How do you prefer your fight scenes (in movies, games, comics, etc): one where both combatants are getting the living tar kicked out of them by one another, and by the end they're both barely standing from the exertion; or, one where the combatants engage in a lot of skillful dodging and maneuvering, culminating in one finishing blow at the end?

 

I prefer the former. When the people fighting are getting beat up, it means that the fight is having an effect on them. Nothing is more boring than when people just block and dodge: it might as well be dead air, because nothing is happening that effects the characters. Also, if they're both getting beat up, if means that both characters are giving it their all, and the stakes keep rising: because how much longer can they keep going at this rate?

I wanna see them beat the shit outta each other .It's more fun and dramatic.

I prefer where they are both beating each other up rather than dodging. Makes things much more interesting imo

I really like the latter. Of course I'd like them landing blows on each other, and showing signs of exertion. Really makes it intense.

I like my fight scenes cool, which usually only happens when stuff is happening.  So yeah, the first one.

Kinda depends on who's fighting and where you are in the story. As long as that makes sense, and it doesn't turn into a fifty episode battle, I'll be okay with it. A final battle needs to at least end up with both combatants getting whooped at some point, though. Like you said, it increases the intensity of what is happening, and also makes better use of the emotional invesment you've been building up in the viewer/reader/gamer by reminding and alarming them about the characters mortality.

Edited April 26, 201312 yr by Zola

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ZVRsphERA

 

Like this

We need people shouting the name of their attack, and taking up a whole 5 minutes doing so. Not a proper fight scene without that.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ZVRsphERA

 

Like this

You beat me to the DBZ joke... Darnit.

The latter. Fighting is like an intricate dance. One wrong move and it will usually be your doom.Traditional sword fighting was like this. Lots of blocking and maneuvering, the only thing the swordsmans are looking for is that ONE slip up, then a swift strike will end the dance of death.

Edited April 26, 201312 yr by Javelin434

We need people shouting the name of their attack, and taking up a whole 5 minutes doing so. Not a proper fight scene without that.

 

You beat me to the DBZ joke... Darnit.

Haha VICTORY

I prefer them well done.

I prefer them to be fighting..

I actually like both, but the first one is what I prefer.

I really like ones with actual contact and visible injuries, for example sword fights, fist fights, anything like that. Some other examples are movies set in medieval times, samurai, ninja, martial arts. To me that seems more exciting/ thrilling than fighting with bombs, guns, etc. although I do like a good war battle scene.