Top 10: Chase Sequences

The car chase has been a staple of cinema ever since its invention. Most car chases are dull and boring; either offering a worrying fetish obsession with their vehicles, or pointless destruction for destructions sake. Car chases are always simple. But therein lies their beauty when done right. What's more inherently dramatic than a protagonist and antagonist locked in a literal cat and mouse trial? The greatest car chases have some of the greatest stunts ever performed. But more and more recently car chases are relying on CGI to help sell their vehicular mayhem. My choices here tried to offer a satisfying mix of old school chases with the new. Incredible special effects mixed with incredible stunt work. They also had to offer a unique twist on the staple to render worth including here. Honorable mentions include "Death Proof" and Spielbergs 1971 debut classic "Duel", but had to be left out seeing as it is technically, one long 90 minute chase. Other than that, scenes here feature all sorts of different vehicles, but must adhere to one simple rule: they move the plot along in a way that earns its adrenaline fuelled action. Here are my choices in no particular order.

"Raiders of the Lost Ark"

One thing I always found incredible about Indiana Jones' chase after the Lost Ark, is that Spielberg himself never shot it. Busy on other sequences of the film, he left it to his trustworthy second unit to get all the shots needed. Not that you would know it, the scene is a master class in action and features incredible stunts and hair raising action. My personal favourite chase scene of all time.

"The Rock"

Michael Bay has his detractors but few can argue that at the very least, when he gets action right, the results can be fantastic. Recent years have seen him rely more and more on CGI effects, but as seen here when using real cars and drivers and enough explosives to blow up San Francisco he more than delivers. To set the scene up, ex-convict Sean Connery has just escaped FBI agents to see his daughter after many years. Was it worth it for the huge Bayhem on display?

"The French Connection"

While "The French Connection" is always initially remembered for this stunning and gritty train chase sequence, people tend to forget how brilliant the rest of the film is. Gene Hackman plays the infamous Popeye Doyle, who is resorting to increasingly extreme lengths to catch the drug dealers involved with the titular connection; the biggest drug deal ever on US soil. What makes this scene all the more stunning was director William Friedkin shooting it, without alerting New York City he was doing so, and as a result, the chase being filmed on real streets with real traffic. The intense sound effects and absence of music make this scene all the more effective in its tension.

"The Matrix Reloaded"

The most effects heavy of my choices from the weakest film. For all the Matrix sequels problems, the action scenes were often stunningly exciting. What would happen in a car chase set in the world of The Matrix was gleefully answered by The Wachowskis, setting all their inhibitions loose. If only they had put as much thought into the plot as they did the action scenes...

Freeway Chase

"Ronin"

Director John Frankenheimer was obsessed with race car driving from his youth and it shows in every engine rev and tyre screech of Ronin. The impressive (unsimulated) speed these cars drive is the thing that seperates "Ronin" from most chases. It feels real.

"The Bourne Supremacy"

While each of the Bourne films feature a classic chase scene, I opted for the second one. Director Paul Greengrass crafted a very intelligent plot to go with its tortured, amnesiac hero, so when its action scenes finally do show up, they feel important and crucial to the plot. Here, Bourne must contend with Moscow police, Russian Agents and Karl Urbans fellow assassin all the while tearing through the streets of Moscow self administering first aid, playing a very deadly game of bumper cars.

"The Dark Knight"

A potential controversial choice for some, I feel this scene is the center piece of the entire film. Something about heavily armored vehicles going hell for leather on each other mixed with the sheer awesomeness of the Batpod is what makes this scene. In the film tension is running sky high up to this sequence, mixed with The Jokers unpredictability means this chase could go anywhere. I don't necessarily remember Nolan's Batman films for their action scenes, rather their stunning smarts and twists on an iconic character. This is the one exception.

"We Own The Night"

A very unremarkable film save for its original take on the car chase. Here it is very claustrophobic, filmed from almost entirely inside the car. It's rain sodden atmosphere adds to its uniqueness.

"Terminator 2: Judgement Day"

For his sequel to his original 1984 masterpiece, James Cameron decided to make everything bigger and better. In doing so he crafted one of the best sequels ever made. For all its CG technical achievements there is still something remarkably old school in its real world vehicular mayhem. The fact that most audiences didn't know which was the good or bad Terminator up to a moment before, adds to its excitement. This would have made the top 10 for the way Arnie loads his shotgun alone.

T-1000 Truck Chase

"Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior"

Simply one of the best action scenes ever sustained in cinema. Director George Miller pushed the boundaries in terms of safe stunts performed and the film brims over with testosterone and adrenaline. It's climax with a gang of psychopathic marauders in hot pursuit of a lone Max towing a fuel tanker is a masterclass of tension, from its vehicle design, to Mel Gibsons performance to its bone crushing collisons.