The Top Ten Best Car Chases
Wednesday, January 2. 2008
Although car chase movie lists have been done several times, I always felt there were one or two movies that always got overlooked, and a couple that were always included because of nostalgia more than anything else. So, I decided to make my own.
I had two basic rules when I was making this list: first, it had to be car v. car - no trains (sorry, French Connection), no animals (sorry, Jurassic Park), and no weather (sorry, Twister). As cool as those are, I wanted to only consider movies where both the pursuer and the pursuee had free reign. Second, the scene had to be a chase, not a race (so no American Graffiti or Cannonball Run). Race movies will be a list for another day.
So, without further ado, here are my picks for the ten best car chases (plus two special mentions):
#10: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Terminator 2 is the all too rare sequel that lives up to (and in some ways surpasses) the standard set by its predecessor. One of the things that T2 added was an excellent three-way chase. John Connor (Edward Furlong) is on the run from what he first believes to be a Police officer, but quickly discovers that he's got a lot more than a juvie record to worry about. He takes off on his bike, only to have the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) pursue first on foot, then in the biggest, nastiest thing it can find: a Freightliner tow truck. As the two tear through the Los Angeles viaducts, the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) pursues on his Harley at street level, pumping shotgun rounds into the tow truck as well as anything in his way. Some truly tense moments, great cinematography, and Brad Fiedel's soundtrack make for an overall great sequence.
#9: The Chase (1994)
Few movies earn the label of "criminally underrated" as easily as The Chase. The concept of a movie based entirely around a car chase had been around, but few movies before or since have managed to pull off both the story and the action halves as successfully as this. Charlie Sheen does a great job as the unwilling hero who's in over his head, and Henry Rollins knocks it out of the park with his portrayal of the gung-ho Officer Dobbs. Add in some cool driving sequences, sharp writing, good performances all around, and a biting commentary on mass media (that holds true today as much as ever), and The Chase has definitely earned it's place in the top ten.
#8: Short Time (1990)
What better way to set up a car chase than to have both parties willing to meet death more than halfway? When Burt Simpson (Dabney Coleman) is trying to get killed on the job so that his wife & kids will be set for life, he sees a high speed pursuit as the perfect opportunity to go out with a bang. Unfortunately for him, he manages to find the most inept criminals in the world and discovers that old safety habits die hard. Overall, Short Time is a great mix of action and comedy: after the big finale, Coleman crawls out of the wreckage - still unharmed - and berates the bad guys for their incompetence in trying to kill him.
#7: The Blues Brothers (1980)
One of the most quotable movies of all time, The Blues Brothers also has one of the best (and most destructive) chase sequences in movie history. The sheer automotive carnage and the recurring roar of the Monaco's big 440 is enough to make this movie a classic, but then throw in the Good Ol' Boys, Illinois Nazis, a trip through a shopping mall, Carrie Fisher with a flame thrower, and the bulk of the Illinois Police force and the movie becomes the stuff of legend.
#6: Death Proof (2007)
When Death Proof was first in theaters, audiences had to wait quite a while before the big chase: not only was it the second film in the Grindhouse double-feature, there was a fairly long setup before the cast of this sequence was even introduced. Add in the number of classic Mopars that were destroyed during filming (possibly as many as a dozen of each), and this chase had a lot going against it right from the get-go. Fortunately, it turned out to be well worth the wait: Zoë Bell hanging on to the Challenger's hood while Kim (Tracie Thoms) and Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) trade blows upped the threat level beyond any other car chase.
#5: The Seven-Ups (1973)
Most times, the "hero" of a film is the one being chased, while some great threat looms in the rear view mirror. The Seven-Ups was one of the first and remains one of the best movies to turn this concept around, with Buddy Manucci (Roy Scheider) in pursuit of a couple of thugs that just shot a police officer. Best of all, it keeps the chase firmly grounded in reality - no ridiculous setup, no outlandish coincidences, and no superhuman abilities. This realistic approach makes the bone-jarring conclusion that much more painful.
#4: The Transporter (2002)
John Statham out-Bonded James Bond in the opening sequence to the original Transporter. Although he didn't have a Q branch to modify his ride, the BMW 735i had quick-change license plates and enough suspension work to keep it ahead of the Police with relatively little effort. The bridge/car carrier stunt is worth the price of admission alone, but fortunately there is also a very stylish movie with a ton of great action scenes both on and off the road to keep us entertained.
#3: The Bourne Identity (2002)
The Italian Job may be the classic Mini movie, but nothing showed off the indestructible little car's abilities better than The Bourne Identity. When Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) takes the wheel, director Doug Liman is able to take every tired chase sequence cliché (driving down stairs? check; driving through plate glass? check; driving against traffic? check) and make it cool & exciting.
#2: Ronin (1998)
We get two great chase sequences in Ronin. First, the crew work from all sides to try to capture the case, including some off-road driving by Larry (Skipp Sudduth) in his Audi S8, high-speed pursuit down streets so narrow they could be considered alleys, and Sam (Robert De Niro) standing through the sunroof of a Mercedes with a rocket launcher on a twisting mountain road. A dozen or so double-crosses later, Sam takes the wheel of a Peugeot on the tail of Deirdre (Natascha McElhone) and her BMW. The two cars race through the streets of France, tearing up the scenery and causing dozens of wrecks. The highlights of this sequence include a trip through a tunnel and some wrong-way driving.
#1: Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)
There's a reason why the original Gone in 60 Seconds is so high on peoples' car chase lists: it is, simply, the greatest chase sequence ever filmed. The rest of the movie is paper thin, and seems to exist only for the sake of setting up the big chase (in fact, you won't be missing much if you skip right to the chapter "Let the Wrecking Begin" on the DVD). But once the chase begins, the action doesn't let up for a full 40+ minutes. Cars are destroyed, debris is jumped, Police are thwarted, and a '73 Mustang named Eleanor gets to show what she's capable of in the hands of an experienced driver. Despite multiple attempts over the years, the original Gone in 60 Seconds remains the greatest.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Bullitt (1968)
Bullitt deserves a special recognition all its own for giving us the modern car chase. Yes, there were other car chases before it, but they never had the guts shown in Bullitt. Steve McQueen showed us all that the sound of a V8 and the threat of two guys in a black Charger was enough setup to make a car chase great. The fact that said Charger lost more hubcaps than it could've possibly had, or that the cars passed the same VW a dozen times, never took away from the overall experience.
Coolest CGI Stunt: Transformers (2007)
Normally I dislike the use of CGI during car chases, but I'll make an exception here. Throughout Transformers, every time one of the characters changed from one mode to the other it was cool looking. But when Bumblebee took off with Sam (Shia LeBouf) and Mikelea (Megan Fox) on board and Barricade pursued by running, leaping into the air, and folding into the sleek yet brutal Saleen Police cruiser before landing...it was nothing short of amazing. The only down side is that the resulting chase sequence is too short. Who wouldn't love to see two indestructible alien robots tearing up the streets in their respective car modes?
This list is open to adjustments and rewrites as I watch new movies, so if you have any that you think belong here but were overlooked, let me know!
I had two basic rules when I was making this list: first, it had to be car v. car - no trains (sorry, French Connection), no animals (sorry, Jurassic Park), and no weather (sorry, Twister). As cool as those are, I wanted to only consider movies where both the pursuer and the pursuee had free reign. Second, the scene had to be a chase, not a race (so no American Graffiti or Cannonball Run). Race movies will be a list for another day.
So, without further ado, here are my picks for the ten best car chases (plus two special mentions):
#10: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
1990 Honda XR 100 v. 1987 Freightliner FLA 9664 v. 1990 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Terminator 2 is the all too rare sequel that lives up to (and in some ways surpasses) the standard set by its predecessor. One of the things that T2 added was an excellent three-way chase. John Connor (Edward Furlong) is on the run from what he first believes to be a Police officer, but quickly discovers that he's got a lot more than a juvie record to worry about. He takes off on his bike, only to have the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) pursue first on foot, then in the biggest, nastiest thing it can find: a Freightliner tow truck. As the two tear through the Los Angeles viaducts, the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) pursues on his Harley at street level, pumping shotgun rounds into the tow truck as well as anything in his way. Some truly tense moments, great cinematography, and Brad Fiedel's soundtrack make for an overall great sequence.#9: The Chase (1994)
1993 BMW 325is v. California Police
Few movies earn the label of "criminally underrated" as easily as The Chase. The concept of a movie based entirely around a car chase had been around, but few movies before or since have managed to pull off both the story and the action halves as successfully as this. Charlie Sheen does a great job as the unwilling hero who's in over his head, and Henry Rollins knocks it out of the park with his portrayal of the gung-ho Officer Dobbs. Add in some cool driving sequences, sharp writing, good performances all around, and a biting commentary on mass media (that holds true today as much as ever), and The Chase has definitely earned it's place in the top ten.#8: Short Time (1990)
1976 Pontiac Parisienne v. 1985 Dodge Diplomat (Plymouth Caravelle)
What better way to set up a car chase than to have both parties willing to meet death more than halfway? When Burt Simpson (Dabney Coleman) is trying to get killed on the job so that his wife & kids will be set for life, he sees a high speed pursuit as the perfect opportunity to go out with a bang. Unfortunately for him, he manages to find the most inept criminals in the world and discovers that old safety habits die hard. Overall, Short Time is a great mix of action and comedy: after the big finale, Coleman crawls out of the wreckage - still unharmed - and berates the bad guys for their incompetence in trying to kill him.#7: The Blues Brothers (1980)
1974 Dodge Monaco v. Everyone
One of the most quotable movies of all time, The Blues Brothers also has one of the best (and most destructive) chase sequences in movie history. The sheer automotive carnage and the recurring roar of the Monaco's big 440 is enough to make this movie a classic, but then throw in the Good Ol' Boys, Illinois Nazis, a trip through a shopping mall, Carrie Fisher with a flame thrower, and the bulk of the Illinois Police force and the movie becomes the stuff of legend.#6: Death Proof (2007)
1970 Dodge Challenger v. 1969 Dodge Charger
When Death Proof was first in theaters, audiences had to wait quite a while before the big chase: not only was it the second film in the Grindhouse double-feature, there was a fairly long setup before the cast of this sequence was even introduced. Add in the number of classic Mopars that were destroyed during filming (possibly as many as a dozen of each), and this chase had a lot going against it right from the get-go. Fortunately, it turned out to be well worth the wait: Zoë Bell hanging on to the Challenger's hood while Kim (Tracie Thoms) and Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) trade blows upped the threat level beyond any other car chase.#5: The Seven-Ups (1973)
1973 Pontiac Grand Ville v. 1973 Pontiac Ventura
Most times, the "hero" of a film is the one being chased, while some great threat looms in the rear view mirror. The Seven-Ups was one of the first and remains one of the best movies to turn this concept around, with Buddy Manucci (Roy Scheider) in pursuit of a couple of thugs that just shot a police officer. Best of all, it keeps the chase firmly grounded in reality - no ridiculous setup, no outlandish coincidences, and no superhuman abilities. This realistic approach makes the bone-jarring conclusion that much more painful.#4: The Transporter (2002)
1995 BMW 735i v. French Police
John Statham out-Bonded James Bond in the opening sequence to the original Transporter. Although he didn't have a Q branch to modify his ride, the BMW 735i had quick-change license plates and enough suspension work to keep it ahead of the Police with relatively little effort. The bridge/car carrier stunt is worth the price of admission alone, but fortunately there is also a very stylish movie with a ton of great action scenes both on and off the road to keep us entertained.#3: The Bourne Identity (2002)
1989 Austin Mini v. French Police
The Italian Job may be the classic Mini movie, but nothing showed off the indestructible little car's abilities better than The Bourne Identity. When Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) takes the wheel, director Doug Liman is able to take every tired chase sequence cliché (driving down stairs? check; driving through plate glass? check; driving against traffic? check) and make it cool & exciting.#2: Ronin (1998)
1998 Audi S8 v. 1994 Citroën Xantia v. 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL/1991 BMW 535i v. 1996 Peugeot 406
We get two great chase sequences in Ronin. First, the crew work from all sides to try to capture the case, including some off-road driving by Larry (Skipp Sudduth) in his Audi S8, high-speed pursuit down streets so narrow they could be considered alleys, and Sam (Robert De Niro) standing through the sunroof of a Mercedes with a rocket launcher on a twisting mountain road. A dozen or so double-crosses later, Sam takes the wheel of a Peugeot on the tail of Deirdre (Natascha McElhone) and her BMW. The two cars race through the streets of France, tearing up the scenery and causing dozens of wrecks. The highlights of this sequence include a trip through a tunnel and some wrong-way driving.#1: Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)
1973 Ford Mustang v. California Police
There's a reason why the original Gone in 60 Seconds is so high on peoples' car chase lists: it is, simply, the greatest chase sequence ever filmed. The rest of the movie is paper thin, and seems to exist only for the sake of setting up the big chase (in fact, you won't be missing much if you skip right to the chapter "Let the Wrecking Begin" on the DVD). But once the chase begins, the action doesn't let up for a full 40+ minutes. Cars are destroyed, debris is jumped, Police are thwarted, and a '73 Mustang named Eleanor gets to show what she's capable of in the hands of an experienced driver. Despite multiple attempts over the years, the original Gone in 60 Seconds remains the greatest.Lifetime Achievement Award: Bullitt (1968)
1968 Ford Mustang v. 1968 Dodge Charger
Bullitt deserves a special recognition all its own for giving us the modern car chase. Yes, there were other car chases before it, but they never had the guts shown in Bullitt. Steve McQueen showed us all that the sound of a V8 and the threat of two guys in a black Charger was enough setup to make a car chase great. The fact that said Charger lost more hubcaps than it could've possibly had, or that the cars passed the same VW a dozen times, never took away from the overall experience.Coolest CGI Stunt: Transformers (2007)
1977 Chevrolet Camaro v. 2005 Saleen S281E
Normally I dislike the use of CGI during car chases, but I'll make an exception here. Throughout Transformers, every time one of the characters changed from one mode to the other it was cool looking. But when Bumblebee took off with Sam (Shia LeBouf) and Mikelea (Megan Fox) on board and Barricade pursued by running, leaping into the air, and folding into the sleek yet brutal Saleen Police cruiser before landing...it was nothing short of amazing. The only down side is that the resulting chase sequence is too short. Who wouldn't love to see two indestructible alien robots tearing up the streets in their respective car modes?This list is open to adjustments and rewrites as I watch new movies, so if you have any that you think belong here but were overlooked, let me know!
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I think The Matrix: Reloaded deserves a mention for the freeway chase scene. You should also check out BMW Films series "The Hire." There are some good ones in there.
I believe that Vanishing Point should definately be on this list. Kowalski(played by Barry Newman) takes on pretty much all of the state police forces from Denver to San Francisco.
The Matrix Reloaded had my one CGI cheat until Transformers came along. It was a great sequence, but the giant alien robots got the edge there.
I completely forgot about The Hire, that was a great series as well. I'll have to watch those films again.
To me, Vanishing Point is a road movie more than a chase movie. None of the individual sequences in it were as good as the overall "journey" aspect of it. I ought to do a "Road Movie" list, though - VP would definitely rank.
I completely forgot about The Hire, that was a great series as well. I'll have to watch those films again.
To me, Vanishing Point is a road movie more than a chase movie. None of the individual sequences in it were as good as the overall "journey" aspect of it. I ought to do a "Road Movie" list, though - VP would definitely rank.
'THE ROAD WARRIOR" nothing but car chases and the chase at the end semi vs cars.
I think that Smokey and the Bandit Part 2 should be in there..Remember the giant chase scene or in Burt's words "The worlds biggest game of chicken" through the desert?
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