Chasing Greatness

Scott Hardie | May 17, 2005
Since I watched one last night, I've been thinking about the greatest car chases in the movies. Here's my top-ten list, in no particular order (and I admit my bias on the most recent item):

- "Bullitt"

- "The French Connection"

- "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (aqueduct chase)

- "The Italian Job" (1969 version)

- "The Blues Brothers"

- "To Live and Die in L.A."

- "The Matrix Reloaded"

- "Diamonds are Forever"

- "The Dead Pool"

- "The Naked Gun" (opening credits)

Special mention: "The Road Warrior" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark," which were more stunt shows than car chases, but great anyway.

What would you swap out on my list, or what would be on a new list of your own?

Anna Gregoline | May 17, 2005
How about Borne Identity? They made a car go down a flight of stairs in one particularly cool part that I think I remember.

Amy Austin | May 17, 2005
Yes, and another rather tense (if nauseating) chase in Supremacy!

Michael Paul Cote | May 17, 2005
The opening sequence in The Transporter is pretty nifty as well as the 18 wheel sequence at the end.
I liked the battle in I, Robot even though that was cgi
Does the double decker bus scene in The Mummy Returns count?

Kris Weberg | May 17, 2005
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade had a great motorcycle chase scene that everyone manages to forget.

And on the "probably just me" end of the scale, I always loved the car chase through the Los Angeles culverts in the middle of Repo Man.

Jackie Mason | May 18, 2005
[hidden by request]

Scott Hardie | May 18, 2005
I love that motorcycle chase, Kris. I almost put it on the list instead of the one from "Raiders," but it's just not as well-remembered.

David Mitzman | May 19, 2005
How about the big car/crane chase from Terminator 3? The whole "crane going through the building" part made it all worth it.

John E Gunter | May 19, 2005
I remember a car chase from many years ago, but don't remember the movie it was in. The protagonist, an undercover police officer is chasing 2 bad guys. Both cars are of course suped up and are racing through the streets of NYC(?) at least I think it's in NYC.

Anyway, during the chase, another driver has just finished parking his car when the lead car, containing the bad guys races by. He opens the car door just as the undercover officer comes by. Of course, the undercover cop's car rips the door off. Later during the chase as they get further away from the city, the bad guys get in front of a scenic cruiser bus, Greyhound(?), and one gets into the back seat of the car.

Leaning out the window, he gets ready for the cop to pass the bus. The bus driver seeing this tries to warn the cop, but only manages to help the cop avoid getting shot. The shotgun blast causes the cop's car's hood to come loose and very quickly rip off over the top of the car.

Toward the end of the chase, the cop has pulled up beside the bad guys and they are sideswiping each other. The come around a corner in the road and the cop has just seconds to react before the car slams into the back of a broken down semi, fantastic chase, from an older movie.

Now I've gotten to where I need to look up this movie. I think Roy Scheider was playing the cop, but I don't remember for sure.

Isn't the chase in the French Connection involving a car and L-train? So many movies, to old to remember them all! ;-)

Edit: If only I could spell!

John

John E Gunter | May 19, 2005
Ok, after a little search on the IMDB, I figured out what the name of the movie was. I was correct in that it was Roy Scheider who is the under cover cop, at least I remembered that! ;-)

Anyway, the name of the movie is the Seven-Ups from 1973. I'll have to rent it again!

Anyway, from what I remember, the car door incident was an accident, but it looked so good in the film that they kept it.

John

Amy Austin | May 19, 2005
1973... a very good year. ;-D

I don't know if this counts or not, but I particularly like when Agent Malloy's (Colm Meaney) shiny new silver "AZZ KICKR" 'Vette(?) is chasing down the jumbo prop job in "Con Air" -- that one is priceless.

Michael Paul Cote | May 20, 2005
I find it interesting that no one has mentioned "Gone in 60 Seconds" or either of the "Fast and Furious" movies.
On the other side of the coin - I like the scene from the movie that they are filming in "Hooper" with Burt Reynolds and Jan Michael Vincent. Even though staged, it gives a good example of what it takes to make a chase scene work.

Anna Gregoline | May 20, 2005
I wouldn't count The Fast and the Furious in as greatest car chases. I didn't find them particularly compelling.