Action / Fight / Battle Scenes

RopeDrink

Are you like me? Do you sometimes, out of sheer boredom or passing interest, look up the action scenes for films, or maybe just browse through the related videos on YouTube to see what the action is like in some films you haven't seen?

Wether you are or not, I'm often mildly frustrated to admit that my opinion of some movies can be completely flipped if, at the very least, the action is good - Tripe movie, but yeah, brain on the doorstep, have an eyefest of some kick-arse action, "Yeah that wasn't too bad I guess... It was ****, but not bad!"

Example being "Firewall", overall terrible movie, but really enjoyed the end fight scene, can't bloody find a clip of it anywhere except a silly "Harrison Killcount" video just showing typical goon-henchmen getting mashed up by an aged Harrison Ford.

It's not that I'm an avid action movie fan (I do typically enjoy a good action flick admittedly, more than full on Drama's at least [For the record, Horror is my favourite genre] ) but I do find my enjoyment of films do often get influenced by action in general.

In terms of action/fight scenes, I really don't enjoy things like Equilibrium or TheMatrix (Yes, I do like the fight scenes and the movies themselves, but action built entirely on the premise of floating around just doesn't do it for me and I say that as someone who would still throw in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon as having some great action scenes), mostly prefer either going full on fantasy (Lord of the Rings) or pretty traditional fisticuffs where people don't take 200 times more of a beating than any human can take and still has the time to throw out a corny line without a scratch on their face and just cause major cheesy rolleyes :rolleyes:

War films also slot in there - The scenes in Saving Private Ryan for example, a big example of what I'm trying to convey - Now that is one long movie but it's not just wall to wall action, it's slotted in at key points and is, for want of a better word, mostly realistic with no cookie OTT nonsense.

What does ACTION in movies do for you and (LETS PLEASE TRY TO AVOID MAKING THIS A LIST THREAD: "*Insert Link* /Leave Thread") tell me what, for you, made for very memorable action scenes.


Firstly something very predictable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZgKo46X8CI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOC-E3qIsUQ --- Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mojGryKRPo --- Part 3

When I first saw this movie, I was just stunned - Looking back at it now, it's still one of the most memorable intro's to a movie I've ever seen. Brutal, gutteral portrayal of War and you can't imagine how anyone could have gone through seeing what these people have seen and still truck on, I'd have been cowering behind anything I remotely deemed as safe and that would have been my contribution The camera point of view making a B-Line up the beach, taking a passing glance at a fallen comrade and not looking back was a nice touch, one that Spielberg mentioned in his interviews as unplanned, but thats how good it was, to have a bloke legging it up the scene with all this carnage going on around and catching some nasty moments. Has a few predictable bits but nothing cringeworthy, I do think it'll serve the test of time.



I'm a big Lethal Weapon fan - I fondly remember the end fight in LW4 despite it being somewhat typical. Ultimately they always were Action/Comedy movies so it was amusing to see Jet Li's introduction to Hollywood (afaik) as a very mortal (No unstoppable flying shinanigans) Triad/Baddy - Meanwhile the aged Murtaugh and the ageing Rigg's take him on and give a relatively decent fight scene coupled with some 'not meant to be funny but it is funny' moments. Basically it's nothing fantastic but it filled out all the right tones of what the movie is, and thats just fun, action/comedy - Rigg's throwing out those headbutts midway to me was the most hilarious thing I've seen in a while.

Sadly when I first bought the film it was heavily cut (Taking quite a large chunk of scenes from the fight (and the movie in general) so the uncut version is a bit longer and more amusing.


SPOILER: Don't watch it if you intend to every see LW4, it is pretty much the conclusive fight of the movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_v1nB8ylP4

Sad Professor

I'm not a big fan of the current trend of action scenes that are attempting to be kinetic and failing miserably. It's great when it's done properly, but when it isn't it just turns the film into a incomprehensible mess.

A lot of people complain about the style of action in the Bourne movies (rapid fire cuts, shaky cam), but to Greengrass's credit he knows exactly what he's doing and does it well. Compare this to The Expendables where Stallone just told the editor "faster, faster, faster" as if that is all that is required to make a frantic action scene.

mike65

Sad Professor wrote: »

I'm not a big fan of the current trend of action scenes that are attempting to be kinetic and failing miserably. It's great when it's done properly, but when it isn't it just turns the film into a incomprehensible mess.

Not an big action pic but I was watching Taken the other night and the physical assaults were so "chopped up" it got quite wearying towards the end. In the old days (cue violin) the gratuitous violence unfolded at much more sedate pace with little editing and was all the better for it.

In recent years my favouite big set piece is Children of Men and the "battle of
Bexhill", okay there was some digital trickery to sustain the illusion of a single
take but its still impressive for its use of environment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saGaBJMqQo8

mike65

Its on ITV4 pretty often.

The Mad Hatter

I'm a huge fan of long takes. I'm not much into action, but I do enjoy the odd martial arts scene or similar where we can really see the skill of the people involved.

For no reason other than I was reading about it recently, one that springs to mind is the swordfight from The Princess Bride, where both of the male leads trained to fence before shooting started.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7zvffHu_wo

I'd also like to go on the record and say that I thought the action scenes in The Matrix Reloaded were just as good as those in The Matrix, but for one important detail: they were far too damn long.

The fast-cut style of action scene, I admit, does a better job of creating the tension required, but I can't think of any particular stand-out scenes in this style in any film I've seen.

krudler

If you want to see some kickass battle scenes watch Assembly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmIpofVmhhc

there must have seen some seriously deaf stuntmen with how many explosions were going off so close to them in those scens

Sad Professor

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

The fast-cut style of action scene, I admit, does a better job of creating the tension required, but I can't think of any particular stand-out scenes in this style in any film I've seen.

I think the Moscow car chase sequence from Bourne Supremacy is as good as it gets. The editing is ridiculously fast and the camera is shaking all over the place, but Greengrass holds the audience's attention even if he gives them a headache in the process. If you are going to do rapid-cut kinetic action, this is how you should do it.

In contrast, Quantum of Solace's opening car chase is terrible. Even though it's clearly trying to follow Bourne's example, it just doesn't work. There's no rhythm to the editing and the continuity is all over the place, making it feel more like a music video/montage/commercial for Aston Martin than an action sequence.

I think good continuity is essential for this style of action to work. The editing is so fast that the director can't afford for the audience to become distracted. TDK's mostly excellent armoured car chase sequence is marred by poor continuity and some dodgy visual geography as well.

ricero

Have to say casino royale has some excellent fight/chase/action scenes and craig is brilliant in them. The free running chase scene is bloody brilliant edge of the seat stuff and the stair well fight is as gritty and real as you can get. Craigs so ruthless and intense it all seems perfect in that scene

Sad Professor

+1 about Casino Royale.

And unlike QoS, the editing in Casino Royale was brilliantly done. Stuart Baird edited it - excellent editor, he did most of Richard Donner's films. The fact that Campbell was an experienced action director didn't hurt either.

krudler

RopeDrink wrote: »

Couldn't get past 20 seconds, the camera is just ridiculous and ruins it completely, shaking for absolutely no reason, just constant forceful wavering for the sake of it - Terrible.

Its one of the best war movies in years, your loss

and the camera shakes for no less of a reason than it does in Saving Private Ryan,to convey confusion and the chaos going on around the soldiers.

krudler

I love this scene, its missing the fantastic tracking shot at the beginning where the camera follows the chopper down to road level, but the stunt at 36secs is just utter insanity, the chopper pilot BARELY makes its over the bridge, and its all real, in this day and age cgi would be used and it wouldnt look half as convincing.

T2 is one gigantic action scene after the other, its the perfect blend of live action stunts and cgi enchanced effects, god I miss real stunts, be happy that directors like Christopher Nolan only use cgi sparingly

Sanjuro

The rain-drenched village battle in Seven Samurai. Pure class.

Sanjuro

RopeDrink wrote: »

Please explain why (No Listing).

Oh yeah. Sorry. Well, for me, it's just beautifully shot. The darkness and rain are gorgeous. There's no music, and no cinematic tricks. So there's a sense of reality that is sorely missing from a lot of action films these days. And for some reason, the shot where Takashi Shimura draws back the bow to take a shot just really kicks ass. The film is lauded as the archetype for most of the action films that came after it. If more sequences were handled like the rain battle, action movies wouldn't be so pedestrian and dull these days.

Cantona's Collars

District13 and it's sequel,both French movies but so full of action even the most die hard subtitle hater won't mind.The free running and martial arts sequences are brilliantly done.
On the subject of martial arts action check out Ong Bak.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAYUv9wjV48

krudler

Ong Bak is awesome, I love the long single shot one from the sequel, its a massive sequence all done in one take, must have been a nightmare to shoot:

Sad Professor

Shaky cam is excellent when it's used properly. But like the close-up or any other filmmaking device, if the whole film is shot that way it loses it's effect and means nothing.

I think one of the best uses of shaky cam is in Se7en. The reason that it's so effective is because most of the camerawork in the film is very stable, so when Fincher decides to go handheld an hour into the film and the camera goes barrelling down the hallway after Brad Pitt as he chases John Doe, it makes for an extremely intense sequence.

ReacherCreature

krudler wrote: »

I love this scene, its missing the fantastic tracking shot at the beginning where the camera follows the chopper down to road level, but the stunt at 36secs is just utter insanity, the chopper pilot BARELY makes its over the bridge, and its all real, in this day and age cgi would be used and it wouldnt look half as convincing.

T2 is one gigantic action scene after the other, its the perfect blend of live action stunts and cgi enchanced effects, god I miss real stunts, be happy that directors like Christopher Nolan only use cgi sparingly

The scene where the T-800 moves from the pickup with M4 in hand up to the truck and empties the clip into the Terminator is just quality fun. Never fails to excite me.

I can't get on to YouTube (stupid verification) but the gunfight in the Fever nightclub in Collateralis probably my favourite action scene in recent memory. Sound, action and camera all come together. Cruise looks like a professional firing his pistols (received acclaim) and he wipes the floor with the opposition. Will throw up a link when I can. Well worth looking for yourself.

krudler

ReacherCreature wrote: »

The scene where the T-800 moves from the pickup with M4 in hand up to the truck and empties the clip into the Terminator is just quality fun. Never fails to excite me.

I can't get on to YouTube (stupid verification) but the gunfight in the Fever nightclub in Collateralis probably my favourite action scene in recent memory. Sound, action and camera all come together. Cruise looks like a professional firing his pistols (received acclaim) and he wipes the floor with the oppostion. Will throw up a link when I can. Well worth looking for yourself.

Mann demands actors learn how to use guns properly, I love the scene where Cruise shoots the two guys trying to take the briefcase in the alley, he drops both of them in a split second. for Heat the actors had to do weeks of weapons training, I think it was Andy McNab who trained them, and I read an interview someone once where they showed it to a bunch of Marines who went crazy at the scene where Kilmer reloads his gun in an instant during the shootout on the street as he did it so quickly and accurately.

stuck the Collateral scenes up: the shootout starts about 2min50 into this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cG1uw25rbo

and heres the scene where he shoots the wannabe thieves:

krudler

Sad Professor wrote: »

Shaky cam is excellent when it's used properly. But like the close-up or any other filmmaking device, if the whole film is shot that way it loses it's effect and means nothing.

I think one of the best uses of shaky cam is in Se7en. The reason that it's so effective is because most of the camerawork in the film is very stable, so when Fincher decides to go handheld an hour into the film and the camera goes barrelling down the hallway after Brad Pitt as he chases John Doe, it makes for an extremely intense sequence.

I love that scene, the music is brilliant and the chase is really well done, especially the end of it through the city streets and when Doe has Mills cornered, that shot of the barrel of the gun pressed against his head as the rain is dropping down and we cant see Doe's face is superb.

edit: this one:

Pepe LeFrits

RopeDrink? Holy blast from the past Batman!

Dick Burns

one my all time favourite fight scenes is in AVP 1 when the alien queen has the young female cornered in a boneyard and the predator leaps into air in slow mo and stabs the alien queen in the neck looked awesome!!

Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange

Sad Professor

ReacherCreature wrote: »

the gunfight in the Fever nightclub in Collateralis probably my favourite action scene in recent memory. Sound, action and camera all come together. Cruise looks like a professional firing his pistols (received acclaim) and he wipes the floor with the oppostion.

The choreography in Mann's films is always second to none. Whether it's shooting, fighting, boxing, dancing, his attention to detail is impeccable. The action sequences in The Last of the Mohicans are brilliant. Mann really puts most action directors to shame.

krudler wrote: »

I love that scene, the music is brilliant and the chase is really well done, especially the end of it through the city streets and when Doe has Mills cornered, that shot of the barrel of the gun pressed against his head as the rain is dropping down and we cant see Doe's face is superb.

Yeah, I love that shot. Pure Fincher.

ReacherCreature

krudler wrote: »

Mann demands actors learn how to use guns properly, I love the scene where Cruise shoots the two guys trying to take the briefcase in the alley, he drops both of them in a split second. for Heat the actors had to do weeks of weapons training, I think it was Andy McNab who trained them, and I read an interview someone once where they showed it to a bunch of Marines who went crazy at the scene where Kilmer reloads his gun in an instant during the shootout on the street as he did it so quickly and accurately.

There's a video on YouTube too about Cruise's training to be proficient with the weapons he uses.

Heat is in the same boat as Collateral, the choreography is top notch. The gun play is superb. McNab was involved you're right and probably some others as it's incredibly professional looking. A drill sergeant with the Marines said to the boys that if they couldn't reload as fast as Kilmer did, he wants them out of his Corps, he chuckled but I'll bet there was an element of seriousness in his voice!

Sad Professor wrote: »

Mann really puts most action directors to shame.

Other directors would want to take a leaf out of Mann's book, there's no reason not to (okay, barring finances). I cringe when I see a character in an "action" movie fire well over the 30 rounds in a supposed clip or if the actor handles the guns awful. It isn't the actors fault, the production crew should cop on and do their research.

krudler

ReacherCreature wrote: »

There's a video on YouTube too about Cruise's training to be proficient with the weapons he uses.

Heat is in the same boat as Collateral, the choreography is top notch. The gun play is superb. McNab was involved you're right and probably some others as it's incredibly professional looking. A drill sergeant with the Marines said to the boys that if they couldn't reload as fast as Kilmer did, he wants them out of his Corps, he chuckled but I'll bet there was an element of seriousness in his voice!



Other directors would want to take a leaf out of Mann's book, there's no reason not to (okay, barring finances). I cringe when I see a character in an "action" movie fire well over the 30 rounds in a supposed clip or if the actor handles the guns awful. It isn't the actors fault, the production crew should cop on and do their research.

Miami Vice is a great example of it as well, realistic sounding gunshots and people having to reload constantly instead of just spraying all the time.

The Ong Bak 2 clip that kudler posted was the exact same one that I was going to post myself - when you look at it from a technical standpoint, it is absolutely amazing - each stunt had to be perfectly choreographed and timed, otherwise the whole thing had to be done from the very beginning. I really hope the cameraman who shot it won an award for his efforts!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcQaB_c6yjc

I believe that the corridor sequence in Inception was a very important scene in modern cinema - it proves that a movie doesn't need to use OTT computer graphics to both look absolutely amazing and also, more importantly, become a box office hit! It is also impressive to know that Joseph Gordon Levitt did a lot of the stunts himself, so for this reason I think it should be included along with the others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ74TF51H-Q

While it wasn't a critical success, I like Taken's fight scenes. They were quite well choreographed and showed a completely new side to Liam Neeson who, at 59 years of age, shows that he can keep up with the new generation of action heroes. These scenes were gritty and realistic and they looked like they hurt like hell.

Sad Professor

Oh and re: long take action scenes, the recent one in The Secret In Their Eyes is pretty mind-blowing. It was probably several shorter takes added together with a bit of digital trickery, but even so, it's brilliantly choreographed and designed.

Skerries

a recent film that has some excellent fight scenes featuring MMA fighters is Universal Soldier:Regeneration
it stars Dolph and JVCD again but is a much darker film than the original and the action is way better, more realistic and not ott

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtfrY5mWCkw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXpF3fQ3lVc

Duggy747

Every now and again I do get notions to look up some martial arts movies like Jackie Chans older movies which had some really incredible fight sequences. That guy is a hard little bastard and when you hear of the damage he's done to himself during stunts but still carries on to finish the shot is incredible.

Instead of listing them all, here's a top 10 list of his fight scenes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1cHynIXweE

A more recent martial arts film was IP Man, there's a sequel but I didn't find it to be quite as good as the first film. Really has some stunning choreography.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g6jc_9OzhI

ReacherCreature

The above video. Ughh his knee!

ReacherCreature

I think I'm scarred enough thanks!

razorblunt

I think the final battle in Saving Private Ryan is very very under-rated. I remember my first time seeing it, I was getting knots in my stomach watching them wait listening to the music and then the feeling of impending doom as the German tanks are heard in the distance.

you have the knife through the heart, the "sticky" bomb being held to long and exploding, sniper in the tower, to the last salvo by the bombers a little cliched but brilliant none the less

krudler

razorblunt wrote: »

I think the final battle in Saving Private Ryan is very very under-rated. I remember my first time seeing it, I was getting knots in my stomach watching them wait listening to the music and then the feeling of impending doom as the German tanks are heard in the distance.

you have the knife through the heart, the "sticky" bomb being held to long and exploding, sniper in the tower, to the last salvo by the bombers a little cliched but brilliant none the less

I love the sound of the approaching tanks, you can hear it for ages beforehand on a decent surround setup or headphones.

Band of Brothers has some fantastic action setpieces as well, the assault on the gun trenches in episode 2, the whole of the Bastogne episode (with Spiers having the best moment in the entire series taking the town) the Market Garden episode, the list goes on.

ReacherCreature

Has been spoken about quite a bit so this is recommended viewing:

bodhrandude

Well thanks to the link from the death of action cinema thread I thought I would bump and post on this one. For me one of the greatest car chase flicks, the lesser known The Driver from 1978. Its worth it to sit through the boring story lines with Ryan O Neal for the driving sequences which are pretty hairy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tna4pz2qkXs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTpJuDsVyQE

fitz0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wha0brbb_44

This is my favourite fight scene, shot in one long take with only the knife added by CG. A fantastic movie in general but this fight scene is nothing short of fantastic.

e_e

The battle scene that takes up much of the second half of 13 Assassins.

There's more humor, passion, character development, horror and intensity in this sequence than in most whole movies. Michael Bay would be green with envy watching it.

Laserface

good thread.. +1 for Children of Men & Saving Private Ryan. great scenes in them.

my own favourites are Mel Gibson.. Braveheart, Apocalypto and sure throw in the first mad max film there as well since he's in it.

i think he's far too overlooked. an absolute legend. Apocalypto almost suffocated me first time i saw it.. took about 4 breaths during the whole film. an action masterpiece

fitz0

e_e wrote: »

Michael Bay would be green with envy watching it.

That's hardly an endorsement :pac:

Tazium

Danny the Dog or Unleashed as it was here. This is compilation of the fight scenes. So don't watch it if you'd like to see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4OKvc-eOpM