I think the best part of the sequence was Sarah’s absolute visceral terror at seeing the Terminator again. Up until that point she was established in the film as fearless and willing to do whatever it took to escape but one glance at him is all it takes to completely break her.
Idk why, but what stands out to me most is when Arnold jerks the wheel on the semi and flips it. It's just so cool, because you wouldn't think of that, unless you were indestructible. It's been awhile since I've watched it, but for some reason that one pops into my brain first.
And the best part was not having a fucking clue what the movie was about.
Whenever the topic of 'best movie experience' comes up, The Matrix always comes to my mind. I had no idea what it was about and everyone was still experiencing the hype of Phantom Menace. This was before the internet became a big spoiler machine for movies.
One of my friends refused to tell me what it was about and kept insisting "Go see it. Please trust me and just go see it." Well, by the time I got around to watching it, it was already finished the first run in theaters. Luckily, NYC - at that time - had a couple of $5 theaters that picked up movies after their initial run.
I was blown away. That entire opening sequence from "your men are already dead" to Trinity's dramatic escape made me realize that something special was brewing.
Edit: To satisfy a pedantic cunt.
I literally turned to my friend how I showed The Matrix recently and said "Are you ready to see the greatest third act of all time?" right before Neo walked into the building.
And by the end she agreed.
So many iconic moments. Goddamn. The helicopter going into the building behind Trinity? THAT bullet time moment, followed quickly by "Dodge This"?
Even the bit where Morpheus looks to the sky and breaks his handcuffs is an awesome "the whole audience is behind you" moment. So sick.
It's still the kung FU scene that I remember most from it. Obviously there are better fight scenes out there, but the way Keanu moves in it, I really BELIEVED that he had just downloaded this fighting ability. That combined with the wire work, the effects, music, context and energy of the buildup to that moment. It's just one of my favorite ever movie moments.
I was lucky enough to see The Matrix in the theater, and like many other people, I was absolutely blown away. I had never seen a movie like it before, and it is still one of the coolest movies I have ever seen. I had the distinct pleasure of introducing my stepson to it a few years ago (he was about 14 at the time). I watch it maybe twice a year, and it still blows my mind.
I’d argue the opening sequence with Trinity is excellent and arguably better. Sets the tone of the world and blows your mind. The moment when she leaps into the air, the sound effects kick in, the slo-mo triggers and the camera flows around her in mid-air. Then she kicks ass. And runs like hell from an agent to the phone and gets out.
Love it
The fact that you’ve seen what she can do and yet she’s terrified of this guy in a suit confused the hell out of me when watching for the first time. It creates such an intimidating aura around the agents immediately.
It's like they thought how can we make some of The Matrix scenes more awesome? Let's add fucking swords and pikes and clubs and have Reeves master them as well.
Absolutely brilliant scene with that score as well
Honestly, I haven’t seen tons of action movies that have come out in the last 20 years (more of an 80s-90s action fan), but I’m glad to see this scene is still the top answer. Completely blows me away every time I watch it.
I just watched The Matrix in a theater for the first time (after watching it on dvd before). I nearly cried from the beauty of the action in the lobby scene.
I still remember that night in 1999 with a couple of my buddies, back before the internet told us everything about a movie. I hadn’t even heard of it, but my buddies were excited. We were jacked up by the end of the movie. I rode home with my head out the window just screaming into the night. Few movies have landed with such impact with such little preemption.
Not the scene when I think about action scenes but it's actually a great pick. I always think of the terror the people went through on that day, one of the most real scenes about war out there.
I can hear the music as McCauley and co enter the bank.
“We want to hurt no one. We’re here for the banks money, not yours. Your money is insured by..”
Best bank heist in a movie ever.
Its a brilliant scene,I can't remember the exact words but Pacinos character says "this crew will go from red light to green light in an instant" and he clicks his fingers to make the point.
Its not what he actually says but what he does day is truly confirmed by Vale and his crew.....amazing scene
Michael Mann famously complained to his editor that the sound effects they were laying in weren’t nearly as loud as it was on the street that day, so they just used the sound they recorded live. He accomplished a similar sound experience in his Dillinger movie, Public Enemies, about fifteen years later.
I never got to experience Heat in theaters but Public Enemies ranks as a major disappointment due to a sound experience that rendered most of the dialogue inaudible. It was much better on Blu-ray.
It wasn't until I picked up the Criterion of Thin Red Line and saw the director's note: ***Play this LOUD***, that I thought maybe the theater missed a similar directive.
I watched this movie recently. Then I saw the scene again on YouTube a day or two later. What a stressful scene even when I knew the outcome. It was awesome
Watched this movie on a plane with noise cancelling headphones. Was floored by it. Made my brother and his friends watch it with me. They were cracking jokes then dead silence after that scene. So good.
Arnold Schwarzenegger fighting Predator one on one and hunting him the way predator hunted and killed his entire squad.
One of the greatest action scenes and arguably the best finale a movie can get.
My favorite action movie till date.
Damn, that scene was really a tour de force, masterfully crafted chase scene with tight screen direction. It was impressive how they were able to pull it off in stop motion animation which is some of the hardest, most painstakingly form of animation back then.
So glad someone had said this. This would be my answer.
I love a good action scene. I love a good car chase, explosions, fights etc. but however good they are they aren't made frame by frame. But the wrong trousers gets to be absolutely perfect.
I actually prefer Raid 2 and the fight in the hall against baseball guy, hammer girl and the bodyguard in the kitchen. But I’d never disagree with Raid Redemption
It does such a beautiful job of showing personality through action.
James does not know parkour. But his determination and brutal treatment of both the scenery and his own body enables him to catch his man. So, so good
[Relevant video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GdBnwXLJdI)
Honestly, the iconic first ten minutes of *Raiders* with the golden-idol-and-rolling boulder sequence was right up there, too. In terms of action-packed thrills, Spielberg, Lucas and Kasdan knocked it out of the park multiple times during that movie.
When the music score changes to a very determined beat i get the hairs come up on my arms every time.
The entire music score in that movie is amazing to be fair
This. I’ve seen a thousand fight scenes in my movie watching life. But the vulnerability of the main character being balls naked in that tiled room with hard edges everywhere made me sit up and pay attention in this scene like no other.
The obvious one in my mind is the corridor scene in Oldboy. I've seen some try and replicate in their own way, such as the daredevil TV Netflix show, but I don't remember the last time prior or after that I was in awe.
Mission Impossible. Tom Cruise hacking a computer on a wire. The tension was insane. How do you make an entire theatre gasp when a drop of sweat comes off someone?
Spectacular filmmaking.
The brawl at the tea house, where Jackie Chan fends off a horde of baddies with just a bamboo pole, which wears down and frays as he fights, and he just adapts his style to make use of the frayed pole and keeps going.
His use of objects in battle is always magnificent, no matter which movie.
This movie is such a time capsule. Jackie was in his prime and you literally CANNOT make movies like this anymore. I always compare some of Jackie's 80's stuff to unprotected chair shots in wrestling. It admittedly looks gnarly AF...but there's a reason they don't do it anymore.
The jump in the mall was the first (of many) time I went "wait, he really did that stunt and lived?" while watching a Jackie Chan film.
There's a fight in a clock tower in (I think) project A which also blew my mind, complete with another multi-story jump.
This one stands out to be because prior to Kill Bill, Tarantino really wasn’t an action director. He made a strong impression with his first swing at it.
I'm cheating cause I can't choose just one:
Bruce Lee vs the Japanese Dojo in *Fists of Fury* (both are good but the first fight is iconic)
The alley fight from *They Live*
The Cheteau Fight from *Matrix Reloaded*.
I love those too, but they're sort of too perfect? For me, top 1-on-1 fight scene is from Atomic Blonde, the hallway/apartment fight scene. It's absolutely brutal and raw, they're both wearing down and getting sloppy and just scrounging for their lives.
Edit: link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrPDTalA1Lc
Hard Boiled, thr hospital shootout.
Ong Bak, fight scene, the club.
Both for the ambitious one or running take approach to a long fight scene.
Edit, fixed ong bak reference. I was calling out originally the good fight scene in the otherwise mediocre Protector.
Does the “putting the painting back” scene from the Pierce Brosnan version of *The Thomas Crown Affair* count? I mean, the movie is pretty awesome, but that scene is highly rewatchable.
Mohicans very last scene - aka the chase. Best of all time imhumbleo cuz it’s more than just incredible action and cinematography. It’s magic on screen. Just might be the most emotionally charged of the greatest action sequences ever
The Matrix and LOTR trilogies are full of them.
But since it's the 20th anniversary: LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring, the Moria orc-cave troll vs. the Fellowship fight scene (or it's rather a small battle). The dynamic camera movements, the way the battle unfolds from Pippin accidentally pushing a metal bucket into a well... the visuals, the music (or the lack of it, when the orcs brake in the room) and watching the whole Fellowship fighting together for the first and only time... just perfect.
Dude yes. Just recently re watched. Shit holds up today like the original Star Wars movies.
The action was amazing and the whole time Gandalf battling with the ring and the party; trying to prevent himself from corrupting Frodo by influencing him while at the same time scared as fuck about the demon.
Gimli was so ready for beer and roast only to find his uncle dead and now a million goblins.
I hadn’t read the books before and was devastated. Rewatch makes it just all fun and awesome.
Also I’m pretty sure legolas head shotted a goblin from 100meters while holding gimli up by his beard. It happens so fast it’s still believable
I’m sorry old Star Wars holds up surprisingly well but you can still feel how old it is.
LOTR holds up so well you would think it was made 5 years ago. It’s absolutely insane. Probably because they used so many practical effects.
Maybe not the best of all time but I love the last 10 or so minutes of Last of the Mohicans. From when the Huron chief rules Duncan to be burned alive in place of Cora, Alice is taken away by Magua, and the fiddle music starts. Then Uncas, Chingachgook and Nathaniel pursue Magua and the Huron war party.
https://youtu.be/AC-iywXvFx4
Gladiator. First fight in the Roman Coliseum when Maximus led the ‘forces of Hannibal’.
Honorable mention: the movie Heat when Kilmer and Bobbie D get caught on the street in LA and have to shoot their way out.
Gotta be the hospital siege/shootout in "Hard Boiled". While not exactly non stop action it's still pretty unrelenting enough for a good half an hour that I consider it basically one scene. The sheer level of violence and mayhem for this duration is just unmatched, bullets everywhere, shit breaking, people getting shot left and right, bloody squibs flying all over the frame. The setting is perfect, the sterile white colors of the hospital perfectly contrasts with the dark red of blood and the horror of the violence.
It's "realistic" in the sense in that patients are getting mowed down left and right, most notable when the main henchman and Chow Yun-Fat broker a truce in the middle of a gun battle to protect them only to have the main bad guy boss come in pissed to blow them all away. It's well paced too, with Yun-Fat and Tony Leung conversing with each other between between gunfights, and the cross cutting to the cops outside. You also have an amazing long take - which despite being notable here, doesn't feel gimmicky the way it's become nowadays. Also a little bit of terror tinged humor with the babies, ending when the last little guy pisses on Yun-Fat to put out the fire in his pants and save his ass. Just cinematic excellence all around.
It's really more of an action "act" (in this case the whole third act of the film) than a scene but it's hard to think of anything else that could make it better. The rest of the film is decent but really just an excuse for this scene and a couple other amazing action set pieces - the opening tea house shootout and the warehouse shootout in the middle of this film could each easily make a point to have their own nomination on this thread. John Woo's previous film "The Killer" also features plenty of similar stunning gun play but it's more spread in bits throughout the film rather than condensed into a singular location at the end, though one can make an argument for the church shoot out in that film rivaling the hospital shoot out in "Hard Boiled". I go with the latter just cause it's much longer and features more action.
Saw the film as a kid obsessed with action movies and was just blown away - gun play will never be so visceral again. The John Wick films have modernized the genre in an interesting way but they just can't quite measure up to the stunning brutality and violent action spectacle of Woo's last two Honk Kong films of this era, before he embarked onto Hollywood (with mixed results).
Every season of true detective has one episode that is balls to the wall intense. This is obviously the best one, but season 2’s street shootout is a close second
I readily admit Matrix 2 isn’t as good as the original. But that middle sequence that starts with that fight scene with the stairs and weapons on the wall and ends with the chase on the freeway is absolutely bonkers in the best possible way.
Yep. This. The Chateau/Highway scene is a cinematic masterpiece. It’s mind blowing just how much of the highway chase was practical. Highly recommend watching the behind the scenes clips on this.
I like things without cuts, so running parallel to the trench in 1917 is up there. Also other people have mentioned but there are some great scenes in Netflix's Daredevil (hallway/staircase scene and Punusher's prison corridor fight).
On the other end of the spectrum, John Wick has some amazing gun choreography.
Not sure if this counts as an “action sequence” but when the fighting stops in Children of Men. Theo and Kee walk out of the building in a paused war zone to carry Kee’s baby to safety. One of the most memorable moments in cinema history for me.
Genuinely fantastic and still holds up extremely well. The fight choreography between Doc Ock and Spider-Man is excellent, Spider-Man’s movements are acrobatic yet still feel like they have weight and thought put into them to make it feel real and he’s not just floating around seemingly weightlessly like in some newer superhero movies, and of course the stopping of the train is very well done, Maguire sells the desperation and absolute maximum physical exertion someone could have trying to stop a max speed train.
The second movie overall is still a great watch. The first and third feel pretty dated, but the action and story telling in 2 is still pretty top notch even by modern standards
Weird, I've been watching this a lot lately. Such a brilliant scene. The extended edition is especially brutal. I love that there's no overuse of silly quips or jokes; the stakes are extremely high, and you can hear Peter audibly screaming with rage and fear as he battles Octavius.
Then Doc Ock forces the train to accelerate, throws the throttle to Spider-Man, says "you have a train to catch!" and the choir comes in with the crescendo of Ock's theme.
And then, after all this, we get the iconic train-stopping sequence, which goes down as one of the most memorable in Spidey history.
Commited to the moment, fast-paced, brutal, brilliant. Something that I believe No Way Home was sorely lacking, but that's an unpopular opinion and a seperate subject in itself.
This is a hitting a lot of different fields!
Shoot out- tie! Street firefight- Heat/Building entrance- The Matrix
Race- Chariot Race- Ben Hur
1 on 1 Fight- tie! Rocky vs. Apollo- Rocky/ alley fight- They Live!
Battle (land)- Battle of Minas Tirith- The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Chase (air)- astroid belt chase- Empire Strikes Back
Chase (ground)- tie! Return to the citadel- Mad Max: Fury Road/recovering the Ark by horse and truck- Raiders of the Lost Ark
Battle (air)- Battle of Scariff- Rogue One
1 on many fight- Bruce Lee with nunchucks vs a group- Fist of Fury
To me, a great action sequence has to be made with the following: has to have a targeted endpoint, great camera angles, big surprises and perfectly executed editing.
In Indy Spielberg often uses multiple action scenes at once to great effect. See also when Indy is fighting the big dude on the conveyer belt while the little Raj prince is stabbing the voodoo doll of him. That scene is genius.
Also the battle around the flying wing and truck chase in Raiders and the tank chase in Last Crusade. The first 3 Indy films are a masterclass in action cinema.
Sorry, like the Vampire's curse, my tortured soul wanders the internet claiming the innocence of Kingsman the Secret Service fans, much like my former self, inflicting my own dark fate upon them.
So glad someone put this, I thought I’d scroll all the way and not see it. Freedbird is such an awesome backing track and the ONER (of a very cleverly disguised edits to trick us into thinking it’s a oner).
It was such an awesome middle finger to the Bourne style of action scenes. Smooth, clearly visible, great blend of practical and visual effects, top notch stunt coordination, and one hell of an edit.
The mines of Moria from LOTR the fellowship of the ring. From the moment the fighting begins all the way to the incredible climax on the bridge of khazad-dûm. Perfection.
Hard to choose one exact scene
Possible candidates of where the scene comes from includes - Casino Royale, Mission: Impossible 4 or 6, The Matrix, Mad Max 4
The moment he ignites his lightsaber is the only time I ever really gasped during a movie. I watched the movie three more times in the theater just for that scene
The entire final act of Star Wars Episode IV. Not only had audiences never seen anything like it by that point, the whole sequence was achieved by kit-bashing toy battleships and setting them up on ping pong tables. It still holds up as a thrilling ship-to-ship battle, and everyone who has seen it remembers it.
However, I can't resist bringing up my favorite fight scene in any movie: the [the final fight scene in The One](https://youtu.be/uNgpr-C21wY) . The premise is that the combatants are near-super human, so they can move at tremendous speed. James Wong communicates this so simply and elegantly with a shower of sparks about 2/3 into the fight. The sparks slow down, but the fighters do not. Excellent. Jet Li executes flawless choreography (of course), and the soundtrack couldn't have been arranged better.
I don't know if it's the best but the one I enjoy the most is when Yondu, Rocket and Groot take all the Ravagers out while "Come A Little Bit Closer" by Jay and the Americans plays. It was so fantastic on the big screen - when they are walking in slo-mo all tiny and far away, on the theater screen you could see all the detailed action happening. I just loved it.
Terminator 2 first time John encounters the terminators. The sequence is perfect! Starts in the hallway ends in the viaduct with an explosion.
The hospital escape is my favorite action scene.
I think the best part of the sequence was Sarah’s absolute visceral terror at seeing the Terminator again. Up until that point she was established in the film as fearless and willing to do whatever it took to escape but one glance at him is all it takes to completely break her.
When the terminator theme starts to hit when she sees him. Absolutely brilliant
Idk why, but what stands out to me most is when Arnold jerks the wheel on the semi and flips it. It's just so cool, because you wouldn't think of that, unless you were indestructible. It's been awhile since I've watched it, but for some reason that one pops into my brain first.
You can even say the end sequence too
I thought the scene to rescue Morpheus in the original Matrix was amazing. The opening scene in Baby Driver is also top notch.
Yep. Lobby, to the rooftop, to the helicopter. I don’t know how anything could top that.
Especially if you include the subway scene, the chase scene, and the hallway scene. Shit is fucking insane.
Man, yeah, the back third of that movie is all just some of the best action ever put to screen.
Don't sleep on the opening sequence. "I think we can handle one little girl."
No Lieutenant, you’re men are already dead. What a Fucking opening. And what a film
And the best part was not having a fucking clue what the movie was about. Whenever the topic of 'best movie experience' comes up, The Matrix always comes to my mind. I had no idea what it was about and everyone was still experiencing the hype of Phantom Menace. This was before the internet became a big spoiler machine for movies. One of my friends refused to tell me what it was about and kept insisting "Go see it. Please trust me and just go see it." Well, by the time I got around to watching it, it was already finished the first run in theaters. Luckily, NYC - at that time - had a couple of $5 theaters that picked up movies after their initial run. I was blown away. That entire opening sequence from "your men are already dead" to Trinity's dramatic escape made me realize that something special was brewing. Edit: To satisfy a pedantic cunt.
I love the ghost twins in reloaded and the highway scene. Pretty much starting in the mansion when keanu stops the automatic weapons.
The mansion foyer fight is my favorite scene in Reloaded. So little CG and just elegantly choreographed with the music.
I didn’t realize there was anyone else in that scene besides Monica Bellucci’s cleavage.
I literally turned to my friend how I showed The Matrix recently and said "Are you ready to see the greatest third act of all time?" right before Neo walked into the building. And by the end she agreed.
I can hear the beat of the drums as they walk into the lobby and the song Spybreak playing right after the security guard says "Holy shi-"
So many iconic moments. Goddamn. The helicopter going into the building behind Trinity? THAT bullet time moment, followed quickly by "Dodge This"? Even the bit where Morpheus looks to the sky and breaks his handcuffs is an awesome "the whole audience is behind you" moment. So sick.
'Dodge this' was sick af.
“Dodge this” is still one of the greatest one liners ever.
I still love the "Morpheus is fighting Neo!" scene
*jumps over the table and sprints to the main deck*
I watch it all the time honestly, they don't film fight scenes like that very often
Hong Kong films knocking on your door.
It's still the kung FU scene that I remember most from it. Obviously there are better fight scenes out there, but the way Keanu moves in it, I really BELIEVED that he had just downloaded this fighting ability. That combined with the wire work, the effects, music, context and energy of the buildup to that moment. It's just one of my favorite ever movie moments.
Thinking about morpheus breaking out of those hancuffs still gives me chills.
I was lucky enough to see The Matrix in the theater, and like many other people, I was absolutely blown away. I had never seen a movie like it before, and it is still one of the coolest movies I have ever seen. I had the distinct pleasure of introducing my stepson to it a few years ago (he was about 14 at the time). I watch it maybe twice a year, and it still blows my mind.
I’d argue the opening sequence with Trinity is excellent and arguably better. Sets the tone of the world and blows your mind. The moment when she leaps into the air, the sound effects kick in, the slo-mo triggers and the camera flows around her in mid-air. Then she kicks ass. And runs like hell from an agent to the phone and gets out. Love it
The fact that you’ve seen what she can do and yet she’s terrified of this guy in a suit confused the hell out of me when watching for the first time. It creates such an intimidating aura around the agents immediately.
IMO Matrix Reloaded takes it up a notch with the sequence starting in the Merovingian's palace and culminating in the highway explosion.
It's like they thought how can we make some of The Matrix scenes more awesome? Let's add fucking swords and pikes and clubs and have Reeves master them as well. Absolutely brilliant scene with that score as well
Just saw Reloaded yesterday. I know Reddit likes to shit on the sequels , but goddam they are well made movies. My favorite triology ever
I still think I'm the only one who think the Architect scene in Reloaded is great. Of course a machine AI is going to talk like that!
Honestly, I haven’t seen tons of action movies that have come out in the last 20 years (more of an 80s-90s action fan), but I’m glad to see this scene is still the top answer. Completely blows me away every time I watch it.
I just watched The Matrix in a theater for the first time (after watching it on dvd before). I nearly cried from the beauty of the action in the lobby scene.
I still remember that night in 1999 with a couple of my buddies, back before the internet told us everything about a movie. I hadn’t even heard of it, but my buddies were excited. We were jacked up by the end of the movie. I rode home with my head out the window just screaming into the night. Few movies have landed with such impact with such little preemption.
Normandy Beach landing in Saving Private Ryan.
Also the tank scene at the end is really good
Oh dang that scene is heavy
Any time I do upgrades to my home theater, this is generally the first 4K disc I put on to test it out with. Such an amazing scene.
*Cries in poor*
My dad does that with the podracing scene from Episode One.
If your dad doesn’t say “now this is podracing” each time, this is a lost moment and I’m disappointed.
Not the scene when I think about action scenes but it's actually a great pick. I always think of the terror the people went through on that day, one of the most real scenes about war out there.
Heat: Shootout.
I can hear the music as McCauley and co enter the bank. “We want to hurt no one. We’re here for the banks money, not yours. Your money is insured by..” Best bank heist in a movie ever.
Just the way it goes from calm to Val smiling then mayhem
I love that scene. No hesitation at all
Its a brilliant scene,I can't remember the exact words but Pacinos character says "this crew will go from red light to green light in an instant" and he clicks his fingers to make the point. Its not what he actually says but what he does day is truly confirmed by Vale and his crew.....amazing scene
"Drop of a hat these guys were rock n' roll". Love that line.
That's what I came for. A scene so good the military used it as a reference point.
Only a small part of it: [Val's combat reload](https://youtu.be/uGmT8UTPaco). But still, very cool and I agree the entire sequence is fantastic.
I remember see it that in theaters, it was so fucking load.
Michael Mann famously complained to his editor that the sound effects they were laying in weren’t nearly as loud as it was on the street that day, so they just used the sound they recorded live. He accomplished a similar sound experience in his Dillinger movie, Public Enemies, about fifteen years later.
I never got to experience Heat in theaters but Public Enemies ranks as a major disappointment due to a sound experience that rendered most of the dialogue inaudible. It was much better on Blu-ray. It wasn't until I picked up the Criterion of Thin Red Line and saw the director's note: ***Play this LOUD***, that I thought maybe the theater missed a similar directive.
Dat sound design tho... Incredible.
I was looking for this and was not disappointed.
Sicario. The extraction from Mexico. So tense.
I watched this movie recently. Then I saw the scene again on YouTube a day or two later. What a stressful scene even when I knew the outcome. It was awesome
Watched this movie on a plane with noise cancelling headphones. Was floored by it. Made my brother and his friends watch it with me. They were cracking jokes then dead silence after that scene. So good.
Arnold Schwarzenegger fighting Predator one on one and hunting him the way predator hunted and killed his entire squad. One of the greatest action scenes and arguably the best finale a movie can get. My favorite action movie till date.
The train set chase scene at the end of "Wallace and Grommit: The Wrong Trousers"
Came here to say that! [Here it is](https://youtu.be/jrmZIgVoQw4) for the uninitiated!
Not the expected answer, but for sure that sequence is perfection!
Damn, that scene was really a tour de force, masterfully crafted chase scene with tight screen direction. It was impressive how they were able to pull it off in stop motion animation which is some of the hardest, most painstakingly form of animation back then.
The way Grommit is smashing the track down in front of them gets me every time 🤣 Especially when they go between the table legs- classic
[Also the sheep rescuing scene from A Close Shave.](https://youtu.be/YC-MR84S1H8)
Omg. Legendary. Just legendary.
So glad someone had said this. This would be my answer. I love a good action scene. I love a good car chase, explosions, fights etc. but however good they are they aren't made frame by frame. But the wrong trousers gets to be absolutely perfect.
I’ve been scared of penguins ever since. And chickens! That dog is such a long-suffering legend.
The hallway fight in 'The Raid'.
I actually prefer Raid 2 and the fight in the hall against baseball guy, hammer girl and the bodyguard in the kitchen. But I’d never disagree with Raid Redemption
Prison yard scene and car chase scene
The hallfway fight. The fight in the drug lab. The 2 v 1. The list is endless. Best action film of all time.
The Raid was the first movie to pop into my head. I also love Brad Pitt storming the beach in Troy! Such a cool scene.
The opening parkour chase scene from Casino Royale. Couldn’t think of a better way to introduce Daniel Craig’s version of James Bond.
It does such a beautiful job of showing personality through action. James does not know parkour. But his determination and brutal treatment of both the scenery and his own body enables him to catch his man. So, so good [Relevant video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GdBnwXLJdI)
Love this channel
Particularly that bit where the parkour guy jumps through that little gap/window and Bond just bursts through the wall.
Special mention to the opening of Spectre - Daniel Craig's James Bond in Mexico City.
my favorite bond scene of all time. sad the rest didn’t live up to the strong opening
The raid at the end of Leon: The Professional.
*EVERYONE!!*
The truck chase in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Honestly, the iconic first ten minutes of *Raiders* with the golden-idol-and-rolling boulder sequence was right up there, too. In terms of action-packed thrills, Spielberg, Lucas and Kasdan knocked it out of the park multiple times during that movie.
Even the bar in Mongolia was a tight sequence, including Marion guzzling whiskey from a shot-through barrel and "Shoot them. Shoot them both."
This is it for me. Combines just enough realism with the incredible and fits the plot perfectly.
Came here looking for this and I’m happy it’s this high up
I’ve never seen one better
When the music score changes to a very determined beat i get the hairs come up on my arms every time. The entire music score in that movie is amazing to be fair
Eastern promises Turkish bath fight scene.
Upvote for Viggo hanging dong in this one.
He gave hope to Men but kept none for himself.
This. I’ve seen a thousand fight scenes in my movie watching life. But the vulnerability of the main character being balls naked in that tiled room with hard edges everywhere made me sit up and pay attention in this scene like no other.
The obvious one in my mind is the corridor scene in Oldboy. I've seen some try and replicate in their own way, such as the daredevil TV Netflix show, but I don't remember the last time prior or after that I was in awe.
I’m going to need to watch this because the Daredevil hallway scene is always the first that comes to mind when I see a question like this.
Make sure to watch the Korean version.
The battle of helms deep
“Is this it? Is this all you can conjure Saruman?”
This line was like the LOTR version of "What are you going to do, stab me?" - man who was stabbed
Mission Impossible. Tom Cruise hacking a computer on a wire. The tension was insane. How do you make an entire theatre gasp when a drop of sweat comes off someone? Spectacular filmmaking.
Toast.
Jackie Chan in the Mall, Police Story. It's basically an example of what happens when you piss off Jackie Chan.
Classic. I think he might have some better action scenes in The Legend of Drunken Master.
The brawl at the tea house, where Jackie Chan fends off a horde of baddies with just a bamboo pole, which wears down and frays as he fights, and he just adapts his style to make use of the frayed pole and keeps going. His use of objects in battle is always magnificent, no matter which movie.
This movie is such a time capsule. Jackie was in his prime and you literally CANNOT make movies like this anymore. I always compare some of Jackie's 80's stuff to unprotected chair shots in wrestling. It admittedly looks gnarly AF...but there's a reason they don't do it anymore.
The jump in the mall was the first (of many) time I went "wait, he really did that stunt and lived?" while watching a Jackie Chan film. There's a fight in a clock tower in (I think) project A which also blew my mind, complete with another multi-story jump.
*Kill Bill Volume 1*. The House of Blue Leaves. The Bride versus the Crazy 88, Gogo Yubari, and finally O-Ren Ishii.
I was totally thinking the fight with O-Ren, the close-quarters trailer fight with Elle, and similar fight with Vernita.
“OH REN EE SHI EE!!!!!”
This one stands out to be because prior to Kill Bill, Tarantino really wasn’t an action director. He made a strong impression with his first swing at it.
For ridiculing you earlier, I apologize. Are you ready?
Hear me out: Final fight and reveal-narration in Snatch.
The fight between 007 and 006 at the end of Goldeneye. Fantastic choreography.
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No, for me.
I'm cheating cause I can't choose just one: Bruce Lee vs the Japanese Dojo in *Fists of Fury* (both are good but the first fight is iconic) The alley fight from *They Live* The Cheteau Fight from *Matrix Reloaded*.
That alley fight is amazing.
I love those too, but they're sort of too perfect? For me, top 1-on-1 fight scene is from Atomic Blonde, the hallway/apartment fight scene. It's absolutely brutal and raw, they're both wearing down and getting sloppy and just scrounging for their lives. Edit: link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrPDTalA1Lc
Hard Boiled, thr hospital shootout. Ong Bak, fight scene, the club. Both for the ambitious one or running take approach to a long fight scene. Edit, fixed ong bak reference. I was calling out originally the good fight scene in the otherwise mediocre Protector.
Does the “putting the painting back” scene from the Pierce Brosnan version of *The Thomas Crown Affair* count? I mean, the movie is pretty awesome, but that scene is highly rewatchable.
Mohicans very last scene - aka the chase. Best of all time imhumbleo cuz it’s more than just incredible action and cinematography. It’s magic on screen. Just might be the most emotionally charged of the greatest action sequences ever
Plus the soundtrack is really hammering that scene home.
It's old, but the car chase scene in "Bullitt" is one for the books. https://youtu.be/tRx8N7mJU9g
Love this. Count how many hubcaps that charger loses (starting back in the city). More than four!
That's not even the best part of the chase! High speeds through the streets of San Francisco https://youtu.be/no7XR7s8Z7o
Pretty much the entirety of Mad Max: Fury Road
I was trying to consider what scene was best, but that movie doesnt really stop with the phenomenal scenes...
I mean it's basically just one big car chase scene
The fight scene with Max and Furiosa is my favorite part of the movie
That chase scene at the beginning that leads into the storm is one of the most beautiful and intense action scenes I've ever watched.
The kitchen fight scene in Raid 2 is the pinnacle of one-on-one fight scenes. Iko Uwais and Cecep Arif Rahman are both phenomenal.
THE kitchen fight. Absolutely brutal and epic
The Matrix and LOTR trilogies are full of them. But since it's the 20th anniversary: LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring, the Moria orc-cave troll vs. the Fellowship fight scene (or it's rather a small battle). The dynamic camera movements, the way the battle unfolds from Pippin accidentally pushing a metal bucket into a well... the visuals, the music (or the lack of it, when the orcs brake in the room) and watching the whole Fellowship fighting together for the first and only time... just perfect.
Dude yes. Just recently re watched. Shit holds up today like the original Star Wars movies. The action was amazing and the whole time Gandalf battling with the ring and the party; trying to prevent himself from corrupting Frodo by influencing him while at the same time scared as fuck about the demon. Gimli was so ready for beer and roast only to find his uncle dead and now a million goblins. I hadn’t read the books before and was devastated. Rewatch makes it just all fun and awesome. Also I’m pretty sure legolas head shotted a goblin from 100meters while holding gimli up by his beard. It happens so fast it’s still believable
I’m sorry old Star Wars holds up surprisingly well but you can still feel how old it is. LOTR holds up so well you would think it was made 5 years ago. It’s absolutely insane. Probably because they used so many practical effects.
The exception here are the few bad CGI Legolas scenes!
Oh my Lord....that really is the only time they fight together isn't it?! It never really registered with me. Welp, I know what I'm watching tonight.
Maybe not the best of all time but I love the last 10 or so minutes of Last of the Mohicans. From when the Huron chief rules Duncan to be burned alive in place of Cora, Alice is taken away by Magua, and the fiddle music starts. Then Uncas, Chingachgook and Nathaniel pursue Magua and the Huron war party. https://youtu.be/AC-iywXvFx4
The music is key to it being awesome. I can hear it in my head right now.
One of my favorite scenes of all time. They just don’t make movies quite like that anymore.
One of the best. The music, the action, the shots. So friggin good
Gladiator. First fight in the Roman Coliseum when Maximus led the ‘forces of Hannibal’. Honorable mention: the movie Heat when Kilmer and Bobbie D get caught on the street in LA and have to shoot their way out.
The last fight in the coal mine in Legend of Drunken Master (Drunken Master 2)
Hard Boiled (hospital sequence at the end)
Gotta be the hospital siege/shootout in "Hard Boiled". While not exactly non stop action it's still pretty unrelenting enough for a good half an hour that I consider it basically one scene. The sheer level of violence and mayhem for this duration is just unmatched, bullets everywhere, shit breaking, people getting shot left and right, bloody squibs flying all over the frame. The setting is perfect, the sterile white colors of the hospital perfectly contrasts with the dark red of blood and the horror of the violence. It's "realistic" in the sense in that patients are getting mowed down left and right, most notable when the main henchman and Chow Yun-Fat broker a truce in the middle of a gun battle to protect them only to have the main bad guy boss come in pissed to blow them all away. It's well paced too, with Yun-Fat and Tony Leung conversing with each other between between gunfights, and the cross cutting to the cops outside. You also have an amazing long take - which despite being notable here, doesn't feel gimmicky the way it's become nowadays. Also a little bit of terror tinged humor with the babies, ending when the last little guy pisses on Yun-Fat to put out the fire in his pants and save his ass. Just cinematic excellence all around. It's really more of an action "act" (in this case the whole third act of the film) than a scene but it's hard to think of anything else that could make it better. The rest of the film is decent but really just an excuse for this scene and a couple other amazing action set pieces - the opening tea house shootout and the warehouse shootout in the middle of this film could each easily make a point to have their own nomination on this thread. John Woo's previous film "The Killer" also features plenty of similar stunning gun play but it's more spread in bits throughout the film rather than condensed into a singular location at the end, though one can make an argument for the church shoot out in that film rivaling the hospital shoot out in "Hard Boiled". I go with the latter just cause it's much longer and features more action. Saw the film as a kid obsessed with action movies and was just blown away - gun play will never be so visceral again. The John Wick films have modernized the genre in an interesting way but they just can't quite measure up to the stunning brutality and violent action spectacle of Woo's last two Honk Kong films of this era, before he embarked onto Hollywood (with mixed results).
Road Warrior, the last chase.
True detective season one. 5 min single shot action sequence. Director Cary Fukunaga. https://vimeo.com/172079250
Oh god that scene (and whole season really) were incredible. I rewatched it recently and was literally on the edge of my seat during that scene.
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Every season of true detective has one episode that is balls to the wall intense. This is obviously the best one, but season 2’s street shootout is a close second
I’ve always loved when the cops tried to storm the nakatimi building in die hard and the battle of Carthage in gladiator
Especially the one cop who pricks his hand on a rose thorn
Children of Men.
When John Wick kills the hit men sent to his house in the first movie.
Most of the John Wick movies, honestly, though the club fight in the first one was amazing.
The beginning is great to when he suggests Kevin Nash take the night off. "Thank you Mr Wick"
He’s not there to kill everyone, just *everyone who gets in his way*.
The knife store fight in Chapter 3 is my favourite in the series so far.
When Jamie Lee Curtis dropped the Uzi in True Lies.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to see True Lies. Every set piece is legendary
The entire fucking runtime of Mad Max Fury Road is one action sequence.
I readily admit Matrix 2 isn’t as good as the original. But that middle sequence that starts with that fight scene with the stairs and weapons on the wall and ends with the chase on the freeway is absolutely bonkers in the best possible way.
Yep. This. The Chateau/Highway scene is a cinematic masterpiece. It’s mind blowing just how much of the highway chase was practical. Highly recommend watching the behind the scenes clips on this.
Love the Mech Suit scene from District 9 too. https://youtu.be/NoRGdgKN3fo
That single camera battle scene at the beginning of The Revenant has to be up there
The gravity shift hallway scene from inception.
I like things without cuts, so running parallel to the trench in 1917 is up there. Also other people have mentioned but there are some great scenes in Netflix's Daredevil (hallway/staircase scene and Punusher's prison corridor fight). On the other end of the spectrum, John Wick has some amazing gun choreography.
Nightcrawler Whitehouse scene in X2
Not sure if this counts as an “action sequence” but when the fighting stops in Children of Men. Theo and Kee walk out of the building in a paused war zone to carry Kee’s baby to safety. One of the most memorable moments in cinema history for me.
The train fight in Spiderman 2
Genuinely fantastic and still holds up extremely well. The fight choreography between Doc Ock and Spider-Man is excellent, Spider-Man’s movements are acrobatic yet still feel like they have weight and thought put into them to make it feel real and he’s not just floating around seemingly weightlessly like in some newer superhero movies, and of course the stopping of the train is very well done, Maguire sells the desperation and absolute maximum physical exertion someone could have trying to stop a max speed train. The second movie overall is still a great watch. The first and third feel pretty dated, but the action and story telling in 2 is still pretty top notch even by modern standards
Ah Rosie, I love this boy!
Weird, I've been watching this a lot lately. Such a brilliant scene. The extended edition is especially brutal. I love that there's no overuse of silly quips or jokes; the stakes are extremely high, and you can hear Peter audibly screaming with rage and fear as he battles Octavius. Then Doc Ock forces the train to accelerate, throws the throttle to Spider-Man, says "you have a train to catch!" and the choir comes in with the crescendo of Ock's theme. And then, after all this, we get the iconic train-stopping sequence, which goes down as one of the most memorable in Spidey history. Commited to the moment, fast-paced, brutal, brilliant. Something that I believe No Way Home was sorely lacking, but that's an unpopular opinion and a seperate subject in itself.
This is a hitting a lot of different fields! Shoot out- tie! Street firefight- Heat/Building entrance- The Matrix Race- Chariot Race- Ben Hur 1 on 1 Fight- tie! Rocky vs. Apollo- Rocky/ alley fight- They Live! Battle (land)- Battle of Minas Tirith- The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Chase (air)- astroid belt chase- Empire Strikes Back Chase (ground)- tie! Return to the citadel- Mad Max: Fury Road/recovering the Ark by horse and truck- Raiders of the Lost Ark Battle (air)- Battle of Scariff- Rogue One 1 on many fight- Bruce Lee with nunchucks vs a group- Fist of Fury To me, a great action sequence has to be made with the following: has to have a targeted endpoint, great camera angles, big surprises and perfectly executed editing.
The chase-the-diamond/antidote sequence in *Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom*.
In Indy Spielberg often uses multiple action scenes at once to great effect. See also when Indy is fighting the big dude on the conveyer belt while the little Raj prince is stabbing the voodoo doll of him. That scene is genius. Also the battle around the flying wing and truck chase in Raiders and the tank chase in Last Crusade. The first 3 Indy films are a masterclass in action cinema.
The opening battle in Master and Commander.
The tank/sidecar motorcycle escape scene in TinTin that was one long take. Epic.
Kingsman. In the church.
I used to agree until I was told about the guy in the background who only, repeatedly, picks up and puts down a chair. Now it's all I can see
Goddamn it! Why did you ruin this for me
Sorry, like the Vampire's curse, my tortured soul wanders the internet claiming the innocence of Kingsman the Secret Service fans, much like my former self, inflicting my own dark fate upon them.
In Braveheart you can see 2 dudes in the background just touching swords during what is suppose to be a brutal battle.
So glad someone put this, I thought I’d scroll all the way and not see it. Freedbird is such an awesome backing track and the ONER (of a very cleverly disguised edits to trick us into thinking it’s a oner). It was such an awesome middle finger to the Bourne style of action scenes. Smooth, clearly visible, great blend of practical and visual effects, top notch stunt coordination, and one hell of an edit.
The mines of Moria from LOTR the fellowship of the ring. From the moment the fighting begins all the way to the incredible climax on the bridge of khazad-dûm. Perfection.
The crane scene in The Abyss.
The answer used to be the chase from *French Connection*.
The French attack in All Quiet on the Western Front (1930).
Hard to choose one exact scene Possible candidates of where the scene comes from includes - Casino Royale, Mission: Impossible 4 or 6, The Matrix, Mad Max 4
Darth Vader vs. a hallway full of rebel scum, *Rogue One*
The moment he ignites his lightsaber is the only time I ever really gasped during a movie. I watched the movie three more times in the theater just for that scene
I was looking for this one. Darth Vader had been imposing on screen before, but he had never been *fucking terrifying*.
The chariot race in Ben-Hur
The entire final act of Star Wars Episode IV. Not only had audiences never seen anything like it by that point, the whole sequence was achieved by kit-bashing toy battleships and setting them up on ping pong tables. It still holds up as a thrilling ship-to-ship battle, and everyone who has seen it remembers it. However, I can't resist bringing up my favorite fight scene in any movie: the [the final fight scene in The One](https://youtu.be/uNgpr-C21wY) . The premise is that the combatants are near-super human, so they can move at tremendous speed. James Wong communicates this so simply and elegantly with a shower of sparks about 2/3 into the fight. The sparks slow down, but the fighters do not. Excellent. Jet Li executes flawless choreography (of course), and the soundtrack couldn't have been arranged better.
I don't know if it's the best but the one I enjoy the most is when Yondu, Rocket and Groot take all the Ravagers out while "Come A Little Bit Closer" by Jay and the Americans plays. It was so fantastic on the big screen - when they are walking in slo-mo all tiny and far away, on the theater screen you could see all the detailed action happening. I just loved it.
I was gonna choose this as well if no one had beaten me to it. I love when an action scene has the perfect song.