Films with best fight Choreography

[Philo-Publius]

As I’m watching Kung Fu Hustle for the first time now I’m blown away by the fight choreography! It’s just so damm good! What are some of your favorite films with amazing fight choreography?

The fight choreography in the early Rocky films was pretty weak, but Rocky IV was a break out film for the Rocky franchise in that regard. I really dug the choreography in that movie.

Honorable mentions:

Bloodsport
Above the Law
Under Seige
Kickboxer (the original)

 

[Lawless People]

Dude that first gang fight is uploaded on dailymotion starting with the attempted naked woman rape

lol, yeah, I almost posted that too .... she had some sweet titties

 

[SuperHoss]

This is a legendary fight with Renzo Gracie choreographing from what I remember. Lethal Weapon Gibson v. Busey.


I don't know why so many movie fight scenes have guys blocking punches. I have never seen it in real life. Most real fights I have seen are over quickly and involve guys mostly throwing haymakers. I saw this as a kid and it felt authentic. Watching it now, it still feels like a fight where two big guys tussle, but don't really know what they are doing. This is from My Bodyguard.

 

[horc00]

Dude Flashpoint was the fucking shit. That's the one where Yen is doing some sweet wirefu combined with Jitz right?

Spinning-kick-fu maybe. But definitely no wirefu

 

[BB in Crazy!!!!]

Apparently they had to refilm some more fight scenes to add for MK after they initially wrapped
the main choreographer was already on another project, so the fight between Scorpion/Johnny Cage (the part in the ladder factory looking place, not the bamboo forest), and the fight between Lui Kang/Reptile were all choreographed by Lui Kang's actor Robin Shou himself

Shou also taught Wes Anderson about Framing for action scenes in the beginning of filming, as he'd never done that before.
source: GoodBadFlicks episode that came about literally yesterday about the VG/Movie

Funny because those were the two best fights in the movie by far.

 

[Sonnyboi83]

anything with old Jet Li film
Once upon a time in China
Fist of Fury
Tai Chi Master (my fav)

 

[Hyperglide]

This is probably the best sword fight of all time.

 

[Swing]

I've always been especially fond of the prop work in this scene.

 

[Minnja]

I've become a bit of a snob when it comes to fight choreography ever since I started watching MMA. I do like action movies but I find it a bit irritating when action movies with hand-to-hand combat go nuts with SHAKY CAMERA and really horribly unrealistic and just bad looking fight choreography. My biggest pet peeve is when someone in the bottom of full mount does an upwards punch and knocks the guy on top away- it triggers me.

Imo John Wick series is the GOAT when it comes to fight choreography.

 

[sideboob]

Haven't seen it mentioned yet but I loved the scenes in Danny the Dog (esp the opening scene fight)

 

[Bob Gray]

The movie itself is a fun enough romp of style over substance. Story is forgettable, but this scene was one of the most brutally awesome fight sequences Ive seen in probably a decade. Definitely falls more on the side of "realistic" although it definitely isnt. Just one long, unbroken take of pounding violence. From a purely artistic point of view, this is one of the best long takes ever filmed.

 

[Deleted member 110072]

Yeah that's always been one of my favourites, generally I think Sammo films from the very late 70's and early 80's are the best traditional kung fu(not including Burce Lee who was always more down to earth, more akin to 80's kickboxing films) chorography, have more snap and speed to them than stuff like the Shaw bros.

 

[BB in Crazy!!!!]

This is probably the best sword fight of all time.

The Rob Roy duel is up there.

 

[Van_Damage]

Tony Jaa is a legend.

the ong bak were so good too (the first one mainly)

edit one of the Bourne movies had a really good seen in a bathroom

 

[Van_Damage]

Sometimes it's not the Choreography as much as it's also the pacing/framing/camerawork that isn't jumpcuts and quick editing

The movie Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear (directed by Isaac Florentine) is straight up amazing w/ it's fight scenes. As it Close Range, both starring Scott Adkins (the GOAT martial artists in movies). He also did Undisputed II and III, w/ waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better fight scenes than the Ving Rhames/Snipes original

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning is also amazing, by Hyams. Amazing fight between Adkins and Arlovski, and probably my second favorite Long Take ever in the hallway escape scene

For older movies, the choreography in Rapidfire (Brandon Lee/Powers Boothe movie) is amazing. Seriously, go back and watch that, same guy directed Marked for Death (probably the best choreographed Seagal flick)

Both Raids have been mentioned, but are amazing.

The long take/final fight from The Protector might be the best long take/final fight EVER

awesome list.

Universal Solder Reckoning was such a good movie

An old one, Fist of Legend with jet li was the first one that got me way into that. Well, aside from Bloodsort and early 90's MMA

 

[RDUBYA]

The 3 "End" fights in Tiger Cage 2...film was a mess though



Eastern Condors...Sammo has had a couple of good scraps with Billy Chow (Pedicab Driver) and here he gets to jump in for Biao and kick Yuen Wah's arse.



Lots of great mentions ITT

 

[Deleted member 110072]

The 3 "End" fights in Tiger Cage 2...film was a mess though

Its the same with Woo Ping's In The Line of Duty 4, the crime thriller plot is a complete afterthought relative to the stunt work even by Hong Kong standards.

For shear density of clever/crazy stunt ideas there hard to beat though, especially as they didn't have the budget for big set pieces that Golden Harvest/Chan did in the 80's.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Drunken Master 2
Chinese Connection

 

[MaureenCretis]

Batman vs Bane round 1. Had all you’d expect from two elite hand to hand combatants:

- Haymakers that start from the other side of the room.
- Jumping roundhouse punches that were at least 3 feet short of their opponent.
- Headbuts from the bottom position.
- Punches caught in the opponent’s hand.

 

[PG29 red0 Jr]

Also, I'm very fond of Bloodsport.