# your favorite hand-to-hand fight scenes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197 "2015-04-21T15:44:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Gothic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gothic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gothic)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/81 "2015-04-24T16:00:02Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > My husband (Andy L) suggested Kirk vs. Finnegan in the **Star Trek** episode “Shore Leave.” I loved that fight scene so much as a kid. Finnegan really pissed him off. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SLo1Xb8Ckqk/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHuA4AC8gKKAgwIABABGHIgSyg4MA8=&rs=AOn4CLCw5jmKI07tnpPoQ0m1D8sB281SzQ "Star Trek Finnegan Captain Kirk Fight Scene Shore Leave") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLo1Xb8Ckqk) ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/82 "2015-04-24T16:50:40Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > “They Live” is the first movie that came to mind, but there’s also the [“knife fight” in “Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5f5_KdLEw4). Technically of course that’s not a “hand-to-hand” fight scene. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/83 "2015-04-24T17:09:26Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Pretty cool! Paul Greengrass should be forced to watch this scene on repeat until he vows never to make another shaky-cam death-by-a-thousand-cuts fight scene again. I love the fight scenes in the Bourne movies, but I’d say he did it as well as it’s going to be done, so everyone else can move on. > [@](#): > > A couple of questions about it. The camera is briefly blocked by pillars a few times. Could they have done cuts there? Not that it takes away from the fun of the scene, just curious. It appears to be the real deal. [This piece](http://videosift.com/video/Tony-Jaa-staircase-scene-Longest-unedited-fight-sequence) has some insights into the making of the scene, sourced from the bonus material on the DVD. Seems like they had to replace the Steadicam operator because the first guy wasn’t physically strong enough to keep up with the action. Interesting stuff. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/84 "2015-04-24T17:14:21Z")
Lee Marvin versus Robert Culp in _The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday._ (Though more for the dialogue than for the fighting.) ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/85 "2015-04-25T02:43:59Z")
I know it’s going to cause a lot of groans, and people insist Bruce Lee movies shouldn’t count, but the fight in the Roman Coliseum between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in Way of the Dragon. I just love the pacing of it. It takes ten minutes and the first several are them tuning through the catacombs to get to each other and then warming up before they go at it and I love, love the fact that they never say a word too each other but communicate entirely in gestures. And of course the way the fight ends. First movie Chuck was ever in and honestly I don’t think he ever looked better. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/86 "2015-04-25T02:54:00Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Lee Marvin versus Robert Culp in _The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday._ (Though more for the dialogue than for the fighting.) Speaking of Lee Marvin, there’s the brawl in at the bar in Donovan’s Reef. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/87 "2015-04-25T03:31:04Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I know it’s going to cause a lot of groans, and people insist Bruce Lee movies shouldn’t count… I really only asked to exclude boxing and martial arts movies to keep the thread from filling up with them. No particular reason. I was just interested in hearing about other genres. Bruce Lee movies certainly do have great fight scenes though! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/88 "2015-04-25T04:36:33Z")
Just saw the Denzel Washington/Ryan Reynolds spy thriller _Safe House_, and there are some good fights in that (often resolved, ultimately, by one person or the other finally getting his hands on a gun). ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/89 "2015-04-25T04:46:13Z")
The fight scene on the wing of the plane at the end of Die Hard 2. ---
**Author:** ![Greekfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@Greekfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greekfreak)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/90 "2015-04-25T07:37:55Z")
Gotta go with the washroom scene in “_The Warriors_”. Expertly choreographed, and very cartoonish–but still entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/91 "2015-04-25T15:31:55Z")
I think all of the Kirk vs scenes have been mentioned…except for the best one! Kirk vs. the Andorian/Orion spy in “Journey to Babel”. Shatner does his own stunts including this weird kick off the wall suplex move that misses and Kirk manages to stun himself. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/92 "2015-04-26T01:21:53Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > I think all of the Kirk vs scenes have been mentioned…except for the best one! > > Kirk vs. the Andorian/Orion spy in “Journey to Babel”. Shatner does his own stunts including this weird kick off the wall suplex move that misses and Kirk manages to stun himself. Heh. It also has that classic moment when the spy adjusts his tunic before charging at James T. again. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/93 "2015-04-26T01:54:18Z")
I like fist fights that are pivotal to the story: 1. In “Irma la Duce.” Literally the little guy keeps coming back. 2. In “The Untouchables” (two old drunken Irish pigs.) 3. In “Less than Zero.” Incredible, the soft rich boy won. 4. And yes, in “Eastern Promises.” You need balls of steel to fight off two knives while butt naked. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/94 "2015-04-26T02:10:47Z")
The best movie fight scenes I’ve seen to date are in [A History of Violence](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399146/?ref_=nv_sr_1), with Viggo Mortenson. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/95 "2015-04-26T03:38:00Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > That whole movie is just hilariously insane. I got to see it in the local cinema-with-beer-and-food a few months ago as part of a B movie doubleheader with Dredd (the more recent one, not the Stallone Judge Dredd). Watching those fight scenes in a tipsy, rowdy theater was amazing. I tend to tag-team those movies. When I watch Dredd, I follow up with The Raid and vice versa > [@RandMcnally](#): > > I’ve been meaning to watch that movie. There’s also a very good hallway fight earlier in the movie, but it’s way too stabby for the OP. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/96 "2015-04-26T10:00:24Z")
_Hard Times_. Charles Bronson, 1975. If you haven’t seen it, see it. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197/97 "2015-05-02T16:13:38Z")
[The end](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxkr4wS7XqY) of _Undefeatable_ is not only the greatest fight scene of all time, but possibly the greatest scene in the history of cinema. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-hand-to-hand-fight-scenes/718197.md?page=4)