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Hand-to-hand fight scenes are all over the place in action and SF films. Which one is your favorite?

My personal favorite is the one between Jason Bourne and Desh in The Bourne Ultimatum. It's a bit stylistic but so brutal, with both of them using everything in the house to their advantage (and ending with Bourne killing Desh in the bathroom).

The final fight from Drunken Master 2. Jackie Chan at his absolute best.

Guardsman Bass wrote:My personal favorite is the one between Jason Bourne and Desh in The Bourne Ultimatum. It's a bit stylistic but so brutal, with both of them using everything in the house to their advantage (and ending with Bourne killing Desh in the bathroom).

That guy had a name? Was it ever actually mentioned in the film?

I think that tops out as one of my favourites at the moment. Wire-fu seems to be really overused these days so I can't think of much else.

Dunno if this counts since its basically wire-fu with better impact, but its some of the best stuff I've seen so far in that category.

They mention Desh's name once or twice, and that's it. The only time I can distinctly remember is when Nikki says that if "he [Bourne] kills Desh, they'll just send somebody else."

I actually rather enjoyed the final fight from Equilibrium. The rest of the "gun kata" sequences were pretty ridiculous, but the final fight looked like two people who were really grappling with guns to get a clear shot. Of course they were both from a rather stiff and formal school of fighting, and total reliance on guns as the killing weapon reduced their use of the environment, but I still liked watching it.

Is this just for one-on-one fight scenes?
This scene from They Live (a film everyone should watch btw). It just keeps going and going...

Also, there's a fight scene in the film Troy... the film is a complete bastardisation of the Iliad, but the fight between Achilles and Hector is worth watching.

I recently watched Taken which had some excellent fisticuffs. While the movie was overall quite silly, watching Liam Neeson kick ass is quite entertaining, though in a lot of the scenes he splices in some pistol shots. I guess the best scene that qualifies is the final showdown with the Arab guy on the boat. It's brief but incredibly brutal with tons of blood, bruises and broken bones.

Guardsman Bass wrote:My personal favorite is the one between Jason Bourne and Desh in The Bourne Ultimatum. It's a bit stylistic but so brutal, with both of them using everything in the house to their advantage (and ending with Bourne killing Desh in the bathroom).

That one is equal first, along with Bond vs Red Grant in From Russia With Love

Probably because it's fresh in my mind from watching it yesterday, but Max vs Blaster in the Thunderdome was pretty good.

I'm somewhat shocked that Tony Jaa hasn't made an appearance in this thread yet. He's probably waiting off-camera for the most unlikely moment to appear at an improbable scene from an unlikely direction.

There really can be no other.

Alerik the Fortunate wrote:I actually rather enjoyed the final fight from Equilibrium. The rest of the "gun kata" sequences were pretty ridiculous, but the final fight looked like two people who were really grappling with guns to get a clear shot. Of course they were both from a rather stiff and formal school of fighting, and total reliance on guns as the killing weapon reduced their use of the environment, but I still liked watching it.

I also liked this one. Fighting with guns as extensions of their bodies worked as an entirely different sort of gun fight than we're used to seeing.

If it counts Rocky III, Rocky vs. Clubber II

For a truer action movie... Soldier, where Kurt Russel fights a guy on climbing chains.

Every scene between Neo and Smith in the Matrix films. I loved them all, so fuck you haters. You be my motivators.

The hallway fight from Oldboy. If you've seen it, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you haven't, I couldn't tell you.

Ryan Thunder wrote:Dunno if this counts since its basically wire-fu with better impact, but its some of the best stuff I've seen so far in that category.

I stopped watching this after Heihachi's first strike to the just-German-suplexed Jin wasn't straight to Jin's crotch.

What the fuck is wrong with you people? All these responses and not one mention of Bruce Lee?

I'll mention Bruce Lee if it makes you feel better.

I have never seen a movie with Bruce Lee in it. I know his rep. I just haven't gotten around to watching his movies.

He kicked that douchenozzel Chuck Norris's ass so he's ok by me. Even if his kid was an emo.

Ip Man

"I want to fight ten people."
"Don't do that!"
"I WANT TO FIGHT TEN PEOPLE"

Nothing better...

Panzersharkcat wrote:I have never seen a movie with Bruce Lee in it. I know his rep. I just haven't gotten around to watching his movies.

His movies were crap. But he was a great martial artist, and he was the real deal. He wasn't just some dancer or gymnast who knew how to do cool-looking moves but could get his ass kicked by a feisty high school kid, like half the people starring in movie fighting scenes today. You could see his amazing speed in his scenes, which were devoid of wires or any other modern special effects.

I think this is my favorite Bruce Lee scene.

I liked the bit where he killed Dan Inosanto.

Goddamn it, got ninja'd.

Edward Yee wrote:

Ryan Thunder wrote:Dunno if this counts since its basically wire-fu with better impact, but its some of the best stuff I've seen so far in that category.

I stopped watching this after Heihachi's first strike to the just-German-suplexed Jin wasn't straight to Jin's crotch.

Nah, it was straight to his forehead, pulverizing timbers with the back of his skull.

Seemed funnier to me.