Badass fight scenes (hand to hand combat) - list your favorites!

[ArtDecade]

 

[TheBlackBard]

This.

 

[Hollowway]

This.

That’s interesting that you include a UFC fight, because one of the things that I hate about real vs fictional fight scenes is that irl fights often devolve into ground and pound, rather than martial arts kinds of moves you see in the movies. Though, this one is very much a standing fight.

 

[Hollowway]

I should probably make a different thread, but the one move in fight/confrontation scenes that gets me rewinding to watch over and over is that move where they grab a gun out of the bad guy’s hand. Not a fight scene, but there’s this scene in BCS which I watched probably 15 times:

 

[TheBlackBard]

That’s interesting that you include a UFC fight, because one of the things that I hate about real vs fictional fight scenes is that irl fights often devolve into ground and pound, rather than martial arts kinds of moves you see in the movies. Though, this one is very much a standing fight.

Violence is good no matter how it is in a cage. Now if you're talking about someone like Jon Fitch or Ben Askren where they are just NOT exciting to watch (unless they're getting their shit pushed in), I get that, but when you've got someone like Khabib or Islam who knows how to sub and land punches on the ground, that shit is great.

 

[Lax]

Hotshots2 intro and Jackie chan's city hunter Street fighter 2 scene!

 

[John]

one of the things that I hate about real vs fictional fight scenes is that irl fights often devolve into ground and pound, rather than martial arts kinds of moves you see in the movies

I understand and agree with that sentiment (the ground and pound thing was never a real interest here, either). Still it depends on rulings if we're talking IRL fights like these, K-1 for example is way more into stand-up fights. Not a big fan of the current direction TKD fights have been going, either, especially for the Olympics. But those (be it WT or ITF) have consistently been stand up fights too.

As for the stuff you may see in movies, a lot of it is geared towards aesthetics. Especially the significantly 'flashier' stuff that would take too long to set up/be too telegraphic in a fight.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

Sandy Cheeks knows how to throw down

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

One of my all time favorite scenes is in Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master at the end in the refinery. It’s badass and comical.

Just an addendum, the refinery fight is in Drunken Master 2, not 1 (where Chan refused to learn the goddess flute stance until the final fight in a chance to win). Drunken Master 2 is fantastic overall though, it's Chan's best movie in the 90s and perhaps his best action/direction work.

I remembered owning a Jackie Chan special magazine I bought during a holiday in the Gold Coast back in the 90s. Chan goes on an informative interview during the DM2 fight scenes and how he had to cater to the different styles of other actors. Ho Sung Pak (who did Liu Kang's motion capture on the first 2 Mortal Kombat games) wasn't used to the constant motion of the Hong Kong style so Chan and his stunt team catered to him, hence why all his fights were very stop-start choppy compared to the rest. But the result is that it made Pak's character a more threatening presence.

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

Speaking of well filmed Kung Fu action scenes...



Exactly as the Youtube title implies...

Directed by the great Corey Yuen (No Retreat No Surrender, The Transporter and um... the Dead Or Alive game movie), this is one of the most dazzling wire fu action scenes ever filmed. Meticulously choreographed, masterful use of wires and stunt crew (who are literally doing as much heavy lifting as the stars), it's definitely a spectacle.

 

[BlackMastodon]

Matrix Reloaded - burly brawl, as mentioned earlier.
Atomic Blonde - the "1 shot" fight between Charlise Theron and the big Russian dude in the staircase.
Hannibal TV series - the fight between Jack and Hannibal in Florence in season 3. Also the fight in Hannibal's kitchen in the season 2 finale.

 

[Shawn]

Just an addendum, the refinery fight is in Drunken Master 2, not 1 (where Chan refused to learn the goddess flute stance until the final fight in a chance to win). Drunken Master 2 is fantastic overall though, it's Chan's best movie in the 90s and perhaps his best action/direction work.

I remembered owning a Jackie Chan special magazine I bought during a holiday in the Gold Coast back in the 90s. Chan goes on an informative interview during the DM2 fight scenes and how he had to cater to the different styles of other actors. Ho Sung Pak (who did Liu Kang's motion capture on the first 2 Mortal Kombat games) wasn't used to the constant motion of the Hong Kong style so Chan and his stunt team catered to him, hence why all his fights were very stop-start choppy compared to the rest. But the result is that it made Pak's character a more threatening presence.

Yes, you're right. 2. Great film overall....and yes, it's my favorite Jackie Chan movie.

 

[AxeAttack]

Pretty much any fight scene from Out For Justice. Not because Steven Seagal is close to being the fighter he thinks he is, but for the sheer mean-spiritedness of a lot of what he does.

 

[jaxadam]

Pretty much any fight scene from Out For Justice. Not because Steven Seagal is close to being the fighter he thinks he is, but for the sheer mean-spiritedness of a lot of what he does.

 

[Shawn]

Also, besides Jackie Chan's Drunken Master, I'd have to go with the fight scene in Rumble in the Bronx, too when he confronts the gang in their hangout....

 

[Louis Cypher]

Atomic Blonde - the "1 shot" fight between Charlise Theron and the big Russian dude in the staircase.

+1
Great film

 

[works0fheart]

The first Ip Man movie had some pretty good fight scenes before the following movies went a little too over the top. The fight against the 10 men in the dojo and the final fight were really good.

For those who haven't seen it yet, Old Boy (the original, not the Josh Brolin one), the fight scene in the hallway with the hammer. Also a super messed up movie so brace yourself if you plan to watch it.

+1 for The Man From Nowhere. Pretty good movie with some awesome fights in it as well.

 

[bostjan]

What about the scene in Kung Pow when the Chosen One fights a random cow in the pasture?

 

[Drew]

Semi off topic - the last couple seasons have gotten a little more erratic (and implausible), but if you're not watching Cobra Kai, the first few seasons and season 1 in particular are a LOT of fun.

 

[Drew]

Also, rereading this thread, I'm even more convinced the Inigo Montoya/Man in Black swordfight from The Princess Bride is the objectively correct answer.

I'll toss out two runner ups, though -

*The Raiders of the Lost Ark swordfight scene, where Indy just sighs and shoots the guy after all of his sword flourishing - bonus points because it was improvised, there was supposed to be a longer sword/whip duel, and Ford was just too fucking tired so did a take where he just pulled his gun instead.
*Tombstone - "I'm your huckleberry." Val Kilmer's defining role, IMO, in part because I didn't realize that was him for YEARS.