Your top 10 action scenes

[sandman]

I was just wondering what everyone’s favourite 10 action scenes from movies are. Mine will be almost exclusively Hollywood based. My knowledge of eastern cinema simply isn’t extensive enough. 
 

So, in no particular order, here’s mine

 

1 - The bridge scene from Mission Impossible 3

2 - enter the T Rex from Jurassic Park 

3 - power suit chase through Paris from GI Joe 

4 - car chase at the start of Quantum of Solace

5 - the attack on New York from Avengers Assemble

6 - attack on the hospital from Hard Boiled

7 - assault on the Death Star from Return of the Jedi

8 - end battle from Avengers Endgame 

9 - the pod race from the Phantom Menace 

10 - the bride versus the crazy 88 from Kill Bill Vol 1.

 

honourable mentions 

 

Crop duster chase scene from North by Northwest 

highway chase from Matrix Reloaded 

prisoner transfer from The Dark Knight

 

Theres probably a few I’ve forgotten about. 
 

Disagree with my list? Post your top 10

 

 

[Stig]

1. John Matrix carries a tree trunk

2. John Matrix kills kidnappers

3. John Matrix jumps out of a plane

4. John Matrix throws a phone box

5. John Matrix chases down a car

6. John Matrix eats a Green Beret for breakfast

7. John Matrix steals a load of guns

8. John Matrix lands a sea plane

9. John Matrix wipes out a compound of badies

10. John Matrix helps let out some steam

[FishyFish]

In no particular order, and not definitive cos there are hundreds and these are just off the top of my head...

 

True Lies - Bridge sequence

Matrix Reloaded - Freeway chase

Minority Report - Car factory

Empire Strikes Back - Asteroid field

The Force Awakens - Escaping in the Falcon

Tron - Light cycles

The Spy Who Loved Me - Esprit chase

Ronin- Paris car chase

Jason and the Argonauts - Talos awakens

Captain Americe The Winter Soldier - Nick Fury car chase

 

[monkeydog]

I can't manage 10 right now.

 

1. The flea/tear in The City of Lost Children.

2. The storm/flooding in The Abyss (it's why I have a titanium wedding ring. You know, just in case)

[Waggo]

In no specific order and off the top of my head:

 

 

1 - Battle of Hoth in Empire Strikes Back

2 - Police Station Shootout in The Terminator

3 - The Bride v The Crazy 88 in Kill Bill

4 - Winter Soldier Elevator Scrap

5 - Vault Theft in Fast Five

6 - Lobby Battle in The Matrix

7 - Battle of Helms Deep in LOTR

8 - Rocky v Apollo in Rocky 2

9 -  Battle of Scarif in Star Wars: Rogue One

10 - Just about all of Raiders of The Lost Ark

[McFly]

Cyberdyne assault and mall bike/truck chase in T2.

 

Anrnie gets "discovered" by his builder colleague and the ensuing chase/fights.

 

 

Lots of great choices so far

 

 

 

[Commander Jameson]

In no order and going to be updated.

 

The Matrix - Lobby shootout

Hard Boiled - Hospital one-shot

Jurassic Park - T-Rex paddock attack

The Spy Who Loved Me - Lotus Esprit chase

Heat - Bank shootout

Aliens - Alien Queen fight

Raiders of the Lost Ark - Truck chase

Kill Bill Part 1 - Crazy 88 fight

Inception - Zero G hotel fight

Terminator 2 - First truck chase

[Benny]

Going to just type these as I feel them...

 

1. The Terminator - defunding the police

2. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - spear shall be shaken, shield shall be splintered

3. Hard Boiled - one epic take

4. Return of the Jedi - giving the Death Star an enema

5. Throne of Blood - Toshiro Mifune receives some arrows

6. Mad Max: Fury Road - the entire bloody movie

7. Ghost in the Shell - did that briefcase turn into a gun?

8. Singing in the Rain - make 'em laugh

9. Avengers Assemble - "That's my secret"

10. Akira - *mad Taiko drumming ensues*

[Gambit]

1 hour ago, Stigweard said:

1. John Matrix carries a tree trunk

2. John Matrix kills kidnappers

3. John Matrix jumps out of a plane

4. John Matrix throws a phone box

5. John Matrix chases down a car

6. John Matrix eats a Green Beret for breakfast

7. John Matrix steals a load of guns

8. John Matrix lands a sea plane

9. John Matrix wipes out a compound of badies

10. John Matrix helps let out some steam

 

I literally just watched Commando tonight and I completely second this.

[Qazimod]

Not sure if I can put together a list of ten right now... but I'll echo the The Matrix lobby scene.

 

More recently, John Wick 3 and the escape from Casablanca. And Nobody - "YNWA" , just because it's so OTT and daft.

 

 

 

[Danster]

Predator - village assault.

Aliens - Ripley rescuing Newt.

 

[Triple A]

Nice thread!!!  Love it.  Lots of strong memories from looking at your entries.

 

My no.1 after about 20 seconds spent thinking about it, is the first major chase in Fury Road, ending at the end of the sand tornado bit.  Masterful stuff!

 

This is followed by perhaps the drug factory in Robocop, and the car chases in not just Matrix Reloaded but also Bad Boys 2.  Don’t sleep on that movie you guys!
The ‘money shot’ at the end of the car chase in the latest Batman movie, is also lodged firmly in memory - such amazing cinematography!  Time will tell if that gets to be an all-timer.

 

Another good one for me is the end battle in Predator - though this may be down to the whole film being a formative one for me, rather than the specific qualities of the sequence.

[Hanzo the Razor]

The Vernita Green fight in Kill Bill Vol.1. The way it descends from brightly coloured soccer Mom domesticity to utter carnage blew me away. I remember seeing it for the first time in 2003 and being astonished by the physicality, the editing, the crunch and brutality of the sound mix.

 

The asteroid chase in Empire Strikes Back. When Han decides to to take the Falcon down, the music, the effects, the editing, the slow swooping shot of the Falcon before they enter "The Cave" is still astonishing to me.

 

The helicopter chase in Terminator 2 springs to mind. That shit was for real!

[FishyFish]

5 hours ago, Hanzo the Razor said:

The asteroid chase in Empire Strikes Back. When Han decides to to take the Falcon down, the music, the effects, the editing, the slow swooping shot of the Falcon before they enter "The Cave" is still astonishing to me.

 

It's so epic. Gives me goosebumps even just thinking about it.

[spanx]

Bullit car chase through SF

Robocop warehouse

Die Hard tower takeover

Hard Boiled hospital

The Raid, when it all goes south

Predator, village and Blaine’s death/forest destruction

Aliens, first contact (“marines we are leaving”)

Where Eagles Dare, the whole castle escape (buses, guns, cable cars)

[SeanR]

1. Robocop: drug factory "ah, fuck you!"

2. Commando: tooling up to end credits

3. The Matrix: Rescuing Morpheus

4. The Transformer The Movie: The Death of Optimus Prime

5. TESB: AT-ATs

6. DH2: The Annex Skywalk "A sitting duck"

7. Predator: "You're one ugly motherf..."

8. Dracula (1958): The chase and fight between the count at his most animalistic, and van helsing, steely-faced determination

9. Endgame: "Avengers! assemble"

10. Batman and Robin: Ice skating museum heist

 

 

(the rock: car chase, batman begins: car chase, The spy who loved me: car chase, the bourne supremacy: car chase (moscow))

Edited April 30, 2022 by SeanR

[the_debaser]

Blues brothers car chase is one that hasn’t been mentioned yet. Love that movie. 

[Dr Nookie]

In no particular order:

 

- attack on Hoth

- the crane chase in Terminator 3

- any fight scene from The Prodigal Son

- the machine gun scene in Dredd

- attack on the Death Star - a New Hope 

- the last bit in Leon where he’s cornered in the building

- Marines, we are leaving - Aliens - it’s so hopeless, those poor peeps 😞

- let’s get this party started - The Cabin in the Woods - that always stays with me that…

[Ry]

1. Terminator 2 - Cyberdyne Systems Assault.

2. T2 - Helicopter Highway Chase

2b - Terminator 2 - Mall opening leading to the Canal Chase

3. Terminator - Station Assault

4. Commando - Taking out the baddies and the truck hill push.

5. The Matrix - Morpheus Rescue

6. Predator - End Battle

7. Oldboy - Hallway Fight

8. Heat - The Heist

9. TLORT The Two Towers - Helms Deep Battle

10. The Dark Knight - Prisoner Transfer.

 

Bonus - The school hallway fight in Grosse Point Blank

 

 

[Hanzo the Razor]

48 minutes ago, SeanR said:

10. Batman and Robin: Ice skating museum heist

 

You're either off your tits or having a laugh.

[ZOK]

21 hours ago, sandman said:

1 - The bridge scene from Mission Impossible 3

I can’t remember what happens, but I do remember thinking this was excellent when I saw it.

[ZOK]

I suppose I should throw one in too…I always love to see the car chase in Ronin.

 

 

[SeanR]

53 minutes ago, Hanzo the Razor said:

 

You're either off your tits or having a laugh.

je suis un agent provocateur 

[Bucky]

I always thought Bond Vs. Trevelyan on the crane was brutal and stylish and really exciting.

[Hanzo the Razor]

50 minutes ago, Papilio said:

Also, (I haven't read right back so it might have been mentioned already) but the opening sequence in Saving Private Ryan (on the beach). That was gut churning but impressive cinematography. 

 

I'm an old enough fart that I saw that at the cinema. The sound design is what stayed with me. Bullets flying past you head. Mayhem.

[SeanR]

2 hours ago, Papilio said:

Also, (I haven't read right back so it might have been mentioned already) but the opening sequence in Saving Private Ryan (on the beach). That was gut churning but impressive cinematography. 

I wanted my son to watch that tonight.

 

His mother said no.

[Professor Rob]

Agree with virtually everything posted so far, and will throw in the mine cart chase from Temple Of Doom.

[McFly]

Loads of stuff from The Raid.

The finale of Banshee S1 in the old church iirc.

 

 

Someone mentioned it earlier but with older films, it was all real stunts and stunts people. Makes it so much better, even seemingly sime stuff.

[ZOK]

The thing is, has Hollywood ever produced an action scene as tense and awesome as this?

 

[Goose]

In no real order

 

- Commando from the gearing up scene on the beach onwards

- Predator - the raid on the encampment 

- First Blood - Escaping the police station and into the mountains

- The Matrix Lobby shootout

- Raiders - the truck hijack

- John Wick - Raid on Wick's house

- Robocop - Drug factory raid

- Where Eagles Dare - The escape from the castle

- Who Dares Wins - SAS raid the embassy

- Dredd - Almost the entire movie

- Die Hard - 'Take this on advisement' scene

 

Honourable Mentions - 

Flash Gordon - Flash fights Prince Baron

Highlander - Battle at Madison Square Gardens

Lethal Weapon - Escape from torture

To Live & Die in L.A - Car chase

Demolition Man - Shootout at the museum

Aliens - Recue of Newt / facing the queen

Raw Deal - Shoot out at the quarry

Twister - The first modern day encounter

Clash of the Titans - Perseus Vs Medusa (original obv.)