Quite often in films, there is a chase sequence. Most of the time it involves a couple of cars – the bad guy trying to get away from the good; or vice-versa. Sometimes it is more than one car (Italian Job) and other times there aren’t even cars involved at all, but trucks, ships or something else entirely. Here are my ten (or 12) favorite chase sequences:
12) Terminator 2: Judgement Day
- – The T-1000 drives a semi truck off a bridge in an effort to kill John Connor who is frantically trying to escape on his little 100cc dirtbike through the dried up spillways of Los Angeles. Luckily Arnie saves the day on his Harley. Nothing overly special; just an exciting scene utilizing unique vehicles and characters in an equally unique environment. This is pure diesel power at 100 MPH.
11) Face/Off
- – When our hero and villain “face-off” in a couple of Scarabs on the open water. It’s just a fun boat chase with high intensity unrealistic action. Boats jumping and exploding: always a good thing.
10) The Matrix Reloaded
- – The high speed chase down the expressway is VERY fast and very intense with some pretty interesting characters that help make the chase that much more memorable. Major crash ups with a lot at stake. The only thing keeping this from being higher on the list is the obvious use of too much CGI. Had it been more “real”, it’d be higher on the list.
9) Tomorrow Never Dies
- – We’ve seen James Bond in car chases a hundred times with his unique cars and gadgets. Here though, 007 drives his car using a smal iPod-like device while laying on the floor in the back seat. Screaming around a parking garage shooting missiles and evading obstacles and booby traps is one of the more memorable Bond sequences ever.
8 ) The Bourne Supremacy
- – The way Greengrass is able to pull this off in such a believable manner is fascinating. It’s intense as hell because we have the camera inside the car as both vehicle and passenger take massively huge hits from oncoming and side traffic.
7) Deja-Vu
- – This chase isn’t even really a chase. But it’s easily the most original and innovative car “chase” I can think of. Denzel is chasing a guy that was there 102 hours ago using advanced, “see into the past” technology. It’s a total mind trip and exciting as hell. Especially given what is on the line. One of the best sequences of 2006.
6) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- – The mine shaft chase on carts. So much fun, because they can’t steer and they can’t slow down. Some track missing? Tough luck, you’ll have to jump the tracks. With agents of death hot on their trail, Indy has to be as innovative as ever to get away. Did I mention they’re riding over molten lava?
5) Raiders of the Lost Ark
- – Once again Indy finds himself in a tight spot and must be innovative. And innovative he is in one of the most iconic images of the decade… maybe ever, as Indy goes UNDER the moving truck to come up safe on the back end. Yeah.
4) The French Connection
- – It’s been a while, but I remember the chase through NYC; weaving and dodging traffic and the narrow lanes beneath the L trains as Hackman tries desperately to keep up with the fast moving train in his Pontiac GTO. Some narrow misses and near death for a baby in a stroller made this one a chase to remember.
3) Bullitt
- – My dad told me to watch Bullitt for the car chase, so I did. Man, he was right. Through the streets of San Fran over those huge hills, Steve McQueen and his speed machine gets some serious air. Not the best chase ever, but it probably was at the time. And damn cool it is.
2) Return of the Jedi
- – To this day when I ride my parents’ 4-Wheeler through the woods at top speed I recite lines to myself from the speeder bike chase in Jedi. How fast do you think they’re going in that movie? 100? 200 mph? Maybe more? Impossible with all that foilage and those huge trees of Endor, but no less of a thrill.
1) Ronin
- – Wow. This sequence seems to just go on forever and the speed at which DeNiro drives through those narrow streets is absolutely gripping. I remember my teeth nearly breaking as I gritted my jaw together so tightly and I kept looking for the seat belt on my theater chair. The most exciting and well choreographed chase scene I’ve ever seen. Brilliant.
honorable mention must go to Ben-Hur. It’s not a chase sequence technically, because it is a race, not a chase. Still, it’s exciting and gruesome as hell. I still have seen nothing like it to this day. I would’ve paid top dollar back in the day to watch a chariot race like that.
ahem…. where would Death Proof be? There is just something about a chase seen in the middle of nowhere with lots of room around to move that I really like. Even if you took Zoe Bell off the hood it would still be a great chase scene.
No Love for NARC? Point Break? Stay Tuned? (Admittedly these are all foot chases)
Gotta love the insanity of The Blues Brothers cop car shuffle (and I’m a fan of the brief but hilarious one in Midnight Run)
I think I have the most nostalgia for THE FRENCH CONNECTION CHASE though.
Furthermore, the Tuk-Tuk (three-wheeled minicabs) chase in ONG-BAK is a classic!
The moment someone does a 100-200 person SEGWAY chase in a film I’ll be in heaven! The flirted that it might happen in Tony Jaa’s Tom Yum Goong (aka The Protector), but alas, it was just a tease.
I liked the closer chase in DEATH PROOF (“please don’t dead end. Please don’t Dead End. Please Don’t Dead End!”)
On and I’ll close on those funky vehicles in TRON.
John,
Ha. Yes, “Death Proof” should actually be in the top 3. Just between you and me (and everyone who reads these comments), I wrote this list back before I saw Death Proof.
As for Tron, the light cycles might’ve made the list 20 years ago. Now, I think it’s just kind of hokey. Loved that part of the game though.
Blue Bros is a good one though.
Haven’t seen Ong-Bak – *reddens in the face*
It’s still infuriates me that they don’t tell us what’s in the freakin’ briefcase at the end of “Ronin” and yes, great scene.
I rented “Vanishing Point” after seeing “Death Proof” and holy mother – that movie is so much more deserving than ‘Grindhouse’. It’s not just a great chase scene from beginning to end; there’s actually a pretty decent story in there as well.
I realise that it was made for TV but Spielberg’s “Duel” with the dude being chased (hunted) down by a semi is nothing short of brilliant.
I was just about to bitch about the lack of Death Proof. Especially if ‘real’ is a criteria for being good, Death Proof easily kicks ROTJ’s ass.
I’m not big on chase scenes myself, I usually find them tediously boring and creatively uninteresting. Death Proof is one that much to my surprise entertained me for the most part.
The inclusion of Ben Hur is sweet. There was a good chariot race/chase scene in “The Fall of the Roman Empire” as well.
So glad to see Ronin at the top because that has to be one of my favorite car chase scenes ever. Just amazing. And the Bourne chase as well. And of course, Death Proof. I will be seeing Vanishing Point very soon.
I know I bring this movie up more than it really should be mentioned but I really recommend checking out A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. The chase scene is pretty hilarious yet also done really well.
Cool list. Although no vehicles involved, I loved the chase sequence in Apocalypto. Raising Arizona had a fun one too.
That trackback link above his comment is hilarious. Someone took the time to completely translate this post into Spanish.
Anyway PRIMAL,
Totally forgot about the “Raising Arizona” foot chase. Good call. And the “Apocalypto” one is good too. Not in my top 10, but I liked that movie alot.
Although not a car chase, this is got to be one of the craziest car related high speed pieces of insanity caught on film.
“C’était un Rendez-vous” was a short film made in 1976 by Claude Lelouche. It is highspped reckless driving throught the streets of Paris.
INSANE
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169173/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLC3-BciWlk
Oh, and totally forgot the 1000′s Brides chase from Buster Keaton’s 7 Chances. It was apparently the inspiration for the ‘boulder’ sequence for Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The jist of it is that Keaton’s character has only a few hours to marry a woman and then he’ll inherit Millions of $$$ from a convoluted will. A buddy of his takes out an ad in the paper for brides to appear at a certain church in full bridal regalia. Keaton falls asleep waiting for them, when he wakes up all the brides are there, about 1000 of ‘em. They fight amoungst themselves before chasing Keaton cross country, thru water, bees, down a pine tree, before culminating in hundreds of boulders rolling down a hill while Keaton dodges them. It may just be the most over-the-top foot chase ever filmed!
Sweet.
(I wish the Seven Chances chase was on You Tube, but it aint.)
Oh yes colleeny, I’ve seen that. The scariest thing about it is that it’s real. No closed off streets, no choreography; just a guy going fast.
thats why I think its just about the craziest car thing I’ve watched. Its been described as an attempted snuff film on wheels.
Other than that, My vote is for Bullit. Steve McQueen Rules.
Where’s Pee Wee’s Big Adventure?
I’ve always thought the car chase in Ronin was (and I hate to use this expression) over-rated. It’s good on a purely technical level but it’s uninvolving. There’s no stakes.
Where’s Blow Out?
I seem to recall John Woo Doing a great chase in one of his hong kong films but I don’t recall which one. Anyone know?
Also, Children of Men, Raising Arizona, did Passolini ever do a car chase?
How can the scene from the 7-ups not be included on this list!?
Come on.