sequence that involves any reactive substance that amounts to an explosion.
Everyone involved deserves a victory mojito.
Best Overall Action Film
Awarded to the best film for stunt work overall.
And we need more, and each time we need more until too much is never enough.
That last line evokes the eye-popping, brain-melting grandiosity of George Millers film.
Because that sentiment lies at the heart of what makesFuriosaunique even in its own franchise.
Furiosapretty much ran away with this category, and its not hard to see why.
Furiosamight be the saddest entry in Millers Mad Max series, and its sensational velocity makes it even sadder.
These films all exist under the sign of civilizational doom.
ButFuriosacarries a weight those others dont, because its about a child facing the future.
She also sees no hope in the future, but her mind hasnt become coagulated with nihilism just yet.
So, we can sense her fear.
That perhaps reflects her creators own despair.
But also: Yeah, boy!
And Hayley Wright won.
The first woman to win Stunt Performer of the Year, Wright was everywhere.
She rides motorcycles, cars, trucks, fight scenes and more.
You cant deny that she deserves this award.
She inspired Wright to move out to Los Angeles and from there, she was off.
As soon as I was under there, its that flow state you hear athletes talk about.
I just went just to focus.
By the second run and the third take, I couldnt hold my head up.
That famousthigh squeezeXenia Onatopp uses to dispatch her foes?
Yeah, thats me, laughs Huthart.
Read more about our Lifetime Achievement honoreehere.
