My Favorite Action Scenes

This was one of my favorite Listology lists back in the day, and I’ve continued to add to it since. I’m sure I’m missing some, but these are my favorite action scenes. They aren’t all good movies (although many are), but these scenes deliver regardless. One asterisk means it was a tough choice, two means it was damn near impossible. Last updated 6/4/13.

• 13 Assassins (2010) … the last 45 (!) minutes of the movie
• 15 Minutes (2001) … escape from burning apartment
• 28 Weeks Later (2007) … opening sequence *
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) … storming the plantation
• The Abyss (1989) … waiting for the crane to come down from the surface, and then what happens when it does
• Aliens (1986) … locked in with the face-huggers.
• Avatar (2009) … the whole finish
• The Battleship Potemkin (1925) … the Odessa Steps sequence.
• Behind the Sun (2001) … the chase through the woods
• Ben Hur (1959) … the chariot race
• The Boondock Saints (1999) … the toilet *
• The Bourne Identity (2002) … the car chase *
• The Bourne Supremacy (2004) … the car chase *
• The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) … fight with Desh **
• Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) … trying to trap the beast.
• Brute Force (1947) … breakout, especially on the drainpipe side
• Casino Royale (2006) … foot chase
• Chicken Run (2000) … in the pie machine (with plenty of Raiders references)
• Children of Men (2006) … escaping in the car that won’t start **
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) … shrine fight between Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi
• Dawn of the Dead (2004) … retrieving the dog
• Death Proof (2007) … ship’s mast and all car stuff thereafter
• District 9 (2009) … wearing the suit
• District B13 (2004) … opening foot chase **
• District 13: Ultimatum (2009) … tomaso in drag *
• Duplicity (2009) … executive tarmac brawl
• The Empire Strikes Back (1980) … battle on Hoth
• Equilibrium (2002) … “not without incident” to the end.
• Fearless (2006) … fight on the high platform **
• Fist of Legend (1994) … climactic fight *
• The Four Musketeers (1974) … the convent/cathedral **
• Goldeneye (1995) … tank chase scene
• Hard Boiled (1992) … hospital scene
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) … dragon chase
• Hero (2002) … duel with Sky *
• Jurassic Park (1993) … kitchen scene
• I Am Legend (2007) … the dogs and the ray of sunshine
• Ip Man (2008) … “i want to fight 10 men”
• Inception (2010) … rotating-gravity fight scene
• The Incredibles (2004) … Elastigirl and the doors **
• Ink (2009) … the kidnapping
• The Iron Giant (1999) … From the diving catch to the end
• Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) … Go Go Yubari fight (ball and chain)
• Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) … fight with Elle
• King Kong (2005) … the bugs ** (or the stampede, or the t-rexes, or the finale - hot damn)
• Kung Fu Hustle (2004) … two masters vs. the beast **
• Kung Fu Panda (2008) … fighting over the dumplings **
• Legend of Drunken Master (1994) … the axe gang fight
• Let the Right One In (2008) … the pool
• The Little Mermaid (1989) … the kitchen
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) … escape from the mines of moria
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) … Eowyn and the Witch King *
• The Matrix (1999) … opening sequence **
• The Matrix Reloaded (2003) … the highway chase
• Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011) … skyscraper *
• Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) … car chase (especially the golf club)
• Next (2007) … walking out of the casino
• Oldboy (2003) … hammer time
• Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) … Banderas and Hayek escaping from the hotel room
• Ong-bak (2003) … climactic sequence, possibly highlighted by saw fight **
• Our Hospitality (1923) … the rapids/waterfall scene
• Over the Hedge (2006) … caffeine
• The Princess Bride (1987) … duel between Inigo and the man in black
• Prodigal Son (1983) … attack on sleeping opera company
• The Professional (1994) … police invasion of Leon’s apartment
• Project A (1983) … the bicycle chase through the narrow alleys (what follows with the flagpole and the clock-tower is great too)
• The Raid: Redemption (2011) … first hallway kung fu? second hallway? first fight with Mad Dog? impossible to choose **
• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) … opening sequence
• Red River (1948) … the stampede
• Rumble in the Bronx (1995) … fight at gang headquarters
• Safety Last! (1923) … the climb
• Sanjuro (1962) … final duel
• Saving Private Ryan (1998) … storming the beach (a rare unfrivilous entry here)
• Shanghai Knights (2003) … singin' in the rain
• Sin City (2005) … Marv’s apartment escape
• Skyfall (2012) … Opening scene
• Spider-man 2 (2004) … the train
• So Close (2002) … sword fight (best part of generally good closing sequence)
• Sorcerer (1977) … the trucks over the rope bridges
• Stagecoach (1939) … the chase scene
• Stardust (2007) … voodoo sword fight
• Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith (2005) … Palpatine vs. Mace Windu
• Strangers on a Train (1951) … the merry-go-round scene
• The Sword of Doom (1966) … the fight in the snow
• Terminator 2 (1991) … hospital breakout
• Thirst (2009) … sunrise
• Three Days of the Condor (1975) … fight with the mailman
• The Three Musketeers (1973) … stealing food
• Throne of Blood (1957) … Washizu’s bitter end
• Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) … car chase via remote control from the backseat
• Troy (2004) … Achilles vs. Hector
• The Twilight Samurai (2002) … steel vs. wood
• The Untouchables (1987) … shootout in Chicago’s Union Station
• X2: X-Men United (2003) … raid on the school **
• Zatoichi (2003) … confronting the gang, highlight being showdown with the bodyguard

A few stragglers; these I need to rewatch before I can pick:

• Die Hard (1988)
• The Fugitive (1993)
• Lethal Weapon (1987)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
• Speed (1994)

(* = hard choice; ** = impossible choice)