The Movies' Greatest Action Sequences (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Adams]

I could go on and on. There are so many great action movie moments. I'll start with a movie that has been mentioned several times.
#1 No contest. The shootout in Heat. It is beyond intense. I have seen it 50 times and it still has the same effect on me as the first.
The rest are in no particular order

Opening battle in Saving Private Ryan
Ending battle in Saving Private Ryan
Air Cav raid of villiage in Apocalypse Now
End battle in Platoon
First major battle in Braveheart
T-2 Cyberdyne mini gun scene
The Matrix Agent shootout in the office building with Trinity along with the mini gun scene on the helicopter

 

[Claire Davis]

I want to add one more. We just watched Crash for the first time last night. Tough film, but a good one. This scene might not be just action, but it's combined with an unreal amount of tension, anxiety, and fingernail biting.

Thandie Newton being rescued by Matt Dillion as her car has flipped over. My husband and I were completely absorbed in that moment. Perhaps one the most intense & dramatic moments we've encountered in some time.

 

[Jefferson Morris]

I've always been partial to the drug lab shootout in Robocop. More a shooting gallery sequence than an actual fight, but I love it nonetheless. And capped off with Kurtwood Smith getting thrown through all those windows.

But gunplay simply has never been better choreographed and shot than by John Woo in the final church shootout in The Killer. I don't know how much Hong Kong stuntmen get paid, but it's clearly not enough. And Woo is even considerate enough to have them all wear white, so the blood squibs stand out more. Bliss...

Best action sequences with vehicles: Judah Ben-Hur winning the chariot race, "Truck? What truck?!", and the Matrix: Reloaded freeway scene.

Suspense: My favorite action/suspense sequence directed by James Cameron is the dragging and inundation of Deepcore during the hurricane in The Abyss. "The crane! We've lost the crane! It's on its way down to you!" When the crane wreckage just misses them...then tumbles off the cliff and Ed Harris just stares out the window going "No...no, no no..." I get chills. Then later, when his hand is almost severed by the door, saved only by his wedding ring, while the room fills with water. Just a thrilling film.

--Jefferson Morris

 

[Stephen_L]

If we're talking vehicle action scenes, you must include the elevated train chase from the French Connection, the wrong way freeway chase from To Live and Die in LA and the car chases in both the Bourne Identity and Bourne Supremacy.

 

[Tim Glover]

I wanted to add some to this thread from the movies that came out this Fall of 2006 but kept forgetting to.

I just have to mention one from Children of Men. The scene I refer too is the one where Theo and Kee are trying to get away and can't start the car! Talk about adrenaline and intensity. Superbly directed by Alfonso Cuaron. This scene on paper might not work....but man did it work on film.

 

[BrettGallman]

I'd also add the construction chase sequence in Casino Royale. Loved every bit of that.

 

[KurtEP]

The endless brawl in They Live

The helicopter rescue from The Matrix

The rescue from the pirates in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, more for the humor of watching Bill Murray do action to the sound of Search and Destroy.

And, of course, the first ambush and car chase in Ronin. The scene where the big old Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9 smokes tire and does a J-Turn is one of the greatest automotive scenes put on film.

 

[Tim Glover]

Another film that needs mentioning came in December 2006. Apocalypto. The final 45 minutes of this film is one of the longest adrenaline rushes in film history. It's unbelievably intense how this last sequence plays out as Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) ....runs and keeps running avoiding death and using the Jungle as his ally. Greatness. Also I'll add that this terrific action would mean less if by this time we didn't care for him....and we do. One of the top movies of 2006.

One of...if the most intense action I've ever seen. This film really needs to be seen in a large theater so try and catch a screening while you can. It's worth your time.

 

[CoreyII]

I apologize if this has already been mentioned, but I love scene in Rambo: First Blood Part II when after Rambo uses his last arrow to kill the Viet Cong General, the Soviet Commando (Sgt. Yoshin) in a helicopter above our hero drops a huge bomb. Late director George Cosmatos cuts between the bomb descending to the mountain top and Rambo running to out race a fiery death, the sequence culminates in a slow motion scene that emphasizes Rambo's athleticism and iron-will to survive as he barley makes it off the mountain top just as the bomb hits the ground and explodes.

After 20 years, I still find that sequence exciting.

 

[Rudi]

The last shootout in The Way of the Gun. The sound of the gunshots are the most accurate I've ever heard in a movie. The glass fountain was funny too.

 

[Josh.C]

I haven't read through this thread in awhile, so this may have already been mentioned.

I watched the Itallian Job last night. The Sequence that involves them blowing up the road and dropping the armoured truck and the Mini Cooper getaway is still a nice sequence. Love this movie, and really holds up well on multiple viewings.

JC

 

[Artik2]

JarHead: Near to the end... when the almost kill the Iraqi officer.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

The Desh-Bourne fight scene...especially the use of the book. That is a great fight sequence that will be remembered for quite some time. I'm certain 2007 yielded some more additions to this list, but I'll throw that one on the pile.

I also love the "individual" fight scenes in 300...the ones where they used multiple cameras to shift time and close-in and move out on Leonidas and the dyas (the two Spartans fighting as a unit) sequences. It was a very sharp filming sequence.

Back from the dead, suckers.
Chuck

 

[Malcolm R]

The Tunnel scene in "Live Free or Die Hard."

Actually, that film is basically one great action sequence from start to finish (and has worked my sound system harder than any recent film).

 

[Andy Sheets]

Yeah, I was really impressed with that. I know some disliked the switching between regular speed and slowing down, but it worked great for me.

I'm afraid I can't really get behind Live Free or Die Hard. The movie was so over the top that I felt thrown out of the experience instead of drawn into it.

 

[Holadem]

Whatever happened to Timobi? He has been missing for some time.

--
H

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Tim is probably on a walkabout...he does that sometimes. I'm sure he'll be in at some point soon

 

[PatW]

I don't think anyone has mentioned the Road Warrior. That whole movie was one big chase scene. Spectacular stuff. The other two Mad Max movies have great chase scenes as well.

 

[Kirk Tsai]

I can think of two 08 sequences that deserve to be mentioned, one big, one small.

Small: Viggo Mortensen's knife fight in Eastern Promises
Big: Zoe Bell and the car chase in Death Proof