What is the best action movie fight scene? A top 10 list

By Michael Vass | August 20, 2010

After going over the kills of the cast of The Expendables, I started to wonder. What action movie star had the best kill scene? Who had the best fight scene? There is no question that there is a lot to consider to make a conclusion.

To make this a bit easier I have decided to limit the potential winners to movies make from 1980 up till today. The majority of action films with spectacular fight/kill scenes really only happened after the 80′s excess. That is not to say that Errol Flynn, in say The Adventures of Robin Hood, did not have great fight scenes. But it does not really have the same rush that say Bruce Willis shooting Alan Rickman out of a skyscraper has. Plus it’s my question so my rules – so there.

Seriously though. What are the best action fight/kill scenes?

There is of course the above mentioned Die Hard finale between Alan Rickman and Bruce Willis. There is the fight between Michael Bein and Arnold Schwartzenegger (as the Terminator) in The Terminator. There is Sigourney Weaver versus the Alien Queen in Aliens. How do you choose?

Well here is my list of the best. Please let me know if you think they should be ranked differently, or if I missed any movies/scenes that need to be in the top 10.

Matt Damon vs Italian spy (or at the US Embassy) in Bourne Identity
Jason Statham versus 4 guys in The Transporter
Bruce Willis vs Maggie Q in Live Free or Die Hard
Timothy Olyphant vs 4 assassins in Hitman
Uma Thurman vs the Crazy 88 (or Daryl Hannah) in Kill Bill
Keanu Reeves vs Hugo Weaving in The Matrix: Revolutions
Brad Pitt vs Anjolina Jolie in Mr & Mrs. Smith
Carrie-Anne Moss vs 4 cops in The Matrix
Christian Bale vs Angus Macfadyen in Equilibrium
Sigourney Weaver vs the Alien Queen in Aliens

Notable mentions:

Wesley Snipes vs nameless guards in penthouse scene of Blade Trinity

Keanu Reaves vs programs at Merovingian’s house in Matrix: Reloaded

Michael Biehn (and other Space Marines) vs Aliens, in Terraforming plant, in Aliens

Spartans vs Persians in 300

Anakin Skywalker vs Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

Jackie Chan vs Brad Allen (I forgot the name of the film)

Yanin “Jeeja” Vismistananda in Chocolate (Thai) – all of her fight scenes

Of course Bruce Lee vs Bob Wall (as O’Hara) in Enter The Dragon is the best, because Bruce Lee was the real deal and seriously busted up Wall at the end of the fight with his real kick [the one that knocks wall into the bystanders].

Well that’s my list. Do you agree? Did I miss a movie?

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