HecklerSpray

Grown Up Gossip & Internet Villainy

Top 10 Fights In Movie History

By David Schwartz

Violence in movies – terrible, isn’t it. No! We all like to see a good old-fashioned scrap once in a while.

Don’t even try to deny it. You may try and act like you abhor violence in movies, but deep down the sight of two people kicking the crap out of each other really gets you going.

Well, hecklerspray understands. There’s been many a time when we have pictured ourselves beating Sting to a bloody pulp. See kids, violence is fine as long as it’s in your mind, not on the streets. Anyway, to celebrate the fact that we all love to see someone evil get a good hiding, we have come up with our 10 favourite fight scenes in films.

And if you disagree, we’ll come around your house…

10. From Russia With Love (1963)

James Bond has had many brutal encounters on his way to saving the world, but none quite as thrilling as this punch-up against Robert Shaw‘s assassin in a narrow train compartment. Shaw’s crime: asking for red wine with fish. That’ll teach him.

9. The Big Country (1958)
You see, men really were men back in the old days. This manly jaw-breaker between Gregory Peck and Charlton Heston goes on so long the people watching it go to bed. Even the following morning they are still slugging away at each other.

8. Kill Bill Volume 1

To us, this scene in which Uma Thurman kills off an entire army of deadly assassins is when Quentin Tarantino came of age as a director. Without his superb dialogue to help him, he still managed to come up with a superbly co-ordinated and creative fight sequence, which culminates in the spectacular demise of Lucy Liu’s character. Oh, and it’s got lots of limbs being chopped off

7. Bridget Jones’ Diary

We do feel a slight amount of shame for putting this pathetic excuse for a brawl between Bridget Jones’ would-be suitors in a list of the finest fights in movie history. But, let’s face it, we all like to think in a fight situation that we would kick ass like Bruce Lee. However, in reality we probably fight more like fucking Ang Lee

6. King Kong

King Kong kicking the crap out of three T-Rexes is the monster of all fight scenes.

5. Oldboy (2003)

Armed with just a hammer, the main character in this 2003 South Korean film has to somehow find his way past a narrow corridor cluttered with baddies trying to stop him. All in one take. It’s hammer time

4. Empire Strikes Back

It’s possibly the most iconic chapter in the entire series. After an exhausting duel with Darth Vader, Luke gets his hand cut off and is told the truth about his father. Hecklerspray remembers walking out of the cinema still in shock.

3. Happy Gilmore (1998)

After constantly bickering throughout a round of golf. Adam Sandler finally punches Bob Barker in the mouth. It leads to one of the funniest fight scenes in history. “The price is wrong, bitch.”

2. Evil Dead 2

Beaten up by your own hand – what a slap in the face that is. But that’s just what happens to hero Ash after his hand is bitten by one of the, er, evil dead. He thinks he has the final laugh when he cuts off it off with a chainsaw, but that is only the start. Very funny.

1. They Live

We’re pretty sure this is the longest fight sequence in history. It just goes on, and on, and on…

They also fought the good fight:
The Bourne Supremacy
Eastern Promises
Fight Club
Enter The Dragon
Hard Times
Predator

Comments

  1. Rob Delaney says

    “After an exhausting duel, Darth Vader gets his hand cut off and is told the truth about his father”

    You sure about that?

    Whilst darth is clearly a big fan of having his hand cut off (revenge of the Sith, Return of the Jedi), in Empire, it ain’t him.

  2. mst3kster says

    What about the epic battle scene in Office Space when Milton fights his jammed stapler?

    H8TRZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. Joke Police says

    I reckon Rusty Lee would have worked better for that Ang Lee gag.

    I’d rather take on a wacky 80s celebrity chef than the director of Crouching Tiger.

  4. David Schwartz says

    Joke Police,
    For starters, Rusty Lee would kick your ass.

    Secondly, I admit it would funnier (it was actually my first thought) but it would have been lost on our US cousins.

  6. Joke Police says

    In fairness, Rusty Lee was borderline insane – not to mention the fact that she could draw on her arsenal of culinary implements.

    For any no-UK readers out there, she was kind of the Flavor Flav of TV-based cookery.

  7. J Bollocks says

    Well, I agree with you on one point only and thank the lord it’s “They Live”

    Killer atmospheric soundtrack, and as you rightly say, one of the longest fights ever. And you know it’s real when they’re Pro-Wrestlers.

    Mind you, I hate that violet-eyed, “Faux-English?” actress.

  9. D. Chapman says

    Way of the Dragon. Bruce Lee. Chuck Norris.

    Do those names ring a bell?

    Hello?

  12. Danny says

    Are you kidding?
    You’re missing out Anakin vs Obiwan from Star Wars Ep III.
    That was epic

  15. Nicoli says

    Fight Club, Edward Norton fights himself and ends up shooting himself in the head. Should have at least made the list.

  17. HVP says

    Most of these were good fights but for they should’ve added the starwars episode III Anakin Vs. Obi won fight. Whether the movie sucked, that fight was epic beyond beleif… (as was Yoda vs. Palpatine but w/e…)

  20. GunOfSod says

    The most realistic and IMHO the best fight scene ever is Jake the Mus pub scene in Once Were Warriors, No bullshit there.

  21. Drewidian says

    Has Noone here seen Hard Boiled or the Killer? That film has some of the longest action sequences I’ve ever seen and they are purely amazing. I will grant you that they are gun fight sceenes but they are definitely far superior to some of the films on this list. And don’t forget the classic “5 Deadly Venoms or the Kid with the Golden Arms”.. come on!

  22. Dave says

    You can’t forget the rooftop fight scene in “Who am I.” That was by far the best fight scene I have ever seen in any movie

  24. Tomja says

    The glasses allow you to see the world as it really is.

    Billboards that say Coke is it! actually say CONSUME
    TV adds for cars actually say OBEY

    etc…

    Not to mention that they show the aliens that are walking amongst us.

  25. Wacth Ong Bak says

    Ong Bak is great for many of its fight scenes, whilst Warrior King is even better.
    Rubbish story lines, but man the fighting is out of this world.

  26. Paul says

    Umm sorry to say but that is a very poor list of great movies fight scenes.
    the last fight in Blazing saddles was immense
    The fight scene from “they call me trinity” with bud spencer and terrance hill
    any number of fight scenes from once upon a time in china 1,2 and 3
    the final fight scene in legend of drunken master
    the fight scene from cannonball run
    the fight between broken sword and the king in jet li’s hero(Ying xiong)
    fight club
    ohh and ofcourse ong-bak

  27. thewatcher says

    Thet live does deserve the no. 1 spot i agree, but Drunken Master 2 has a brilliant fight scene.

  28. The Dread Pirate Roberts says

    The sword fight in “The Princess Bride”……..

    “I am not left handed either”

  29. lunarcloud says

    Yes, princess bride has a much better fight than some of these.

    And you should call these the best fights in HOLLYWOOD movie history, because, honestly, martial arts films have much nicer, easier to see, and skillfull fights than these.

    Jet Li! Bruce Lee! That French film District B13! Seriously.

  33. Jack says

    Missing one of the greats here. Dont forget the epic fight between the white guy and black guy involving the running outboard motor in “The Deep”.

  34. Kilcal says

    Almost all those fight scenes suck… I cant believe you didnt even include the best fight scene ever from the movie “The Protector”. In one of the final battles, it shows tony Jaa face of against 20 or 30 men, each time breaking several of there bones in some interesting ways. The entire movie was horrible and i would still recommend it for its awesome fight scenes!

  38. smrutiranjan says

    hi ,, composer ,
    i think that kill bil , and the darth vader from the star wars sequence are good but i think that you must have added the arnolds terminator and predator sequence also , because these films also gives u a lot of adrenaline rushing in the blood.

  39. Jeroboam says

    How in the world did you manage to leave out the barroom brawl in “Shane”?!

  40. TennesseeTuxedo says

    I guess these guys have never seen “The Quiet Man”. The fight scene between John Wayne and Victor McClaglen was the best fight scene in any movie.

  41. OvenToastedKnuckleSandwich says

    Who made this list? A 12 year old emo kid? That whining pus-bag movie critic for the NYPress (Armond White)?

    The Ninth Configuration (Stacy Keach takes on a biker gang at the end)

  42. Dudley Smith says

    Was getting worried They Live wouldn’t be on there as I scrolled down. It was the first one I thought of when I saw this list. But no Quiet Man?

  43. SuperMatt says

    What about the fight scene from the Jackie Chan weird movie “city hunter” where not only do they dress up like street fighter characters, later a man kicks a playing card into a soldier’s head and kills him. Hilarious!!!

  44. Mike Bryant says

    The fight scene at the mud pit in McClintock is a classsic, as is the Quiet Man

  46. Lorenzo100 says

    Fearless, the battle in the Chinese Restaurant between Jet Li and whoever plays its opponent. Ends up in a killer punch in the chest, the fight is raw and technically perfect !

    At least number 5, I’d say…

  47. Philip T says

    Wayne was king of the fight scenes, esp in movies like The Spoilers, where he fought tooth-and-nail with Randolph Scott in a fist fight that just went on & on & on.

  50. John Davis says

    Are you kidding. You haven’t mentioned ‘The Quiet Man’ or the 1942 version of ‘The Spoilers’