There was this campy 60’s movie featuring Ann Margret called “Kitten with a Whip”. One scene had Ann fighting her ex-boyfriend in a Tijuana motel room. The film is purposly undercranked, so the action is crazy fast and really nutty. It’s my favorite fight scene ever.
John Wayne beats the crap out of Bruce Dern in The Cowboys, then cowardly sore loser Dern shoots JW in the back. Great scene.
Most anything John Woo did is going to be great. I’m a huge fan of the shootout scene in Face Off when the Feds raid Cage’s characters buddy’s (strugling to relate the Cage/Travola characters, hehe) loft. With Somewhere under the Rainbow playing.
The beginning of Saving Private Ryan is certainly one of the best modern war scenes. A close second being the finale of Platoon ending in the firebombing.
I love the shootout in Heat outside the bank, that is a all time classic and is really cool in Digital surround sound.
Bloodsport is great, some of the most exciting martial arts I’ve seen, I’m not a fan of the cartoonish Jackie Chan style.
I love most every fight scene Steven Seagal does, and his are so unique. I’m not sure I’d put any as the very best, but they needed mention. But The pool hall scene in Out for Justice and the raid on the Voodoo drug lord in Marked for Death are timeless. Not forgetting the knife fight w/ Tommy Lee Jones in Under Siege
There sure are alot of good ones…
Left out an entire genre, the ancient war style.
The big ones are Braveheart especially the scene where Wallace is betrayed by Richard the Lionheart, him hitting that guy with the war hammer is perfect.
Gladiator has some truely great fight scenes, and I can’t really chose a favorite, it has lots. Not to mention I don’t want to spoil anything yet.
The scene in Heat where Bobby D’s crew rob the bank together and the shootout that ensues afterwards. I love that scene.
Riggs vs Joshua at the end of Lethal Weapon. Riggs, Murtaugh and Lorna Cole vs. Jack Travis et al at the end of Lethal Weapon 3 was good, too.
Funniest? Jeff Blue vs Muerte at the beginning of Undercover Blues.
Gladiator definatley has some stunning fight scenes, they are my favorite
But I also like the scene in Tombstone when Doc Holladay and Johnny Ringo are circling each other, and then Doc shoots Ringo in the head saying “Oh Johnny you aint no daisy, you aint do daisy at all.”
Gotta’ cast one vote for Rocky.
Along the same lines as the OP,
Unforgiven
The scene in the bar with “Little Bill”.
You know, where everyone dies.
I think I am one of the few who think that film deserved best picture.
I’m with ya, dude. One of those misunderstood, underappreciated gems. The last word in Westerns, so to speak.
How 'bout the parking lot fight scene between Shirley McClaine and Ann Bancroft in ‘The Turning Point’?
Ahahahahaha, Thunderbolt. snork giggle snicker
That was going to be my first shot too. The fact that I adore Ken Lo doesn’t hurt either. drool
And it was definitely fun, especially when he ended with cussing the badguys out for being badguys. grin
I thought it was because the insurance companies wouldn’t cover him if he did all of his own stunts, and got mad when they found out that he had already done half of them.
And the humor factor of improvised weapons doesn’t hurt either. Along those lines, as cheesy as it was, I really liked the musical fight scene in Fifth Element. Funny cheese, which I really go for (that was the film in which I fell in love with Luc Besson’s directing).
-Elthia
I finally got cables again, I can be back online! Yay!