Rule #1: Each sequence must have a beginning and an end. No, “the action is really good in this one part…”. I mean sequences that are masterpieces in and of themselves, even if the moives around them suck.
Well, that’s the only rule, but it’s a good one. Two of mine come from Matrix Reloaded, but I guess I’ll spoiler box them if you haven’t seen it(sigh).
Here they are, numbered but in no particular order:
Obi Wan vs. Darth Maul. It starts when the red force field opens and ends when, well, when one of them falls into the pit.
Cave Troll Sequence from Fellowship of the Ring: It starts when the drum beats the first time and ends when the Troll falls. Beatufiuly edited and even better in the extended version.
The 14 minute car chase sequence in the Matrix Reloaded. It starts when the siren outside sounds and ends when Neo flies in and saves Morpheus and the Key Maker.
Yu Shu Lien vs. Jen Yu in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Girl on girl action at its finest! I love this whole sequence!
Lobby Shooting Spree in the Matrix. Begins when they walk in, ends when they take the elevator.
Neo vs. 100 Agent Smiths in Matrix Reloaded. Some think it goes on too long, I think it’s perfect.
The sword fight at the end of the terrible Musketeers movie. Great sequence, miserable movie.
The entire final sequence in the factory in Drunken Master II.
Once Upon a Time in China: the entire last fight between Wong Fei Hung and, er, whatshisname. Especially the bit with the ladders, which I understand the most recent “Musketeer” film lifted.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: damn near all of them.
The One: Lawless versus Opening Sacrificial Cops, beginning with him diving out of the OSHA-required Huge Ventilation System, ending with him just breaking into a run as he leaves the garage, shooting someone casually without even looking.
Scanners: okay, this stretches the boundaries of what an “action sequence” is, but I still consider it one. The final psychic duel between Cameron Vale and Daryl Revok.
Last Man Standing: Yojim…er…I mean, John Smith blowing away about thirty mafia goons to rescue the bartender (who I’m utterly unable to divorce from portraying Larry of bros. Larry, Daryl and Daryl on “Newhart”). It’s like a lightgun arcade game put on screen.
Hard-Boiled: a) Three Minutes, Thirty Seconds. One continuous take of Tequila and Tony killing down several corridors and two hospital floors. b) Tequila and the Last Baby. For a minute or so, Chow Yun Fat is dancing; the beginning of life cradled in one arm; the ending of it in the other. Very nicely done.
Desperado: “I’m just…looking for…a man…who calls himself…” “Mata lo!” “Not yet!” The whole barfight scene from that moment until our Banderasized Mariachi staggers, kill-drunk, out the door with an “oh toilet bowl, I promise I’ll never kill another drop.”
The fight in the trees and the girl-on-girlfight seem to get the most attention in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but for my money by far the best was Jen Yu rampaging through the restaurant, shouting “I am a dragon in the desert! I am the Invincible Sword Goddess!” I could watch that forever.
The ending fight in Fist of Legend, with Jet Li. The whole movie is great, but the finale, in which the two enemies keep showing off by switching to their opponent’s fighting style (Kung-fu vs. Kempo Karate), is just perfect. And long.
The fight between Carlo and Sonny in The Godfather.
The final shootout in the graveyard in **The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly **. Maybe not a lot of action, but a lot of suspense leading up to the action.
The Marines Abortive Hostage Rescue mission in Aliens.
The fight between Ripley and the Alien Queen in Aliens.
That would be “The Spy Who Loved Me,” one of the best Bond films made by Roger Moore. No trick photography was used for the stunt; that’s a real guy going over a 2,000 foot cliff and parachuting to the ground.
I’ll second the D-Day scene in “Saving Private Ryan.” It’s the only sequence I can think of that frightened me before it started. The sound of the crashing surf, the looks on the mens’ faces. . .
The opening fight in “Blade.” It ends when he leaves and literally everyone in the room is dead. (They were all vampires.) Oops! Looks like I’m seconding that as well. And, hey! I never noticed it was the same guy from “Grounded For Life”!
The opening fight in Blade 2… I liked it more than the first one. The bit where the camera stays on while he jumps out of a building, does a flip, and lands 5 stories down… well, I wish they’d had some shots like that in Spider-man. Also, it’s got the only original bullet time effect since the original Matrix (and I’m including Reloaded) right after he lands.
The opening robbery sequence in Strange Days. Shot completely from one character’s POV and seemingly (though not actually) cutless, it’s a brilliant piece of work. The first time I saw the film, it just about knocked me out of my seat. It ends when the guys drops off of a roof.
And just for sheer over-the-top fun, the police car chase at the end of the original Blues Brothers… how many police cars got destroyed in that? Ending with Jake and Elwood at gunpoint by about 200 cops.