BoxOffice.com's top 20 action scenes of all time (VOTING IS CLOSED)

[Plain Old Tele]

Inspired by Sims' work with the Top 100 list... anyone interested in contributing a list of their 20 greatest action scenes of all time? It has to be a fully self-contained scene or sequence... intercutting is fine, but that has to be part of the whole overall sequence. (So, for example, if you include the whole Darth Maul/Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon fight, you have to include Amidala storming the castle and Anakin in space).1. 10 points2. 6 points3. 5 points4. 4 points5. 3 points6-10. 2 points11-20. 1 pointI'll tally 'em via PM if enough people are interested.

Edited September 7, 2013 by Telemachos

[XenoZodiac]

I believe this has already been done?

[Plain Old Tele]

I believe this has already been done?

Oh, has it? I wouldn't be surprised. Can someone bump the old thread again? Or shall we just do a 2013 version?

[ChD]

Oh, has it? I wouldn't be surprised. Can someone bump the old thread again? Or shall we just do a 2013 version?

 

Do a 2013 version. The more, the better.

[Jared Miller]

Good idea, I'd contribute. I'm not sure I could make it to 20, but I have some coming to mind already for sure.

[chasmmi]

I think Stingray did this last year but we never actually got any final results I believe so I am happy to go through it all again as long as there are actually some results afterwards.

 

(P.S I agree with sticking to a top twenty from each voter, but maybe if there are enough votes made, produce a top 50 list at the end of everything )

[baumer]

This is going to take some time.  But I have a question.  How do I determine what a scene is?  For example (and I'm obviously not putting this in my top 20, but for the question...) let's say I think the entire last battle in BD2 is one of the best 20, would I put the entire last battle of BD2?  Is that how it works?  Same with a fight scene?  Say I wanted to include the second boxing match in Rocky 3, would I just say that?

[XenoZodiac]

According to Wikipedia:

In Filmmaking and video production, a scene is generally thought of as the action in a single location and continuous time.

...

For example, parts of an action film at the same location, that play at different times can also consist of several scenes. Likewise, there can be parallel action scenes at different locations usually in separate scenes, except that they would be connected by media such as telephone, video, etc.

Edited July 31, 2013 by XenoZodiac

[Plain Old Tele]

This is going to take some time.  But I have a question.  How do I determine what a scene is?  For example (and I'm obviously not putting this in my top 20, but for the question...) let's say I think the entire last battle in BD2 is one of the best 20, would I put the entire last battle of BD2?  Is that how it works?  Same with a fight scene?  Say I wanted to include the second boxing match in Rocky 3, would I just say that?

As long as its a continuous sequence, yes, it's acceptable. So if you want to include all the Vader/Luke fight in JEDI, you also have to include the Ewok battle and the attack on the Death star, since the movie intercuts all three. A single small-scale fight between 2 people is fine, but if the movie keeps cutting away to some un-related and non-actiony stuff, then that disqualifies it.

[4815162342]

Hard Boiled Long Take

 

/end discussion

[Plain Old Tele]

Hard Boiled Long Take

 

/end discussion

 

No... but put it as your #1. I wanna see your others.

[RobinHood26]

Can I count the whole movie Die Hard as one action scene?

[baumer]

I think we had some rules last time, to kind of narrow it down.  I think that might be something to consider again.

[Hatebox]

It's a tough question. Die Hard is the best action film ever made, but more because you get so involved with the protagonist rather than any particular set-piece in of itself. Something like The Matrix or countless superhero movies, on the other hand, have very obvious action sequences that stand-out from the narrative on their own.

[Plain Old Tele]

I wouldn't consider any of DIE HARD among the best action scenes ever, despite the fact that the movie itself is fantastic.

[#ED]

For references, try IGN's 25 Best Movie Fight Scenes of All Time

 

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/01/30/25-best-movie-fight-scenes-of-all-time

[RobinHood26]

I wouldn't consider any of DIE HARD among the best action scenes ever, despite the fact that the movie itself is fantastic.

Which is why I wanted to say the movie, Individually the action wouldn't make the list, but as a whole it does. 

[Plain Old Tele]

Which is why I wanted to say the movie, Individually the action wouldn't make the list, but as a whole it does. 

 

No, I wouldn't say the action in it is particularly special at all. This is not a list of best movies, it's a list of best action sequences. The "best" modifies "action". I expect to see many an entry for movies that might not be great overall, but have fantastic action, like a Tony Jaa movie, for example.

Edited August 2, 2013 by Telemachos

[Walt Disney]

This is actually easier than the top 25 list from last year (which we didn't get any results for). That list didn't allow you to choose a scene if it didn't all take place in the same setting. So you couldn't use the whole final battle in Jedi. This is much less complicated.

 

 

[Plain Old Tele]

This is actually easier than the top 25 list from last year (which we didn't get any results for). That list didn't allow you to choose a scene if it didn't all take place in the same setting. So you couldn't use the whole final battle in Jedi. This is much less complicated.

 

Yep, just think of it as a self-contained sequence.