Inigo Montoya’s revenge in The Princess Bride beginning with him killing three or four men in a hallway and ending with “I want my father back, you son of a bitch”. It gives me chills everytime I watch, just from Mandy Patinkin’s delivery—when his oath gets louder and angrier as the fight with the Count goes on.
Mr. Pink running from the police in Resevoir Dogs–the entire scene. It’s simple but it’s frantic and enjoyable.
That’s all I can think of right now.
I’m not entirely sure that this counts, but, in <i>Pulp Fiction</i>, when Butch goes back to the apartment to get his watch. The tracking camera… the tension (sliding the key into the lock… sweet Lord!) – the whole sequence, up to him leaving the apartment.
The Battle during the prologue of <i>The Fellowship of The Ring</i> was astounding. The “wave” of Elven weapon strikes, Sauron’s mace strikes…
Aliens.
From the moment Hicks lifts up the ceiling panel and shines his flashlight in, 'til Gorman and Vasquez detonate their last grenade. Best sci-fi shootout ever.
I’ll also go with Indy’s truck chase. In fact, just thinking of it REALLY makes me want to go watch that movie again…
Time And Tide - The shootout/ rappelling sequence at the apartment building in this Tsui Hark Hong Kong film. From when Tyler tries to break into the apartment until after the bomb goes off and Jack is being taunted by Miguel (I think that’s the name).
Castle Keep - The final stand at the castle, basically the last 15 minutes of the film. The tension just builds even though you know it’s a lost cause. The repetative hammering of the .50 cal Browning MG that Burt Lancaster sticks in your head and the brief silences are jarring, rather than the noise and gunfire.
Lone Wolf And Cub: Baby Cart In The Land Of Demons - The fifth film in the series. Ogami Itto’s fight with about 50 samurai inside the close quarters of the noble lord’s home. Gritty, intense, brutal but totally believeable that a swordsman that good could win against such odds by his aggressive tactics and using his opponents’ numbers against them in such a confined space. But also staged so well that it’s clear the fight is still no cakewalk for Itto. His body shows the signs of the massive fight he has just been through.
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Max vs. Blaster in Thunderdome, from the “dyin’ time” speech until the “bust the deal, face the wheel” chant. Never mind the rest of the movie, this sequence makes a great little short film on its own, with it’s own story to tell. Action, violence, tension, humor, and a little bit of pathos. This is the ugly sister compared to the other Mad Max films, but for these few minutes, they got things right.
It might also be from To Live and Die in LA.
I’d like to include the last shootout in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Many of my favs have been mentioned so I’ll add.
Empire of the Sun the P-51 attack.
ET The bike chase.
Return of the Jedi Speeder Bike Chase
Raising Arizona Final Battle Start with Bank Job and end when HI defeats TLBotA.
Toy Story Escape from Sid’s room. “Wind the Frog!”
I may be alone in this one,
But I thought that SHREK, when Fiona whooped up on Robin hood and the sissyfied riverdancing merry men was hi-larious.
Like all good action sequences it made me spontaneously go “waaaaa!” like I was in a kung fu movie.
Has anybody mentioned the restaurant scene in La Femme Nikita?
The defense of Little Round Top inGettysburg.
Mel Gibson and his two youngest sons attacking the convoy with his oldest son in
Wong fei-Hung v Iron Vest Yim in Once Upon a Time in China
Jackie Chan v the two fighters on the roof in Who Am I?
Jet Li’s Bodygaurd v Assassin -final fight in Bodygaurd from Beijing (aka The Defender)
Mel Gibson v His son’s captors -ambush in The Patriot
Here’s another vote for the truck scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” It was just so incredibly thrilling at the time…years later, it’s lost none of its impact. Indy will NOT give up, he is NEVER defeated. That one scene shows all his great heroic and charismatic traits in one block.
Another that comes to mind, although it is nowhere near the same style of “Raiders,” is Luke vs. Vader in “The Empire Strikes Back.” Right from the point that Vader breathes and the lights come on in the carbon-freezing chamber to the point Luke falls into that hole or whatever it is. I believe the lightsaber battle is nicely edited with Leia, Chewbacca, etc…trying to reach Han. The whole sequence has nice highs and lows, tension and release.
Lots of good ones already mentioned (especially the truck scene in Raiders).
I doubt many have seen this movie, but from The Lighthorsemen :
[spoiler] The charge at the end is just butt-kicking brilliant. I don’t think I took a breath from the time they picked up a canter till you heard they were “under the guns.” Beautifully filmed and incredibly suspensful (even though I knew about the Battle of Beersheba beforehand).
I know it’s probably silly to have put this in a spoiler box–but I’m trying to err on the side of politeness![/spoiler]
The final church shootout in The Killer
Murphy’s death scene in RoboCop
The final shootout in The Wild Bunch
The last 15-20 minutes of The Last of the Mohicans. Beginning with Hawkeye racing out of the indian camp with Cora, shooting the English officer who sacrificed himself and is being burned alive, and then the chase after Magua and his band who have Cora’s sister with them. The frenetic pace, the music, and the beautiful scenery, all building to the fight between Hawkeye’s father and Magua. Great action sequence.
Amen!
One of the best scenes for excitement and action would also be the ambush of the British party in the beginning.
Opening scene from Road Warrior: Mad Max 2.
T-rex scene from Jurassic Park - which is more frightening - the live monster or the dead monster, the car?
The whole of Speed, which is actually just three action sequences strung together. Note that there isn’t any blood/gore. It’s just brilliant editing and camera work by Jan De Bont.
The whole ascape scene in Where eagles dare. Clint Eastwood was never more of a bad-ass and Richard Burton was way cool.
Just about all the fight scenes from Fist of Legend(Jet Li)
Like the dojo and Lobby scenes from the Matrix
A really short one from Matrix Reloaded; on the freeway when Morpheous takes out the Twins’ car with the sword and gun.
Gotta love just about all of Jackie Chan’s work as well; no damn flying around on wires for one thing!