MovieChat Forums > Haywire (2012) Discussion > if a woman beating up men ruined the who...

if a woman beating up men ruined the whole thing for you...

posted 12 years ago by imfinished
67 replies | jump to latest

All these people complaining about how the film loses all credibility because "a girl is beating up on a bunch of men" are just sexists. The simple fact is you're watching a Hollywood action movie and you're complaining that it's unrealistic. Do you complain about how unrealistic it is when a 66 year old Sylvester Stallone goes around doing a million impossible things, killing a hundred guys in the Expendables? Does it ruin the entire film when Tom Cruise jumps from an exploding helicopter flying through a tunnel onto the back of a speeding train and somehow survives? Do you not understand that Vin Diesel and Paul Walker driving around like maniacs while everything explodes around them and a hundred bullets fly and they barely get scratched is equally absurd as you think it is to see a woman who is trained in martial arts manage to beat a bunch of men? No, you've chosen your battle. You've chosen the one bit of Hollywood you can't get behind and, oh look, it involves a strong female character. John McClane can single-handedly take out a dozen terrorists (I mean, he even acts like he's hurt sometimes, how realistic is that?) but Gina Carano can't possibly beat up Michael Fassbender. He's a man! She's a woman! That's just taking this suspension of disbelief thing too far!

[–] junkkk 11 years ago

An enormous post devoted to questioning the manhood of others that instead serves only to highlight the fragile male ego and chronic insecurity of the poster himself.

Kinda makes you wonder whether there's something he's not admitting to himself (but that's between him and his therapist so we shouldn't dare go there).

The outdated gender roles. The butchered attempt at sarcasm. It's all here. Beautiful.

[–] reaseltbim 11 years ago

I think it is kind of pathetic that people will believe someone as tiny as Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Garner or even scarlett johansson as tough action stars,
People won't have a problem with them, But Gina (who can actually beat up people in real life) Is too unrealistic?

ARE you Freaking Kidding ME????

[–] marauder256 11 years ago

Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Garner, and Scarlett Johansson are actresses.

Gina Carano is not an actress; she is an athlete who "acts". Big difference.

[–] reaseltbim 11 years ago

my point is not the acting but the violence and the (A woman defeating these guys is fake) part.

People are willing to believe someone as thin as Angelina or Jennifer can beat up guys left and right.
People can buy Scarlett as Black Widow. I never see any people complaining about "Oh someone like her could never defeat the bad guys"

But with Haywire and Gina, then all of the sudden it becomes a problem of being too fake?
Besides the fact that Gina could probably beat up each and every single guy that has posted on this thread with ease, Acting or not, she is actually a really tough woman, And people are complaining that it is unrealistic?

But Black Widow isn't?

[–] marauder256 11 years ago

Willing suspension of disbelief.

Asking the audience to believe that an actress is actually part of group of mutant superheroes saving the world from some galactic threat is easier than asking the audience to believe that an MMA star is actually a black ops super soldier who wants revenge for being double-crossed. Jason Bourne got to them first and the audience stuck with it for four movies. At least Phillip Noyce made some changes to the script before asking the audience, and it's getting a sequel.

But let's face it; Gina Carano isn't that good of an actress. She couldn't even put together a better performance than Michelle Rodriguez in Fast and Furious 6.

[–] reaseltbim 11 years ago

I was thinking about movies like Salt or Kill Bill. nothing like superheroes or things like that.

there are so many spy movies where the lead is unrealistic. I just don't get the hate for this one

And about her acting, a lot of 80s movies have the same type of character. not again, no one really hates on them

[–] Augustus_Octavian 11 years ago

I suppose the assumption is that this movie expects the fighting to be considered realistic due to its choice of actress to play the lead. Whereas in the other movies, it is considered not realistic.

But I actually have no issues with this movie. She mostly beats up average men, and for elite men, she defeats them only with difficulty. So, still not that far out for me. If she had been portrayed as killing an entire Seal team with her bare hands, I would have serious problems with that.

[–] paul-2219 11 years ago

But I actually have no issues with this movie. She mostly beats up average men, and for elite men, she defeats them only with difficulty. So, still not that far out for me. If she had been portrayed as killing an entire Seal team with her bare hands, I would have serious problems with that.

Same for me. She was no Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft or Cameron Diaz as a Charlie's Angel throwing around packs of huge men left and right. At least she was built like a fighter.

[–] milan_kovacevic-04 11 years ago

You've nailed it.

P.S. I liked the beating up Michael Fassbender comment....he is such a ....girly man. :)

[–] triachgul3 11 years ago

Its funny how so many experts here have probably never been in a fight. I have been unfortunate enough to have been involved in a few physical confrontations in my youth and NEVER does the physical superiority matter in a fight. The most important aspect is the will to overcome your opponent. Furthermore experience, training and situational awareness are also key, but the fact remains, that being mentally strong and staying cool are THE most important.

Now, lets talk about this movie. First of all, its a film. Its supposed to be fiction, its not real. That being said, there wasnt a single scene, which struck me as laughable or unrealistic. Carano's character is a professional contractor and she obviously has been trained to deal with such situations. She does a great job and the action sequences were quite satisfying.

It was actually refreshing seeing a physically weaker character take on men bigger than her and beat she living *beep* out of them. As mentioned by the OP, I find it ridiculous how "the Expendables" is nothing but a washed-up circle-jerk of old men trying to be tough (sorry, homage).

I loved her character and would love to see more similar films. Sadly "In the blood" isnt well written and was a disappointment, but Haywire had great fight scenes.

Lastly, I love how insecure some of the posters are. That is was cinema is about. To push society's boundaries and promote discussion. You dont think a woman or Carano could kick ass in real life? I would love to see a professional female fighter go mano a mano with some people here. Would make a great show.

[–] marauder256 11 years ago

That is was cinema is about. To push society's boundaries and promote discussion.

You mean indie cinema. Mainstream movies are about getting as much money as possible through big names and relatable stories. Which Gina is about to do once she goes back to UFC to face Ronda Rousey.

It was actually refreshing seeing a physically weaker character take on men bigger than her and beat she living *beep* out of them.

The anthem of anyone who still can't get over high school.

[–] triachgul3 11 years ago

I was in 3 out of 4 varsity teams in HS. I loved HS, then again, Im not US American. In my HS everyone got along, despite preconceived notions of superiority or adequacy.

But thanks for that highly skilled analysis Dr.Freud.

[–] fluffchop 11 years ago

Ah shuuuudddup, and get back in the kitchen nancy

[–] juanpide-1 11 years ago

I'm sorry but this is not sexism, it's just reality.
Nobody is telling anything bad against her, but
a woman can defeat some men, specially if she is very big or with weapons but
it's very unbelievable and unlikely that a woman (specially a small 173 cm and thin 65kg woman) could beat all men in the film, all bigger, and stronger than her, and all supposed to be good fighters too (including the SWAT).

This is like Nikkita films, it's just ridiculous to see thin "don't touch me because you break me" women fighting against big fighters.

And yes, I don't think a 66 year old Stalone could beat anyone either.

It's OK if you want a fantasy, as superwoman, but not if you pretend to be reallistic.

[–] olliemankz 11 years ago

It isn't just men who are threatened; women, too ... or maybe a better word/phrase would be turned off.

I was standing outside a Redbox when a woman returned several movies and gave me a mini-rating as she returned each one; she said Haywire was "terrible." Maybe that made me intrigued. The lady didn't seem like the sort of person whose tastes would align with mine. Later I rented the movie and had a thrill ride from start to finish, partly because I felt it was relatively realistic, and one thing I hate in any movie but particularly crime-oriented ones is lack of realism.

After watching the movie, I reflected back on the lady's assessment and figured it had to do with her husband's take on it, and, of course, there's no reason she couldn't have felt the same way. So I would say there are some people who will be unhappy with a tough female such as the one in Haywire, and some people who will be intrigued by her. Other personality traits might tend to fall on either side of this divide but at any rate, no judgment, but, yeah, there are people who probably just didn't like to see the heroine being so tough.

[–] Augustus_Octavian 11 years ago

These male characters are portrayed as being elite level soldiers. Accordingly, it is reasonable to expect a elite level of performance from them.

Although the lead character is being portrayed as a elite level solider, it is still unacceptable for her to consistently defeat elite level male soldiers with ease because of the simple fact that she is a woman.

Fortunately, she does not in fact commit this unreasonable feat. Instead, she defeat the men with difficulty when they are of high level as well. Such as with Paul, the British agent.

[–] davemc1 10 years ago

so what...i'm sexist....i don't care. Equal right blah blah blah. I Want Bruce Willis or Stallone back. Not this BS