# The best cinematic car chase.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 8, 2000, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866 "2000-05-08T00:17:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Asmodeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@Asmodeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asmodeus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/1 "2000-05-08T00:17:27Z")
Just watched the car car chase from Bullitt (starring Steve McQueen and Robert Vaughn) for the umpteenth time. I never get tired of it. The best car chase ever filmed. Any others even come close? ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/2 "2000-05-08T00:25:21Z")
Dang, I was gonna say the chase scene from “Bullit”. Hmmm. Well, there was a nice one in The French Connection. And not automotive, but the dogfights (do they count as chases?) in The Blue Max were great. It was funny, watching people tilt and lean. (Actually it reminded me of the lovebirds in The Birds, when Tippi Hedren was blasting around the curves in her roadster.) Hmm, sorry, wandering here as usual… Veb ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/3 "2000-05-08T00:51:02Z")
two words: **Ronin**. ---
**Author:** ![Doctordec](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Doctordec](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctordec)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/4 "2000-05-08T01:03:28Z")
Does the Steve McQueen motorcycle chase in “The Great Escape” count ? ---
**Author:** ![Breckinshire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@Breckinshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Breckinshire)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/5 "2000-05-08T01:20:29Z")
I love the Chicago scene in Blues Brothers (BB2000 never happened). Partly because I love Chicago, and partly because there’s just a crapload of cars getting whacked. Of course, I haven’t seen any of those movies you are referring to, so you’ll say my preference stems from ignorance. Vote #2 would go to The Rock. ---
**Author:** ![jcgmoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/6 "2000-05-08T01:37:33Z")
I’m with Kilgore. While Bullitt and TFC is great, Ronin sets the new standard for balls to the wall driving stunts. With DeNiro and a bunch of guys I don’t know and directed by John Frankenheimer who in one of his lesser moments directed TFC II. ---
**Author:** ![Flang\_Dang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e4f/32.png) [@Flang\_Dang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flang_Dang)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/7 "2000-05-08T04:31:43Z")
Dang! I watched \*Bullitt \*today also and was thinking that this would be a good topic. I love Steve McQueen and those were some great classic cars in the scene. Man, I miss McQueen. I think, though, that I liked the chase in \* To Live and Die… \*(William J Peterson) more. It was much more action-packed with show-off driving skills and gutsy moves like entering the freeway the wrong way to shake the chasers. Plus, in the story, it was vitally important and near impossible that he not get caught and that added more tension than just cops-and-robbers stuff. Didn’t see Ronin. ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/8 "2000-05-08T04:48:26Z")
The Seven-Ups. A not-so-memorable movie with a terrific chase scene. IIRC, it was an unofficial sequel to the French Connection and directed by the same guy who did Bullitt. But I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/9 "2000-05-08T07:48:32Z")
Best car chase scene: Blues Brothers. Runner up: Vanishing Point. The whole movie is just one big long car chase, ending with the chasee ramming into the blade of a bulldozer and exploding. Now how can you top that? Maybe by immortalizing it in a Guns ‘N’ Roses song? 🙂 (…There goes the challenger, being chased by the blue, blue meanies on wheels…) ---
**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/10 "2000-05-08T07:57:17Z")
Ronin has my vote. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/11 "2000-05-08T08:01:53Z")
Ronin…that’s it, that’s all there is to say. Close second…The Rock. ---
**Author:** ![Thought](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Thought](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thought)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/12 "2000-05-08T08:16:13Z")
Ronin… more votes!! I dunno but I love to see that chase. I dunno maybe its the rpg, and the other miscellanious(sp…) action that happens in the cars too, and the movies general appeal but i liked it alot! ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/13 "2000-05-08T09:14:49Z")
Ya thought, and just think–as of the end of this week, I’ll be able to see it on DVD, on my new Home Theater system! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/14 "2000-05-08T11:41:01Z")
Ronin is tough to beat but I saw a preview for “Gone In 60 Seconds” this weekend and this movie looks very promising for car chase fans. ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/15 "2000-05-08T15:00:06Z")
The Blues Brothers is tops. It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World also rates for star power and stupid giggles. Ethyl Merman’s a scream. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Thing\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_1)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/16 "2000-05-08T15:52:42Z")
Just thought I would put my 2 cents in. Bullit is my favorite car chase, but I have not seen Ronin yet. Also, as previously mentioned, To live and Die in LA has a great chase scene as well. John ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/17 "2000-05-08T16:05:26Z")
I like the futuristic car chase in **The Fifth Element**. **The Blues Brothers** is up there, too. ---
**Author:** ![concrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@concrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/concrete)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/18 "2000-05-08T16:11:25Z")
Michael Caine in **The Italian Job** Gene Hackman in **French Connection** ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/19 "2000-05-08T16:55:15Z")
Blue Brothers has to be number one! The scene near the end is over-the-top. How can you beat being chased by State Troopers, Chicago police (boats, cars, horses, helicopters, and beat walkers), SWAT teams, the Army, Nazi’s, and the Good Ol’ Boys all at once? Also, don’t forget they gave us a second classic chase in that movie when trying to elude the cops through a shopping mall. I’m not sure but I think The Blues Brothers still holds the record for the most cars destroyed in one movie. To Live and Die in LA is a close second. Everytime you think they’ve gotten away more people show-up to chase them. ---
**Author:** ![SkySlash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@SkySlash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkySlash)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866/20 "2000-05-08T17:09:59Z")
**Ronin** …unquestionably the best high speed car chase scene ever filmed and conveniently done in the style of the car chase scene in **The French Connection**! Jolly good driving there, wot! -SS:D [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-cinematic-car-chase/18866.md?page=2)