# Best car chase scene? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129 "2002-09-29T19:08:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zappo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b3f665/32.png) [@Zappo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zappo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/21 "2002-09-30T14:34:53Z")
In no particular order: **Bullitt** **Ronin** **Gone In Sixty Seconds** (Toby Halicki’s original, most assuredly _not_ the stupid remake)-this film’s plot is simply a fabrication to wrap around one of the best attempts to outrun the law ever put on film. **The Blues Brothers** -just on the basis of the chase through the shopping mall. “Hmm, the new Oldsmobiles are out early this year!” ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/22 "2002-09-30T14:39:24Z")
Agreement here about the greatness of **Ronin** , love the lack of music for much of it - just engine sounds. How about a motocycle chase? **The Great Escape**. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/23 "2002-09-30T14:41:33Z")
My favorite is still the Peter Bogdanovich comedy **What’s Up, Doc?** ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/24 "2002-09-30T18:34:21Z")
Ronin gets another vote from me. I also have to give a nod to the chase scene (involving a motorcycle/plane and a truck) in Wallace & Gromit’s “A Close Shave.” Heh. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/25 "2002-09-30T18:39:56Z")
**Ronin** on the serious side. **Blues Brothers** on the lighter side. ---
**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/26 "2002-09-30T18:44:52Z")
> [@](#): > > [Originally posted by \*\*RealityChuck \*\* > _Bullitt_. Superior to _The French Connection_ because McQueen wasn’t just driving in a straight line. I could argue that _French Connection_ is better because, unlike _Bullitt_, there are people and other cars on the street. I could, but I won’t, because I’d like to ask if _Ronin_ counts twice. And if so, does anyone disagree that the Paris chase tops the Nice chase? (I could make the case for Nice: by the time they get to Paris, DeNiro & Reno have less motivation to continue the chase. Motivation is important for a good chase.) Also, it was perhaps not the greatest, but the web-slinging car chase in _Spider-Man_ moved me. However, a friend of mine says the flying car chase in _Attack of the Clones_ was superior (where 2002 FX chases are concerned), despite being pointless and badly directed. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/27 "2002-09-30T20:03:16Z")
Since **lieu** was already so good as to mention the gut wrenching against-the-flow-of-traffic chase in _To Live and Die in L.A._ (which, incidentally, is STILL not re-released in VHS or DVD), I’ll mention Jackie Chan’s **Police Story** (a.k.a _Police Force_). It features a car chase through (literally _through_) a huge hillside shantytown. Unfrigginbelieveable. ---
**Author:** ![MSU\_BigMoUndone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@MSU\_BigMoUndone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MSU_BigMoUndone)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/28 "2002-09-30T21:01:40Z")
Completely on the humorous side: Jake and Elwood in every car scene they did in Blues Brothers, “Sun glasses?” “Check.” or Any Simpsons car chase. Example:Homer running from The Beer Baron, “Dad, knocking over gravestones is bad luck.” “Really? I heard good.” Example:Homer fighting with Snake about Lil’ Bandit. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/29 "2002-10-01T13:54:57Z")
Well, if we want to get into stuff thats not really cars at all how about the Millenium Falcon chase scene from **Empire Strikes Back**. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/30 "2002-10-01T13:59:13Z")
Ronin. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/31 "2002-10-01T14:04:28Z")
Maybe I’m jaded, maybe I’m dumb, but I rented The French Connection because I heard how cool it was and what a great chase scene was in it. Both the wife and I couldn’t imagine that that scene was what all the fuss was about. And the movie itself was INCREDIBLY dull. ---
**Author:** ![Cholo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Cholo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cholo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/32 "2002-10-02T03:33:56Z")
Another nod to “Bullit” However, there’s a great car chase scene in a Roy Schneider film called “The Seven Ups”. If memory serves me right (which is anybody’s guess at this point), I think the same villians in “Bullit” are being pursued in “The Seven Ups”. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/33 "2002-10-02T03:53:28Z")
A lot of good ones mentioned here, but my favorite is still **Ronin** , especially the Paris chase. Two of the things I particularly liked were that they kept the streets filled with traffic, and that they ignored the ‘no innocent bystanders’ convention used in so many other films. For Bond films, **For Your Eyes Only** deserves special mention, IMO, for its chase scene with James driving, rolling, and still driving a tiny little 2CV through the Greek (Spanish?) hills. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/34 "2002-10-02T03:56:57Z")
You know, I too agree that there’s some connection there. Thanks Cholo, I’ll take a look an report back. I think you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/35 "2002-10-02T04:07:36Z")
One bennie to **Ronin** was that there were two chase scenes, each with it’s own character. After seeing both the Beemer and the Audi 8 in action, I’ve gotta laugh whenever I see a paid Pepsi appear in a scene.Hey, a Pepsi. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/36 "2002-10-02T12:05:40Z")
While perhaps not the best, the chase scene with Clooney in \*\* Out of Sight\*\* is exciting and original. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/37 "2002-10-02T16:36:51Z")
_To Live and Die in L.A._ was the first thing I thought when I saw this thread. Since it’s gotten several other votes, I’ll mention a couple others. There was a made-for-TV movie done in the early 70s called [Duel](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0067023), one of Steven Spielberg’s earlier works. The whole movie is basically one long chase scene between a car and a truck. It’s quite suspenseful. I’d also like to nominate the opening scene to _Lethal Weapon 2_ for this thread, at least give it honorable mention. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/38 "2002-10-02T17:09:39Z")
Duel was good and I’ll second Cannonball Run as well. (At least the one with David Carradine, the serious one, not that Gumball Rally crap.) ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/39 "2002-10-02T17:30:08Z")
Gone in 60 seconds (the Real one, not the Fake Nic Cage one). Bullit was cool too, i want to go around San Fran and see if i can recognize some of the streets. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129/40 "2002-10-02T20:56:39Z")
No mention of **Vanishing point**? …or **The Driver**? There was a great one involving a couple of small Fiats or something like that chasing around tiny narrow streets of somewhere like Marseille. I can’t remember the name of the film but the car chase was epic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-car-chase-scene/130129.md?page=3)