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1 year ago
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A while back, when Reddit user u/Trollex-exe asked the question, "What is the greatest fight scene of all time?" the gloves came off. No punches were pulled, and people laid out what they think are the most incredible sequences in movie and television history. Here are the best responses:
1. Inigo Montoya versus Westley — The Princess Bride (1987)
"I feel confident in saying that as far as sword-fighting goes, this scene will never be surpassed in cinema. Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin spent months practicing with master fencers. While filming the rest of the movie, the master fencers were on set, and if Cary Elwes or Mandy were not in whatever scene was being filmed at the moment, the fencers would enlist them in nonstop training. The only stunt doubles are for the gymnastics part. The prelude is perfect. The staging is perfect. The dialogue is perfect. The music is perfect."
2. Ip Man versus 10 Black Belts — Ip Man (2008)
"Across four movies, it’s the only scene in which his purpose is to harm others."
3. Nikolai versus The Chechens — Eastern Promises (2007)
"Viggo does have a special flair for authentic-looking fight scenes. As Aragorn, he looked like he really knew what he was doing with a sword. In A History of Violence, he had that rare quality of zero inhibitions about doing violence that is hard to convey."
4. Frank Armitage versus George Nada — They Live (1988)
"They beat the ever-loving shit out of each other. So damn good!!! An underrated movie that has started to become a reality in some ways."
5. Yu Shu Lien versus Jen Yu — Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
"'Go ahead. Take your pick. I'll wait.' I also loved the pause in the middle, both women just standing there looking at each other, showing for a moment the massive strain they were under."
6. Achilles versus Hector — Troy (2004)
"'You will wander the underworld blind, deaf, and dumb, and all the dead will know: that this is Hector, the fool who thought he killed Achilles.' One of the only scenes I was rooting for both to win."
7. The Bank Robbery — Heat (1995)
"The thing that I like most about the scene in Heat is the sound of the guns. They’re so loud and percussive in a way guns usually aren’t in action movies. Every single round, no matter how many they fire, sounds so startling and huge. It really makes that scene feel so much more alive and real."
8. The Mountain versus The Red Viper — Game of Thrones (2014)
"It isn't to do with choreography; although stellar, it's so emotionally visceral. Oberyn's rage finally releases after finally getting his moment to avenge his sister. Tywin's dejected face as Oberyn has The Mountain right where he wants him. The feeling of success comes hurtling down to Earth as soon as The Mountain sweeps Martell's legs, and you know it's over. Then the most gruesome on-screen kill you can imagine, followed by Ellaria's screaming."
9. Neo versus Agent Smith — The Matrix (1999)
"The subway fight in The Matrix is incredible because everything in the scene builds the tension beautifully: the setting, the choreography, and the music. The score is my favorite track from The Matrix films. You can literally hear the movie happening just from the soundtrack alone."
10. The House of Blue Leaves — Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
"While I enjoy the majority of fight scenes in both volumes, 'Showdown at House of Blue Leaves' is my No. 1 — the soundtrack, the Crazy 88, Gogo, and then O-Ren. It's just so good and visually stunning."
11. Azula versus Zuko and Katara — Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)
"A perfect demonstration of how much Zuko had grown throughout the series and how far Azula had fallen. Her bending was wild and desperate — blasts with nothing but rage and raw power behind them. His were refined and effortless, using the fire like an extension of himself and showing influences of the other element-bending in it."
12. John McClane versus Karl — Die Hard (1988)
"Not really joking, either, because it was so visceral and brutal, an overmatched McClane just being nasty, angry, dirty, whatever to beat a guy bigger and stronger and ostensibly a more well-trained fighter."
13. "I Need a Hero" — Shrek 2 (2004)
"The Shrek 2 'I Need a Hero' sequence is probably the best four minutes ever put on any screen anywhere."
14. The Church Massacre — Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
"Colin Firth really thought, 'I'm getting a little old for charming rom-coms and costume dramas. Maybe I should be in the most gleefully violent scene of 2014 instead.'"
—u/Aduro95
15. Waymond Wang versus Security Guards — Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
"I went into the theater [clueless] and had no idea what the movie was about. By the time the fanny pack came out, I still wasn't sure about what it was but knew I was totally on board for the ride."
16. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan versus Darth Maul — Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999)
"That was some slick fight choreography with Ray Park just stealing the show. Add in 'Duel of the Fates,' which is one of John Williams's best Star Wars tracks, and it never fails to give me goosebumps. The Obi-Wan vs. Anakin fight was good, but it felt a little over the top and lost a lot of emotion until the end."
17. The Corridor Fight — Oldboy (2003)
"So many shows and movies have taken their cue from this scene. I just stopped counting."
Did we leave out your favorite fight scene? Let us know in the comments.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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