To celebrate the upcoming release of Kick-Ass 2 in Irish cinemas, JOE looks at some of the best fight scenes ever committed to celluloid.
As much as we wanted to, we’d love to include millions and gazillions of films and clips, but this article was all about the survival of the fightiest, so we had to say goodbye to the feel-good fistycuffs of The Karate Kid and Rocky, Ed Norton pulping Jared Leto’s beautiful little nose in Fight Club, or any of Jason Bourne’s killer one on ones where he kills a man with a biro/magazine/hand-towel.
What we do have to give an honourable mention to of course is the wonderful Team America: World Police for one JOE’s favourite and funniest film fight scenes of all time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRrO9iy1wI0
And no Star Trek fans, Captain Kirk versus the Gorn unfortunately didn’t make it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1eFdUSnaQM
So put up your dukes, because here we go...
Kick-Ass (2010)
We’re pretty excited about the sequel to the excellent Kick-Ass here at JOE, and so no list of brilliant fight sequences would be complete without the first appearance of the extremely violent, and extremely foul-mouthed, Hit-Girl (Chloë Moretz):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfyJbz2kGbI
The Matrix (1999)
Everyone got their full-length leather jacket and sunglasses on yes? Then let's begin.
It’s hard to know where to start with The Matrix, as the seminal sci-fi action hit has too many amazing fight scenes to mention. For JOE though, this one on one fight between Neo (Keanu ‘Woah’ Reeves) and Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) tops it off:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaLvcM-u4ns
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Not many directors do violence in film quite like Mr Quentin Tarantino and so it would be remiss of us to leave out one of his most brilliantly-executed scenes featuring some brilliant executions. Plus, if we didn’t include him he might just send The Bride to take care of us the way she did the Crazy 88.
“This is what you get for fu*kin’ around with Yakuzas.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jhTRqgTZSM
The Princess Bride (1987)
Whatever about the brilliant ambidextrous swordplay and woefully cheesy 80s synth-tastic soundtrack on display, this scene is worth it for the banter between Westley (Cary Elwes) and his moustachioed opponent.
Say hello to our next fighter. His name is Inigo Montoya. You killed his father. Prepare to die:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT0TBWg3C3k
Oldboy (2003)
Another amazing foreign film that has unfortunately been chosen to be pointlessly remade into a Hollywood show-piece, Oldboy is the perfect tale of revenge and betrayal, full of twists and turns that will leave you completely gobsmacked.
One scene that doesn’t contain any twists or turns though is the film’s infamous hammer fight scene... mainly because it takes place in really straight corridor.
Check out the ‘Hammer in a Corridor’ scene. It does exactly what it says on the blood-splattered tin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IspheJGJiYI
And one final bonus fight scene is one that came about because poor Indy wasn't bothered fighting his enemy due to a bad case of the runs. We've all been there.
Never bring a sword to a gun-fight...
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YyBtMxZgQs
Kick-Ass 2 will be released in Irish cinemas on 14 August and JOE cannot wait.
