My Top 10 Movie Car Chase Scenes

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

My Top 10 Movie Car Chase Scenes:

There are a few movies like Duel, Smokey and the Bandit, Two-Lane Blacktop and Vanishing Point where it feels (or is) one big car chase. There are also scenes like the car park destruction scene in The Driver, the bike chase scene in Sherlock Jr. which are quite fun, but does not fit here. All of those movies are worth watching but did not quite make the list below. My ranking is based on a mix of aesthetics, visceral excitement, what the scene meant in the movie and random capricious criteria only known by myself. This is the first initial draft so I will modify this, look at several more films and increase the wordage now and later (I will eventually use this as an article at some point.) The order is not set, but is close to what I feel are my favorite car chase scenes.

Notable not have seens: Bad Boys 2 (2003), Blazing Magnum (1976), Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974), Gone in 60 Seconds (1974 and 2000). I have not seen any of the Fast and Furious movies.

1) Bullitt (1968: Peter Yates): Iconic car chase scene. Probably the most famous of all-time. But it is well done with great scenery and hill use in San Francisco. How many times have you wanted to drive like this when you were there? The opposing driver (Bill Hickman in the Charger) is an actual stunt driver and Steve McQueen had very good car skills so often the camera would show them actually driving (Bud Ekins did do a lot of that chase in the Mustang though.)

Link 1, Link 2.

2) To Live and Die in L.A. (1985: William Friedkin): Intense. This is from an underrated film (yes there are no good guy characters) that is a favorite of mine. But even if you do not like the unlikeable performances the car chase is often talked about as one of the best of all-time. For good reason. A car chase that leads on the freeway especially in LA is not new; however, going in the reverse direction after chasing a train, driving in the sewer. Do Not Enter. Wrong Way. Freakin awesome. Ronin would copy some of this.

Link

3) The Blues Brothers (1980: John Landis): This film has two of my favorite car chases of all-time. But my favorite of the film is the inner-mall car chase. “You want out of this parking lot. OK.” I always want to say that. This is one of the funniest, most destructive and creative car chases I have ever seen. “This place has got everything.”

Link

4) The French Connection (1971: William Friedkin): what is it with Freidkin and good car chases. The parallel action between the train and speeding car helps. Of course complete disregard for the public helps as well. It is reminiscent of some of Hong Kong’s action scenes where not everyone who was watching the car chase knew it was being filmed. That crash at 2:42 on the youtube link was not scripted.

Link

5) The Seven-Ups (1973: Philip D'Antoni): More muscle car action this time with a Pontiac Ventura in the streets of New York. You will notice you see Bill Hickman (Bullitt) again as the baddie driver. Just compare his cool composure to the passenger. One of the more underrated car-chase scenes. This is probably due to the fact that the film is not as well known.

Link

6) Drive (2011: Nicolas Winding Refn): As much as Refn stated he had not seen The Driver (another film I love) before this movie I really do not believe him. Regardless, the opening sequence of the nameless driver doing what he does best – getting away from the police. It is an awesome LA sequence with a mixture of strategy, a variety of speeds, a cool driver and not so cool passengers. One of the best new chase scenes I have seen in ages. Sorry no clip for it.

7) Ronin (1998: John Frankenheimer): The end of this chase copies To Live and Die in L.A. But overall it is a solid, European car chase with plenty of narrow escapes, destruction, innocent bystanders and tiny European cars meeting their doom. The editing on this is well done and good transition from actors to the car sequences. Here you finally get a female driver (Natascha McElhone).

Link

8) Police Story (1985: Jackie Chan): I always like destruction in my car chase scenes. But how about the destruction here which is the complete dismantling of the made-for-the-movie shanty town and complete disregard for the safety of the stunt-men (maybe not complete, but several would get injured, some quite badly.) This is short, but I still find it rewatchable. There would later be an homage in Bad Boys 2. Check out the link below to see the influences of Police Story.

Link: Police Story Vs. Tango & Cash / Rapid Fire / Bad Boys II

9) The Italian Job (1969: Peter Collinson): For comedic effect, strategy, location shots and just plain coolness this Mini-Cooper chase scene is a must watch. Just look at all the places those tiny little cars go. This also shows that you do not have to have an overly powerful vehicle to have an effective car chase (though it does help.) Of course if you are not a fan you will like what happens to them. This movie was remade in 2003.

Link (warning spoilers at end)

10) The Driver (1978: Walter Hill): While this choice has the biggest chance of disappearing off the list as I look over many more chases it is still quite an effective chase full of bravado, a stoic driver (Ryan O’ Neal), strategy, good camera placement and a decent amount of destruction. A film easily worth watching for not only the car chases but also the psychotic loner antihero which is a subgenre I am particularly fond of.

Link

Honorable Mention: Blues Brothers (total destruction)
Honorable Mention: The Driver (later chase)
Honorable Mention: Jack Reacher.

Need to rewatch: The Bank Dick, Girl Shy, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior.

Additional Links:
WatchMojo.com’s top 10 car chases. I do not agree with the Matrix Reloaded inclusion though I do need to rewatch it. I need to rewatch Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior to see if I will rank that chase scene higher. Not having To Live and Die in L.A. is a joke.
The Five Best Car Chase Scenes In Movie History (moviefanfare)

[Markgway]

I guess I'm not really that into car chases.

Only one I can think of you didn't mention is The Rock.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

I guess I'm not really that into car chases.

Only one I can think of you didn't mention is The Rock.

Not top 10. Decent chase and I do like The Rock but I had some issues with the way Michael Bay set up the camera and its usage including weird movements like side-to-side motion while the vertical chase was going on. So not top 10 for me, though I do own the Criterion release of the movie .

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

A Criterion release of The Rock? Next thing you are gonna tell me is that there's a Criterion for Armageddon.

They would not do that!*




* (I own a few copies of it; I wonder if they will put a BD release of it out .)

[Markgway]

Next thing you are gonna tell me is that there's a Criterion for Armageddon.

Someone was sent to the tower for that one.

[HungFist]

My favourite car chases (in approximately this order)

1. The Seven Ups (1973) (ever since I saw this as a kid, I've considered it the best)
2. Death Proof (absolutely breathtaking stunts)
3. The French Connection (1971)
4. La Mala Ordina (1972) (one of the most intense chases, especially when seen within the context of the storyline)
5. Ronin (1998) (the first chase)
6. Bullit (1968) (of course)
7. The Driver (1978) (the first chase)
8. To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
9. Violent Panic: The Big Crash (1976) (Imagine Kinji Fukasaku directing a Halicki demolition derby chase in the same way as he did his yakuza films!)
10. For Your Eyes Only (1981)

The Blues Brothers, The Italian Job, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry and Vanishing Point all have great momens but didn't quite make it to my list. Mad Max 2 is a fine movie, but I've always seen the climax as more of an action scene featuring vehicles than a pure car chase. I don't especially like Gone in 60 Seconds. It has great stunts and great driving, but I think the pacing is terrible with endless reaction shots instead of focusing on the chase. Really hurts the intensity.

[duffen_]

Much good here , but the best is without doubt .

Pinchcliffe Grand Prix http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073000/rel ... dt_dt#akas

This is a puppet film , but it has some of the toughest car driving I have seen.

[Yi-Long]

As far as Jackie Chan movies go, I always really liked the car chase in Armour of God.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

As far as Jackie Chan movies go, I always really liked the car chase in Armour of God.

That's a fun one. You know when Jackie got his Mitsubishi contract he was going to (ab)use it.

Here's an English dub of it online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7vLzSajCx8