JamesG
05-30-2010, 12:27 AM
25. The Final Fight in Commando (1985)
Arnold fight scenes are practically their own mini-genre (that have spawned countless imitators), and 1985's Commando hits all the right notes:
super-human feats of strength
an insane bad guy
a unique way of disposing of the villain
And to top it all off, Schwarzenegger punctuates the fight with a perfect one-liner that shows -- even when injured -- he always gets the last laugh.
24. The Skeleton Battle in Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
This 1963 fantasy favorite's centerpiece attraction is an undead sword-fight that features the stop-motion wizardry of Ray Harryhausen.
Over half a century later, the battle is an impressive technological feat that pits man against monster, and a beloved adventure film that perfectly captures the thrills and dangers of Greek mythology.
23. Edward Norton vs. Himself in Fight Club (1999)
You can expect a lot of fights in a movie called Fight Club, but the oddest, most memorable bout is Edward Norton's attack on himself, in front of his soul-crushing boss.
In an attempt to escape his dreary 9-to-5 world forever, all he needs to do is frame his boss for a mugging -- allowing him to walk away with all the benefits he wants.
But to make it look convincing, he has to make sure the wounds look really authentic.
22. The Warriors vs. The Baseball Furies in The Warriors (1979)
One of the most iconic images of the film -- an ultra-stylized depiction of after-hours gang wars in New York City -- is the face paint-wearing Baseball Furies, who chase the Warriors into Riverside Park, intending to collect a bounty on their heads.
Going up against the silent, pin-striped hoodlums armed with sluggers, the Warriors have nothing to rely on but their fists and their refusal to go down without a fight.
21. Bruce Lee vs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game of Death (1978)
Because he passed away before filming could complete, Bruce Lee was never able to realize his full vision for Game of Death as a showcase for the Jeet Kune Do martial art encountering various fighting styles along each floor of a high-rise pagoda.
But he was able to complete what would become one of his most memorable showdowns -- against the NBA star and real-life protege of Lee's -- in a match-up that was supposed to represent unpredictability.
20. The Opening Fight in Casino Royale (2006)
The Daniel Craig Era features a gruffer, grittier James Bond, and in his 007 debut, he brought a new level of action to the spy franchise.
In this memorable introduction, we see how Bond earns his 00 status. The violent assassination reminds audiences that behind the high-tech gadgets, nice suits and Aston Martins, there is a trained agent with a license to kill.
19. The Train Fight from Spider-Man 2 (2004)
An amazing display of visual effects that highlights Peter Parker at his most super-heroic. The web-swinging nerd has an villainous equal in Doctor Octopus.
In between sparring sessions with robot limbs on top of an out-of-control speeding train, Spidey must make sure to deflect blows, hold on tight and rescue all the civilians that Doc Ock hurls as weapons.
The fight scene is a dizzying display of comic-book fun.
18. Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone's Sword Fight in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
A classic from the golden age of Hollywood, this swashbuckling duel highlights the charismatic work of two of cinema's legendary leading men.
The climactic battle between Robin Hood and Sir Guy of Gisbourne is a back-and-forth display of skill and acrobatics, and just when they seem evenly matched, Robin still finds the time to verbally one-up his opponent.
17. The Train Fight in From Russia With Love (1963)
Sean Connery is still the definitive James Bond to many fans, and fight scenes like this demonstrate why.
Held at gunpoint by Robert Shaw's SPECTRE assassin, Bond surprises his enemy with a tear gas bomb, and the two engage in a brutal brawl that knocks out the lights and remains with Bond fans almost 50 years later.
16. Dalton vs. Jimmy in Road House (1989)
The 1989 action film has become a cult hit thanks to its over-the-top depiction of Southern barroom brawls.
When local mobster Brad Wesley uses force to intimidate and extort local business, it's up to Dalton (Patrick Swayze), a New York City "cooler" with a penchant for philosophy, to stand up for the town.
After Wesley's right-hand goon Jimmy (Marshall Teague) firebombs a house, Dalton engages him in a vicious fight that finally breaks Dalton's cool "beat up a bad guy, say something zen" exterior
15. The News Team Gang Fight in Anchorman (2004)
The most intentionally hilarious fight on this list features a grenade, thick mustaches and a strict no-face-hitting rule.
Filled with some top-secret comedy cameos and one of the most vile portrayals of the public broadcasting system (that we know of), Anchorman gives modern audiences the trident brutality they vocally demand.
The whole thing escalates rather quickly.
14. The Hallway Scene in Oldboy (2003)
This South Korean tale won the Grand Prix Award at Cannes for its twisted tale of revenge.
After being held captive for 15 years -- without explanation -- Oh Dae-Su is released and challenged to find out who kidnapped him.
Torturing his former prison guards, he is forced to make a tense escape through a hallway filled with men armed to beat him down, and the scene is done in one impressive take from director Park Chan-wook.
13. Viggo's Nude Fight in Eastern Promises (2007)
David Cronenberg's film about the Russian mob is notorious not only for its levels of mob violence, but also for this infamous scene that adds mistimed nudity to gangland bloodshed.
Viggo Mortensen's Nikolai is double-crossed and set to be killed while he's relaxing in a sauna. But when it comes to fighting for your life and dispensing of your enemies in a brutal fashion, Viggo proves very quickly that you can't be distracted by something as minor as being stark naked at the time.
12. The Nighttime Escape in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Ang Lee's wuxia martial arts film became an international success that wowed audiences with a lyrical display of hand-to-hand combat.
Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi fly through the air and trade blows over the attempted theft of the Green Destiny sword, wowing new audiences who had never seen such a stylized display of action before.
11. Ripley vs. the Queen in Aliens (1986)
Sigourney Weaver's butt-kicking heroine finally has a weapon that can match the terrifying aliens when she straps into the exosuit and charges the vengeful queen head-on -- all to save the life of the orphaned Newt.
The fight is an impressive display of special effects, thanks to the talents of Stan Winston, who combined animatronics and puppetry to bring the monstrous creation to life.
10. Bourne vs. Jarda in The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Director Paul Greengrass jumped on board the Bourne trilogy with this installment, bringing a grittier way of filming Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) and his struggle to unlock his past.
Attempting to interrogate Jarda, the only other survivor of the mysterious Treadstone Project, the two CIA black ops members quickly come to blows. Greengrass pulls the cameras in close, keeping the hits just a few inches away from the audience member's faces.
Bourne and Jarda move fast and disorient the viewer like they were caught in the action.
9. The Final Scene in Enter the Dragon (1973)
Bruce Lee's final film -- and the first Hollywood kung-fu film -- spotlights the Chinese star's unique martial arts skills.
Lee's vision of martial arts as an art form is achieved in this climactic duel between himself and the clawed Shaolin crime-lord Han.
The fight comes to a standstill in the deceiving hall of mirrors, where Lee must out-think his sinister enemy. The scene is visually captivating display of Bruce Lee's one-of-a-kind talent.
8. The Marquess of Queensbury Fight in The Quiet Man (1952)
John Wayne's Sean Thornton returns to Ireland and falls in love with Mary Kate Danaher, but marrying her is not a simple task -- as he must deal with Mary Kate's bullying brother Will, who will not approve of the marriage, nor give his sister her rightful dowry.
Sean refuses initially to fight back against Will, but when he comes dangerously close to losing Mary Kate forever, he finally stands up for her and gives Will the beating he's had coming for the entire movie -- a beating that happens to rage all over the quaint Irish town.
7. Luke vs. Vader in The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
This classic lightsaber duel is the emotional center of the Star Wars saga.
Despite Yoda's warnings, Luke abandons his Jedi training to rescue his friends, not realizing he is walking right into a trap laid by Darth Vader. Luke does his best to fend off the Sith lord's powerful displays of the Force, but after losing his hand and finding out his true relationship with Vader (like we need to tell you what that is), Luke opts for a deadly free-fall into the air shaft rather than joining the dark side.
This was the fight that showed Vader could be truly ruthless.
6. Rocky vs. Apollo in Rocky (1976)
Rocky doesn't win.
Sure he wins the rematch, and then beats Mr. T, and then beats the Soviet Union -- eventually -- but in 1976, Rocky Balboa was just a thug debt-collector from Philadelphia.
All he wants to do is go the distance with the heavyweight champion of the world and prove that he isn't "just another bum." As the fight moves closer to the 15th and final round, Balboa takes a pummeling, but never stops dishing it right back out to Apollo Creed.
Rocky became an instant inspiration that proves winning isn't everything, and that refusing to give up could be the biggest success of all.
5. The Alleyway Fight in They Live (1988)
One of John Carpenter's most underrated films -- a subversive tale about aliens controlling society -- features pro wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper as Nada, a drifter with a pair of scientifically enhanced sunglasses that allow the wearer to see the aliens' true form.
Nobody wants to believe his crazy story, especially his friend Frank (Keith David). The only way to get Frank to try on the glasses is to beat him into submission; the problem is, Frank puts up a vicious fight.
The fisticuffs seem to go on forever in this memorable drag-out brawl.
4. The Final Tournament Round in The Karate Kid (1984)
Eight years after winning Oscar gold for Rocky, director John G. Avildsen directed this beloved teen classic.
"Wax on, wax off." "Sweep the leg." The crane kick.
The moments leading up to Daniel-san's victory over the Cobra Kai Dojo are ingrained in our memories as the moments that an ordinary kid can fight back against the bullies, and gain the balance in his life.
Out of all the battles on this list, The Karate Kid delivers the sweetest victory.
3. The Bride vs. the Crazy 88s and O-Ren Ishii in Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
Quentin Tarantino's two-volume love letter to kung-fu movies and spaghetti Westerns caps off its first part with this bloody -- seriously, we mean bloody -- battle featuring Uma Thurman's Bride taking another step on her path of revenge, and crossing another name off her hit list.
The over-the-top fight features swords, hacked limbs, a schoolgirl wielding a Chinese meteor hammer, the entire Tokyo yakuza, and enough retro kung-fu sound effects to turn the House of Blue Leaves into gory pop-culture collage.
2. The Airplane Runway Fight in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Indiana Jones is a larger-than-life hero who needs big threats.
Being shot at by Nazi goons while taking on a German mechanic who is built like a circus strongman -- at the same time that a fighter plane spins wildly out-of-control around them -- is just enough to challenge Harrison Ford's rugged adventurer.
The fight is down-and-dirty, and has one of the grisliest endings in movie history.
Steven Spielberg packs the punches in an Indiana Jones fight with so much weight that every time fist meets face, it sounds like thunder hitting a mountain.
1. Neo vs. Agent Smith in The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix wasn't just a huge box-office success, it also changed the rules of filmmaking, setting a new standard for the next decade -- and century.
Using state-of-the-art special effects to highlight the fight choreography of the legendary Yuen Woo Ping, the Wachowski Bros. cyber-punk action film achieved its most breathtaking peak in this fight between Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving).
Their fight isn't just brutal and urgent, it's a physics-defying display that blows your mind.
http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2010/05/28/best-movie-fight-scenes/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Best Fight Scenes You've Never Seen
5. River Tam vs. An Entire Bar in Serenity (2005)
Joss Whedon's big-screen adaptation of his too-quickly-canceled space Western TV show "Firefly" didn't have much more success at finding a bigger audience.
It's a shame that more movie-watchers have not yet had the chance to see River Tam in action. Played by classically trained ballerina Summer Glau, River is a child prodigy/government programmed assassin, and after unwittingly being exposed to a subliminal message prompting her to fight, we finally get to see how deadly she can be.
4. The Final Fight in Fist of Legend (1994)
With this remake of the 1972 film Fist of Fury, Jet Li had the difficult task of stepping into a role played by the legendary Bruce Lee.
Set during tense Chinese-Japanese relations during the Shanghai International Settlement, the film became one of Li's first critical successes and a worthy successor to Lee's legacy.
The film was only a minor hit at the Hong Kong box office, yet it created a demand for more realistic fight choreography in the action genre.
It also attracted the attention of the Wachowski Brothers, who hired the the film's choreographer, Yuen Woo-ping, to stage the fights for The Matrix.
His American breakthrough work later led to mind-blowing choreography on films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the Kill Bill series.
3. The Final Fight in Drunken Master (1978)
With Yuen Woo-ping in the director's chair, this comedic kung-fu film served as one of Jackie Chan's earliest box-office successes.
With Chan playing a young student who learns about a secret style of martial arts known as "The Eight Drunken Immortals," the film popularized the Zui Quan style of martial arts, -- also known as drunk boxing.
The film is an early example of Chan's desire to mix martial arts with slapstick comedy.
2. The Final Fight in Equilibrium (2002)
Any sci-fi action film dealing with an emotion-stifling dystopia was bound to suffer from Matrix comparisons, which is just what happened to this Christian Bale-driven movie.
What makes this film so notable is the development of its own martial art: "Gun kata."
Inspired by the hybrid use of martial arts and handguns in notable Hong Kong films like the work of John Woo, Equilibrium's director Kurt Wimmer developed his own vision for a futuristic fighting style.
1. The One-Take Fight in The Protector (2006)
The highlight of Tony Jaa's Muy Thai-fighting style film -- about a young man on a quest to rescue his family's stolen elephants -- is this one-take fight scene going floor after floor of an entire building.
It took 5 full takes over a one-month period to shoot the scene.
Its time we shut up, and you just watched it.
http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2010/05/29/best-underrated-fight-scenes/
Arnold fight scenes are practically their own mini-genre (that have spawned countless imitators), and 1985's Commando hits all the right notes:
super-human feats of strength
an insane bad guy
a unique way of disposing of the villain
And to top it all off, Schwarzenegger punctuates the fight with a perfect one-liner that shows -- even when injured -- he always gets the last laugh.
24. The Skeleton Battle in Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
This 1963 fantasy favorite's centerpiece attraction is an undead sword-fight that features the stop-motion wizardry of Ray Harryhausen.
Over half a century later, the battle is an impressive technological feat that pits man against monster, and a beloved adventure film that perfectly captures the thrills and dangers of Greek mythology.
23. Edward Norton vs. Himself in Fight Club (1999)
You can expect a lot of fights in a movie called Fight Club, but the oddest, most memorable bout is Edward Norton's attack on himself, in front of his soul-crushing boss.
In an attempt to escape his dreary 9-to-5 world forever, all he needs to do is frame his boss for a mugging -- allowing him to walk away with all the benefits he wants.
But to make it look convincing, he has to make sure the wounds look really authentic.
22. The Warriors vs. The Baseball Furies in The Warriors (1979)
One of the most iconic images of the film -- an ultra-stylized depiction of after-hours gang wars in New York City -- is the face paint-wearing Baseball Furies, who chase the Warriors into Riverside Park, intending to collect a bounty on their heads.
Going up against the silent, pin-striped hoodlums armed with sluggers, the Warriors have nothing to rely on but their fists and their refusal to go down without a fight.
21. Bruce Lee vs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game of Death (1978)
Because he passed away before filming could complete, Bruce Lee was never able to realize his full vision for Game of Death as a showcase for the Jeet Kune Do martial art encountering various fighting styles along each floor of a high-rise pagoda.
But he was able to complete what would become one of his most memorable showdowns -- against the NBA star and real-life protege of Lee's -- in a match-up that was supposed to represent unpredictability.
20. The Opening Fight in Casino Royale (2006)
The Daniel Craig Era features a gruffer, grittier James Bond, and in his 007 debut, he brought a new level of action to the spy franchise.
In this memorable introduction, we see how Bond earns his 00 status. The violent assassination reminds audiences that behind the high-tech gadgets, nice suits and Aston Martins, there is a trained agent with a license to kill.
19. The Train Fight from Spider-Man 2 (2004)
An amazing display of visual effects that highlights Peter Parker at his most super-heroic. The web-swinging nerd has an villainous equal in Doctor Octopus.
In between sparring sessions with robot limbs on top of an out-of-control speeding train, Spidey must make sure to deflect blows, hold on tight and rescue all the civilians that Doc Ock hurls as weapons.
The fight scene is a dizzying display of comic-book fun.
18. Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone's Sword Fight in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
A classic from the golden age of Hollywood, this swashbuckling duel highlights the charismatic work of two of cinema's legendary leading men.
The climactic battle between Robin Hood and Sir Guy of Gisbourne is a back-and-forth display of skill and acrobatics, and just when they seem evenly matched, Robin still finds the time to verbally one-up his opponent.
17. The Train Fight in From Russia With Love (1963)
Sean Connery is still the definitive James Bond to many fans, and fight scenes like this demonstrate why.
Held at gunpoint by Robert Shaw's SPECTRE assassin, Bond surprises his enemy with a tear gas bomb, and the two engage in a brutal brawl that knocks out the lights and remains with Bond fans almost 50 years later.
16. Dalton vs. Jimmy in Road House (1989)
The 1989 action film has become a cult hit thanks to its over-the-top depiction of Southern barroom brawls.
When local mobster Brad Wesley uses force to intimidate and extort local business, it's up to Dalton (Patrick Swayze), a New York City "cooler" with a penchant for philosophy, to stand up for the town.
After Wesley's right-hand goon Jimmy (Marshall Teague) firebombs a house, Dalton engages him in a vicious fight that finally breaks Dalton's cool "beat up a bad guy, say something zen" exterior
15. The News Team Gang Fight in Anchorman (2004)
The most intentionally hilarious fight on this list features a grenade, thick mustaches and a strict no-face-hitting rule.
Filled with some top-secret comedy cameos and one of the most vile portrayals of the public broadcasting system (that we know of), Anchorman gives modern audiences the trident brutality they vocally demand.
The whole thing escalates rather quickly.
14. The Hallway Scene in Oldboy (2003)
This South Korean tale won the Grand Prix Award at Cannes for its twisted tale of revenge.
After being held captive for 15 years -- without explanation -- Oh Dae-Su is released and challenged to find out who kidnapped him.
Torturing his former prison guards, he is forced to make a tense escape through a hallway filled with men armed to beat him down, and the scene is done in one impressive take from director Park Chan-wook.
13. Viggo's Nude Fight in Eastern Promises (2007)
David Cronenberg's film about the Russian mob is notorious not only for its levels of mob violence, but also for this infamous scene that adds mistimed nudity to gangland bloodshed.
Viggo Mortensen's Nikolai is double-crossed and set to be killed while he's relaxing in a sauna. But when it comes to fighting for your life and dispensing of your enemies in a brutal fashion, Viggo proves very quickly that you can't be distracted by something as minor as being stark naked at the time.
12. The Nighttime Escape in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Ang Lee's wuxia martial arts film became an international success that wowed audiences with a lyrical display of hand-to-hand combat.
Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi fly through the air and trade blows over the attempted theft of the Green Destiny sword, wowing new audiences who had never seen such a stylized display of action before.
11. Ripley vs. the Queen in Aliens (1986)
Sigourney Weaver's butt-kicking heroine finally has a weapon that can match the terrifying aliens when she straps into the exosuit and charges the vengeful queen head-on -- all to save the life of the orphaned Newt.
The fight is an impressive display of special effects, thanks to the talents of Stan Winston, who combined animatronics and puppetry to bring the monstrous creation to life.
10. Bourne vs. Jarda in The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Director Paul Greengrass jumped on board the Bourne trilogy with this installment, bringing a grittier way of filming Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) and his struggle to unlock his past.
Attempting to interrogate Jarda, the only other survivor of the mysterious Treadstone Project, the two CIA black ops members quickly come to blows. Greengrass pulls the cameras in close, keeping the hits just a few inches away from the audience member's faces.
Bourne and Jarda move fast and disorient the viewer like they were caught in the action.
9. The Final Scene in Enter the Dragon (1973)
Bruce Lee's final film -- and the first Hollywood kung-fu film -- spotlights the Chinese star's unique martial arts skills.
Lee's vision of martial arts as an art form is achieved in this climactic duel between himself and the clawed Shaolin crime-lord Han.
The fight comes to a standstill in the deceiving hall of mirrors, where Lee must out-think his sinister enemy. The scene is visually captivating display of Bruce Lee's one-of-a-kind talent.
8. The Marquess of Queensbury Fight in The Quiet Man (1952)
John Wayne's Sean Thornton returns to Ireland and falls in love with Mary Kate Danaher, but marrying her is not a simple task -- as he must deal with Mary Kate's bullying brother Will, who will not approve of the marriage, nor give his sister her rightful dowry.
Sean refuses initially to fight back against Will, but when he comes dangerously close to losing Mary Kate forever, he finally stands up for her and gives Will the beating he's had coming for the entire movie -- a beating that happens to rage all over the quaint Irish town.
7. Luke vs. Vader in The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
This classic lightsaber duel is the emotional center of the Star Wars saga.
Despite Yoda's warnings, Luke abandons his Jedi training to rescue his friends, not realizing he is walking right into a trap laid by Darth Vader. Luke does his best to fend off the Sith lord's powerful displays of the Force, but after losing his hand and finding out his true relationship with Vader (like we need to tell you what that is), Luke opts for a deadly free-fall into the air shaft rather than joining the dark side.
This was the fight that showed Vader could be truly ruthless.
6. Rocky vs. Apollo in Rocky (1976)
Rocky doesn't win.
Sure he wins the rematch, and then beats Mr. T, and then beats the Soviet Union -- eventually -- but in 1976, Rocky Balboa was just a thug debt-collector from Philadelphia.
All he wants to do is go the distance with the heavyweight champion of the world and prove that he isn't "just another bum." As the fight moves closer to the 15th and final round, Balboa takes a pummeling, but never stops dishing it right back out to Apollo Creed.
Rocky became an instant inspiration that proves winning isn't everything, and that refusing to give up could be the biggest success of all.
5. The Alleyway Fight in They Live (1988)
One of John Carpenter's most underrated films -- a subversive tale about aliens controlling society -- features pro wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper as Nada, a drifter with a pair of scientifically enhanced sunglasses that allow the wearer to see the aliens' true form.
Nobody wants to believe his crazy story, especially his friend Frank (Keith David). The only way to get Frank to try on the glasses is to beat him into submission; the problem is, Frank puts up a vicious fight.
The fisticuffs seem to go on forever in this memorable drag-out brawl.
4. The Final Tournament Round in The Karate Kid (1984)
Eight years after winning Oscar gold for Rocky, director John G. Avildsen directed this beloved teen classic.
"Wax on, wax off." "Sweep the leg." The crane kick.
The moments leading up to Daniel-san's victory over the Cobra Kai Dojo are ingrained in our memories as the moments that an ordinary kid can fight back against the bullies, and gain the balance in his life.
Out of all the battles on this list, The Karate Kid delivers the sweetest victory.
3. The Bride vs. the Crazy 88s and O-Ren Ishii in Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
Quentin Tarantino's two-volume love letter to kung-fu movies and spaghetti Westerns caps off its first part with this bloody -- seriously, we mean bloody -- battle featuring Uma Thurman's Bride taking another step on her path of revenge, and crossing another name off her hit list.
The over-the-top fight features swords, hacked limbs, a schoolgirl wielding a Chinese meteor hammer, the entire Tokyo yakuza, and enough retro kung-fu sound effects to turn the House of Blue Leaves into gory pop-culture collage.
2. The Airplane Runway Fight in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Indiana Jones is a larger-than-life hero who needs big threats.
Being shot at by Nazi goons while taking on a German mechanic who is built like a circus strongman -- at the same time that a fighter plane spins wildly out-of-control around them -- is just enough to challenge Harrison Ford's rugged adventurer.
The fight is down-and-dirty, and has one of the grisliest endings in movie history.
Steven Spielberg packs the punches in an Indiana Jones fight with so much weight that every time fist meets face, it sounds like thunder hitting a mountain.
1. Neo vs. Agent Smith in The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix wasn't just a huge box-office success, it also changed the rules of filmmaking, setting a new standard for the next decade -- and century.
Using state-of-the-art special effects to highlight the fight choreography of the legendary Yuen Woo Ping, the Wachowski Bros. cyber-punk action film achieved its most breathtaking peak in this fight between Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving).
Their fight isn't just brutal and urgent, it's a physics-defying display that blows your mind.
http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2010/05/28/best-movie-fight-scenes/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Best Fight Scenes You've Never Seen
5. River Tam vs. An Entire Bar in Serenity (2005)
Joss Whedon's big-screen adaptation of his too-quickly-canceled space Western TV show "Firefly" didn't have much more success at finding a bigger audience.
It's a shame that more movie-watchers have not yet had the chance to see River Tam in action. Played by classically trained ballerina Summer Glau, River is a child prodigy/government programmed assassin, and after unwittingly being exposed to a subliminal message prompting her to fight, we finally get to see how deadly she can be.
4. The Final Fight in Fist of Legend (1994)
With this remake of the 1972 film Fist of Fury, Jet Li had the difficult task of stepping into a role played by the legendary Bruce Lee.
Set during tense Chinese-Japanese relations during the Shanghai International Settlement, the film became one of Li's first critical successes and a worthy successor to Lee's legacy.
The film was only a minor hit at the Hong Kong box office, yet it created a demand for more realistic fight choreography in the action genre.
It also attracted the attention of the Wachowski Brothers, who hired the the film's choreographer, Yuen Woo-ping, to stage the fights for The Matrix.
His American breakthrough work later led to mind-blowing choreography on films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the Kill Bill series.
3. The Final Fight in Drunken Master (1978)
With Yuen Woo-ping in the director's chair, this comedic kung-fu film served as one of Jackie Chan's earliest box-office successes.
With Chan playing a young student who learns about a secret style of martial arts known as "The Eight Drunken Immortals," the film popularized the Zui Quan style of martial arts, -- also known as drunk boxing.
The film is an early example of Chan's desire to mix martial arts with slapstick comedy.
2. The Final Fight in Equilibrium (2002)
Any sci-fi action film dealing with an emotion-stifling dystopia was bound to suffer from Matrix comparisons, which is just what happened to this Christian Bale-driven movie.
What makes this film so notable is the development of its own martial art: "Gun kata."
Inspired by the hybrid use of martial arts and handguns in notable Hong Kong films like the work of John Woo, Equilibrium's director Kurt Wimmer developed his own vision for a futuristic fighting style.
1. The One-Take Fight in The Protector (2006)
The highlight of Tony Jaa's Muy Thai-fighting style film -- about a young man on a quest to rescue his family's stolen elephants -- is this one-take fight scene going floor after floor of an entire building.
It took 5 full takes over a one-month period to shoot the scene.
Its time we shut up, and you just watched it.
http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2010/05/29/best-underrated-fight-scenes/