There have been many action films that have gone under the radar. Some don’t have that oneactionsequence to get action junkies talking. There have been memorable action scenes that have made an impact. There are certain criteria for iconic, unforgettable action sequences, and one is the length of the scene. A skilled director can prolong a thrilling sequence for maximum impact.
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There is always an adrenaline rush that comes with watching action scenes, especially if they are executed well. Whether characters are jumping out of planes, leading an army of misfits, or fighting their best friend, there are action scenes that have left their mark and have been impossible to beat in the last decade.
Kingsman: The Secret Service —Church Massacre
Kingsman: The Secret Servicehas such a strong cast of characters. Fans of theKingsmangraphic novels praisedMatthew Vaughnbecause of how well he adapted certain action pieces. The one scene that had everyone talking is the infamous church scene. Harry Hart (Colin Firth) goes to the church to see if he can stop Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) from activating his SIM card.
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As Harry is about to leave, Valentine activates the SIM cards for everyone, and the frequency ends up affecting Harry as well. The song “Free Bird” byLynyrd Skynyrdcomes on, and Harry Hart ends up going on a murdering spree in the church. The camera moves with each swift attack, which makes for a unique action set piece. Harry kills more than 20 people in five minutes. It is just unrelenting because he finds new objects to use for the kills.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier —Winter Soldier vs. Cap
Many Marvel fans still haveCaptain America: The Winter Soldierin their top fiveMCUfilms. In most action films the story and the action need to have a balance, and it felt likeJoe and Anthony Russoknew how to structure this film. The fight scene betweenCaptain America(Chris Evans) and The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) made an impact because of the importance of the reveal.
This six-minute fight scene went from the highway to the streets within seven minutes. The Winter Soldier fought Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Cap without even getting a scratch on him. The tight fight choreography gave the MCU a new look that changed action scenes in the MCU moving forward, depending on the power set of the hero.
Mission Impossible: Fallout —Halo Jump
Tom Cruisedoes the majority of his stunts in theMission Impossiblefilms, so when he decided to do the Halo jump inMission Impossible: Fallouton his own, the stakes felt higher. The reason why the stunts in anyMIfilm keep fans at the edge of their seat is that the audience knows that Tom Cruise is performing these stunts.
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InFallout,the Halo jump was performed while a thunderstorm was happening, and Ethan Hunt (Cruise) had to help Walker (Henry Cavill)with the oxygen in his suit in midair. It’s a high-stakes situation with a skilled diver on and off the screen. Tom Cruise never fails to impress audiences with his ability to try new things in eachMission: Impossiblefilm, and that’s what makes this long skydive a memorable one.
Atomic Blonde— Stairwell Fight
Action junkies were buzzing after watching this movie because of the seven-minute-long hallway stairwell fight scene that felt like it was neverending.Charlize Theronmade her mark as one ofthe best female action stars, even before she played Lorraine Broughton, and she completely exceeded expectations in this movie.
When watching the stairwell fight scene, audiences could feel the fatigue from Theron, and that’s what made this long fight so grounded in the reality of the situation. Each time she fought a new attacker, it was planned out seamlessly, soDavid Leitchcould keep the action going from section to section.Leitch is one of the best action filmmakers working rightnow because he knows how to frame his fights for maximum excitement.
John Wick— Red Circle Club
Many have talked about the firstJohn Wickover and over because of the difference in the quality of the action scenes. Once a director presents something new to the genre, it can feel like others try to emulate it but can’t achieve the same style. The seven-minute Red Circle club action scene showcases John Wick’s abilities and how he moves before he makes the kill.
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Wick slowly moves on his victim and takes his time with each kill. Even when fighting any of the men in the club, the fight choreography has martial arts mixed in to make it nice and neat. This entire scene is executed so well, and you get to see different sides of John Wick (Keanu Reeves) with each encounter as he moves through the club.
Creed— Eight-Minute Fight in the Ring
A spin-off centered on Apollo Creed’s son was the right way to go.Creed,directed byRyan Coogler, restarted the franchise and brought even more people intoRocky’sring of fans. Coogler managed to have a fresh take on the legacy of the character, and what it meant to be a Creed. It came through in Adonis' (Michael B. Jordan) training, and even in the ring as Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) coached him through.
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Coogler made this eight-minute fight in the ring feel uniquely grand, like a pay-per-view fight. The way he cut to different perspectives, with people watching in and out of the ring, and to even get a close-up POV of Adonis Creed in the ring, all while making it look like an actual match on television was impressive.
The Revenant— The Bear Attack
One of the most brutal scenes to ever be on-screen happened inThe Revenant.Leonardo DiCapriohas many fans,and his work in this film was clearly appreciated because he did win an Oscarfor how physical this was. The way the six-minute bear fight scene was shot made the viewer feel like they were there with DiCaprio. The camera was right there with him and the bear came close to killing him.
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DirectorAlejandro González Iñárritubuilt so much tension because of the lonely atmosphere he created. Anything could have jumped out at any moment and that’s why the bear scene made that much of an impact. The bear just didn’t hold back, and viewers could feel the aggression and the force as it went after DiCaprio in the forest.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League— History Lesson
There were plenty of reasons why fans were looking forward toZack Snyder’s Justice League,and the six-minute history lesson with all the gods was one of them.Zack Snyderhas always shown appreciation for ancient mythology and lore in his films, so to do that with superheroes was something special.
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The history lesson with one of the most intimidatingDCvillains,Darkseid(Ray Porter), had strong visuals and some Easter eggs. The fight for the mother boxes had different groups of people coming together to fight, andwe saw different heroes in action. They all came together, unified, to defeat Darkseid and to keep the mother boxes safe.
Ready Player One— Final Virtual Battle
Steven Spielbergknows as well as any filmmaker how to construct a grand fight scene, here with some of the most iconic characters ever.Ready Player Oneis such a fun movie because of the balance of new-age technology and nostalgia. Spielbergstructured this final “virtual” six-minute battle with popular characters popping up to fight each other and Parzival (Tye Sheridan).
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From seeing theDeloreanin action again to theIron Giant, this final battle had so many characters coming together to save the Oasis. The story is engaging because Spielberg did a great job in getting non-book readers to enjoy the concept ofReady Player One.
Edge of Tomorrow— First Battle Scene
The first battle scene inEdge of Tomorrowlasts five minutes and sets the tone for the rest of the film.It’s considered one of the best live-action anime adaptations to date.It’s interesting to watch a film backwards to get the different pieces of information. It does feel like the audience has entered a video game and has to assemble the pieces themselves.
Directed byDoug Liman, the remarkable sequence showed the different robotics used on the battlefield, and it was through the eyes of Cage (Tom Cruise). The viewer could sense the gravity of the situation because he was seeing everything for the first time as well.
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