Chewers' 100 Greatest Action Sequences

2. Oldboy

Unbelievable direction. The single long tracking shot, the excellent choreography, the sheer determination, the emotion. I love Oldboy, and this scene firmly cements it as one of my favorite movies. It's been copied many times since, but none have been able to match Park Chan Wook.

3. Michelle Yeoh, a Motorcycle, and a Train (Police Story 3 / Supercop):

In terms of pure reckless abandon and disregard for human life, I submit Reason # 27327 on the "Why we love Michelle Yeoh" list.

Spike, I'll follow up your left-field Chan entry with a more obvious Chan entry.

4. Drunken Master II (directed by Chia-Liang Liu and an uncredited Jackie Chan, 1994)

Jackie Chan (as Wong Fei Hung) vs. Ken Lo (Chan's real life bodyguard) and the dude who played Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat II: The Game!

This is probably my all-time favorite martial-arts fight sequence.  If memory serves, it's one that took 4 months to shoot (please correct me if I'm wrong).  Truly amazing work.  It just keeps going and going, but it's broken up with beats that keep the sequence from dragging.  Its only flaw is that I've always felt that it kinda ended on a whimper.  But it rides such a high for a sustained amount of time, it doesn't really matter.  Chan gets to do several things here.  He gets to be the noble warrior, the playful drunk, and a pissed-off out-of-control sui-ken monster.

5. The Mark Of Zorro (directed by Rouben Mamoulian, 1940)

The action begins at minute 2.

Tyrone Power & Basil Rathbone tear it up in one of the most electrifying duels ever captured on film. Rathbone was a well known fencer in Hollywood and later said of Power (an amateur who was doubled in some shots), "He could fence Errol Flynn into a cocked hat".

6. Bank Robbery - Heat (1995, d. Mann)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL9fnVtz_lc

(embedding disabled)

Wordless, mounting tension until the robbery starts. Tom Sizemore smirks at a guard, Val Kilmore nails one in the gut and we're off. Brutal crowd control, DeNiro takes Mr. White's advice and breaks the manager's nose, they grab the money, they're out the door. Val Kilmer's all smiles, a van passes, and his gun is up and firing on the cops sneaking up on the get away car. The car turns in to a gunship with weapon fire coming out each window until Dennis Haysbert catches one in the dome and we proceed from ballistic car chase to a militarily efficient operation with Kilmer and Robert DeNiro exchanging covering fire. Kilmer drops, DeNiro grabs him up and realizes the only way he's getting out is to cause as much civilian panic as possible, he lays down some fire on a ... grocery store? Gets Kilmer in a new car and takes off.

The geography of what is happening is, at all times, crystal clear. A scene of utter chaos is completely transpareny. And I can't speak for any one else, I'm never entirely sure if I want the robbers to get away or not.

7. Fearless

Yeah, the movie drags a little, but there's no doubt in my mind that this scene is Jet Li's greatest work in martial arts cinema.

8. Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) - d. Steven Spielberg

Desert Chase

Indiana Jones vs. Beloq and the Nazi convoy.

The Nazis have possession of the Ark of the Covenant headed out on an armed convoy.  Having just admitted that he has no idea what he's gonna do Indiana Jones simply gets on a horse and gets the job done.  The Desert Chase takes the cliche of "one man versus an army" and makes it believable.  The action is staged like a chess match or a fencing bout.  Indy instinctively counters every single move that's thrown at him.  The practical stunts are thrilling.  The Nazis take it on the chin and Indiana Jones saves the world again, if only temporarily.

9. SPL - aka KILL ZONE (2005) - d. Wilson Yip

Donnie Yen takes on Jing Wu

The speed of this fight is unbelievable. No flashy CGI or obvious camera tricks. Just two master martial artists putting out all they got.

10.  'Apocalypse Now!' - Air Cav attacks a Vietnamese village...to surf.  It's a masterpiece of editing.  Sound, visuals, everything...it's perfect.

I think car chases would fit into the action sequence category, if not just ignore.

11. The Driver. When people talk of the best car chases in cinematic history, the obvious French Connection and Bullitt mentions abound, but Walter Hill's The Driver deserves to be mentioned just as often. A master class on how composition and tight editing can turn a standard car chase into the stuff of legend. There are a few superb chases, but my favorite would have to be the first chase that begins the movie and introduces us to the considerable skills of Ryan O'Neal's Driver.

LOVE 'The Driver'.  very nice.

12. Miller's Crossing (1990)

A gangster and his cigar should never be interrupted. Ever! 

The editing in this sequence is nothing short of brilliant. Albert Finney is transformed into an absolute badass in under four minutes thanks to the Coen brothers.

13. Open Range (directed by Kevin Costner, 2003)

In 1953's Shane, director George Stevens deliberately exaggerated the sound & volume of the gunfire to emphasize the weapon's power & violence. In Open Range, director Kevin Costner dips his brush in Stevens' paintbox & swathes the climax of his western masterpiece in broad, bloody, percussive strokes. Bodies fly, walls explode, & Open Range seals it's place among the all time great westerns.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPL 

12. Miller's Crossing (1990)

 

 

A gangster and his cigar should never be interrupted. Ever! 

 

The editing in this sequence is nothing short of brilliant. Albert Finney is transformed into an absolute badass in under four minutes thanks to the Coen brothers.

Oh man. One of the all-time greats. I'd argue that even though I might cite Lebowski and No Country as my favorites, this might be my single favorite moment from anything the Coens have ever done.

14. A Better Tomorrow II (Woo, 1987)

Arguably my favorite Woo shootout, where three men armed to the teeth manage to annihilate 136 other men as Peckinpah smiles from above and blows his load in his grave. How the firearms industry and the world's supply of Karo syrup managed to maintain itself after the production of this scene is a beautiful mystery.

15. Deadbeat At Dawn. This crazy little under-seen exploitation film from noted maniac Jim Van Bebber contains (in my eyes) one of the best low budget fight scenes since its release (1988). This is one of the few times where handheld camera-work is used properly (and is never overdone). Skip to 0:46 for the beginning of the mayhem.

16. John Cusack vs. Benny "The Jet" Urquidez in Grosse Pointe Blank.

It amazes me that there are viewers who got turned off of this film when it "got violent" in the second half. I have to assume they skipped the first half. But this fight (in which Cusack, making good on a subplot from Say Anything..., does all his own work) may be just that much more jarring for taking place in the hallway of a high school. And the soundtrack choice is perfect.

17. Hard Boiled Teahouse Shootout 

Is it too obvious? Oh, well. When Chow comes up at the end still chewing on the toothpick, well, that's the coolest thing I'd ever seen!

If we were going by quality, this would likely be in the top 5.

18. The Untouchables (directed by Brian De Palma, 1987)

"The Eisenstein Riff" (In Czech-O-Sound!)

'nuff said

It even works in Czech. 

19. Point Break Foot Chase 

I'm not much of a fan of the movie, but I always thought the foot chase through the back alleys of L.A. was kinda nifty.

20. From Russia With Love (directed by Terence Young, 1963)

"007 vs Red Grant"

Somewhere on a train in 1963 - sh*t got real. F*cking. Brutal.

21. Alluda Majaka

The Chariot Race, Ben-Hur (1959)

The name Yakima Canutt is going to come up more than once before we're done with this list. This is his masterpiece-- ten minutes of nailbiting action, shot on the dirt and in the sun, over the course of a full year. Fun fact: In the original novel, it is our hero Judah Ben-Hur who rigs his chariot with spikes in order to defeat (and cripple for life) his former friend Messala...

22: The entire last act of Mad Max 2 / the Road Warrior. Just all-around amazing. I still can't wrap my head around the logistics of shooting a sequence like this.

Some fantastic choices so far.

  Prehaps not an obvious choice but : 

23.  Nightcrawlers assult on the Whitehouse in X2, the sense of panic and urgency in that scene really helps hammer home how dangerous the charater can be.

24. The opening sequence for the first BLADE movie. Made me shout out "Price of admission PAID FOR" in the theater.

http://youtu.be/-mVHYdaL_m8

(How the hell are y'all embedding the videos? The code ain't working for me.)

25.  'Ronin'.  Either car chase, but especially the second one where it's Natascha vs Robert.  Awesome driving.

26. THE WARRIORS - "BATHROOM FIGHT W/ THE PUNKS"

A litany of expertly choreographed and edited action sequences dovetail into what is perhaps the most successful/memorable brawl in the entire film. Walter Hill killed it with this brutal and grungy penultimate confrontation in a subway restroom before our heroes make it home to Coney Island and have their showdown with Luther and The Rogues.

27. THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY-- "The Duel"

There's more suspense and thrills in this duel, leading up to one, singular gunshot than there is in the entire filmography of supposed "guy who knows how to shoot action", Paul W.S. Anderson.

28. The Dark Knight - Bike/Lorry chase

As thrilling as modern cinema gets,  the scene where Batman finally gets to lock horns so to speak with the Joker doesn't disappoint. Indeed unlike many actions scenes this one builds and builds, from the smash bang of the first half of the scene, to the tremendous climax, where emerging from the wreackage, our villian stares down the oncoming hero, psychosis in full swing, bringing the house and the Bat down with him...

29.  'Rob Roy': the swordfight between Liam Neeson and Tim Roth.  Arguably the best swordfight ever.

30. DUEL TO THE DEATH - HASHIMOTO & CHING WAN VS. THE NINJA HORDE

How to choose, in a film renowned for its insanely creative and physics bending martial arts sequences. I have to give it to this piece. Whilst lacking the emotional impact of the final battle between our two tragic heroes, in this embedded scene, Duel to the Death doesn't simply ride the edge, it double back-flips off the edge, then breakdances on thin air (actually, shit, they basically do that in the final duel).  

31.  'Way of the Dragon', Bruce Lee vs Chuck Norris.

32. Project A, Bar Fight

It was between this and the final battle, but damn if this doesn't make laugh every single time.

33. Return of the Jedi Speeder Bike Chase

34. To Live and Die in L.A. (Friedkin, 1985)

The best car chase EVER.

35. Shogun Assassin. Dir. Robert Houston. 1980.

Ogami and Daigoro paint the forest red with henchmens' blood to that chugging synth. Who would have thought a man slashing his foes apart could look so beautiful when dissolving into one another?

E.T.A Great call on Grosse Pointe Blank, Hammerhead. That's another favourite of mine.

36. Flash Point (2007, directed by Wilson Yip)

Another Donnie Yen vehicle.  I actually haven't seen the film itself.  But this is about great sequences and this one is a doozy.  Absolutely brutal.  But the filmmaking is so energetic and light on its feet that the brutality feels electric.  Extra points for Colin Chou.  If you've ever heard the man in an interview, he's quite a goofy charmer. 

(embedding disabled by request!?  Sunuvabit---)

37. Hanna

In a film full of great action beats, this one takes the cake. A single continuous shot, spiraling around and around in a hypnotic fashion, with the Chemical Brothers' harsh beats amplifying the effect. Short, sweet, simple, and memorable.

#38 - The Hunted / J.F. Lawton

Ninja's on a train mofo!!!

5:10 is when the ninjafun starts proper; ninjas getting fucked!

39.

So many great scenes to choose from.   Children of Men have two standout action sequences but the one that impresses me most is a battle taking place in the city where we track Clive Owen's character from the streets, up the stairs, and through a delivery in one continuous digital take.   Bravura film making at its finest.

40) Desperado Barfight (1995, d. Rodriguez)

The film that really introduced Salma Hayek and Robert Rodriguez to mainstream American audiences and launched the career of Antonio Banderas. This fight deserves mention for the most creative use of Cheech Marin in a bar fight and for demonstrating the absolute wrong way to fire a gun. But it looks so cool.

Really awful quality. Youtube let me down.

41. Viva Las Vegas (directed by George Sidney, 1964)

"The Race"

The race begins at minute 5

The first time I saw it, my jaw hit the floor. How the hell did this uber-saccharine, sunny side-up, Technicolor Elvis musical end with one of the most violent & visceral car races of it's era?! Who knows, but it is BAD-ASS. It's so violent in fact, that we see Elvis' cheerful rival/buddy f*cking DIE in a car wreck & The King barely musters a shrug. Between this sequence & Ann-Margret in her prime, this is kinda the best movie ever.

42. A Bittersweet Life d. Kim Jee Woon 2005

Simply excellent. This is one of my favorite films of all time and this fight scene just goes off. "Where's the battery?"

43. Aliens. Dir. James Cameron. 1986.

Such an embarrassment of riches in the action department here; the entire final act of the Special Edition could make it in as an example of how a great action sequence needn't be wall-to-wall blasting/ punching/ explosions, but a taut balance of that and horror/suspense. If Jurassic Park (how is that not in already?) is the film as fun park roller-coaster, then this is the abandoned house of horrors on the edge of town as a film. And it's for that reason I submit the scene where our remaining heroes band together as Hudson warns them of their impending doom. There's a genuine sense of peril in this moment - on a massive scale. We're supposed to ask ourselves, nay scream, at such moments "how are they ever going to make it out of this?" and that's exactly the note this scene hits. When you appreciate how little that really happens, I think it adds just another layer to this already magnificent achievement.

43.  'the Bourne Ultimatum', Bourne vs Desh.

44. The International (2009)- Museum Shoot Out

44.