Power Walk: Difference between revisions

The '''Power Walk''' is a wide shot of the main cast, shoulder to shoulder, suited up for battle and looking cool/determined/fierce as they walk towards the camera, often in slow motion. Typically shot from a [[Hitler Cam|slightly lower]] than normal angle to add stature to the characters in the shot. Extra power can be gained from a dramatic backdrop, especially flames or explosions. The walk often continues until the characters are out of frame, and is often followed by an [[Act Break]].

 

 

Can be combined with an [[Unflinching Walk]] (as in the ''[[Smallville]]'' picture) for extra badassitude. If they're standing still, it's the [[V-Formation Team Shot]].

== [[Advertising]] ==

* Subverted with an utterly straight face by the infamous 2009 local commercial for [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-RLqLx1iYI Cullman Liquidators] of Cullman, Alabama when the walk starts out including a preschooler and ends up, after a couple of quick cuts, as more of a jog.

 

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* Happens before almost every match in ''[[Slam Dunk]]''

* ''[[Puella Magi Madoka Magica]]'': [[Tall, Dark and Bishoujo|Akemi]] [[Took a Level in Badass|Homura]] does this {{spoiler|''[[Rule of Cool|while the universe is being rewound]]'' after she failed to save Madoka [[Groundhog Day Loop|in the previous time line]]}}. Her internal monologue make it even more [[Badass]].

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* Played completely straight in, [[Affectionate Parody|of all things]], ''[[Nextwave]]''.

 

* [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6007860/1 This] ''[[Shin Megami Tensei|Persona]]'' fanfic is 100% comprised of this trope.

 

== [[Film]] ==

** ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho Abridged]]'' did a parody of this - the characters freeze at the end of their power walk (set to the same tune) and Hinageshi screams "Again!" Hiei shuts her down by bluntly saying "No."

** The World Police team in Team America Power Walk into Kim Jong-Il's lair while the same song plays. YMMV if it's homage, parody, etc., since the entire film is a parody of action movies.

* ''[[Tombstone]]'' (1993). The Earps with Doc Holliday walking towards the O.K. Corral to confront the Cowboys. The image of Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Kurt Russell, and Bill Paxton in [[Badass Longcoat|Bad Ass Longcoats]] has been used in posters and video covers for the film. It even replays a more [[Badass]] version of the walk during the end credits. Since the Earp crew [[Truth in Television|really did walk halfway across town]] to confront the Clanton crew, just about ''every'' movie featuring the O.K. Corral includes such a scene.

* 1999's ''[[Mystery Men]]'' also parodies the Power Walk, with one character (Mr. Furious) suddenly turning around and trying to flee only to be grabbed by his fellows on either side and forced to continue to walk with them. Their facial expressions never change.

* In ''[[The Avengers (film)|The Avengers]]'', we get a great shot of Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow walking with purpose just before the final battle.

 

* Seen in the ''[[Smallville]]'' episode "Justice" (and at the top of this page) where the proto-[[Justice League]] of Clark Kent, [[Green Arrow]], [[Aquaman]], [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Cyborg]] and [[Flash|Bart Allen]] do the Power Walk away from one of Lex Luthor's secret bases. Complete with the slo-mo, the explosions in the background, dramatic music and a dramatic double close-up - starting off with a shot of all 5, zooming in to show the middle 3 (with a sound effect cue), then repeating to zoom in on Clark alone.

** Lex does his own Power Walk through 33.1 in Season 6's "Subterranean" after imprisoning a mutant there, dooming him to life as a lab rat. Lex strides unremorsefully down a hallway to leave as AFI's [[Crowning Music of Awesome|"Prelude 12/21"]] plays in the background. All the while, prisoners stretch out their hands to try and grab their captor, but cannot reach him. Lex, totally unperturbed, continues his exit calmly. This scene underlined just how far to the dark side Lex had fallen.

* Aaron Sorkin (and later John Wells) abused it a bit in ''[[The West Wing]]''. Sorkin's iconic shot of President Bartlet's [[Redemption in the Rain]] in "Two Cathedrals" is immediately followed by the Senior Staff power-walking to the motorcade, and then into the State Department, set to the Dire Straits song "Brothers in Arms".

* The Cast of ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' frequently enters the Stargate (and exits the other side) in this manner. In fact, the times they don't Power Walk usually indicate that something is wrong.

** I believe that Michael Shermer and his crew of skeptics once used the same technique for the same reason as a show of good faith to their hopefuls of the week.

* Parodied in, of all things, ''[[Power Rangers Dino Thunder]]'' where the [[Three Amigos]] Power Walk as they head out to [[Storming the Castle|rescue Tommy from the Big Bad's lair]]. [[Mission Control|Haley]] wishes them luck while inexplicably telling them they most likely won't survive. They stop and turn around in slow motion.

{{quote|'''CRZ:''' It's [[Triple H]], and he's WALKING~!!}}

** [[Vince McMahon]]'s Powerwalk is his trademark.

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* Often used in [[Role-Playing Game|RPGs]] to show off all the awesome loot your party is wearing at the end of the game.

 

* The poster for the ''[[Axe Cop]]''-''[[The Adventures of Dr. McNinja|Doctor McNinja]]'' crossover has them doing a Power Walk (which is also an [[Unflinching Walk]]).

 

* On his Top Eleven Coolest Cliches, [[The Nostalgia Critic]] brought up this trope, saying how badass it makes your team look. In the special ''[[Kickassia]]'', he and the rest of the people on the site even did it when they were about to take over Molossia. And they looked badass doing it until... [[Dangerously Genre Savvy|until the president pulled out a gun]] and they wound up fleeing.

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* The [[X-Men (animation)|X-Men]] do this, along with a [[V-Formation Team Shot]]<ref>[[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|On top of an active volcano]]!</ref> in the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El0H26Gxak0 Japanese dub's second opening].

 

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc0EVoit-fQ This video] featuring Arsenal footballers Andrey Arshavin, Bacary Sagna, Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott doing a Power Walk- while wearing furry animal costumes.

* The music video for [[Kanye West]]'s "Power", appropriately enough - the uncensored version shows Kanye animated instead of a still shot.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Camera Tricks]]

[[Category:Walking Tropes]]