Everyone loves a good race. Whether it be on foot, hoof, rails or wheels, it can provide the highlight of any movie, and in some cases, like in this week’s big DVD and Blu-Ray release RUSH, can be the focus for the entire running time.
RUSH displays the great rivalry between two of the greatest Formula One drivers to have been strapped behind the wheel, Niki Lauda and James Hunt, played by Daniel Bruhl and Chris Hemsworth, and a series of races during arguably the most exciting F1 season of all time.
In this feature we take a look at the other great movie (and TV) races from the last few decades.
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS SERIES (2001-Present)
The ‘Fast’ movies have provided us with some of the most breathtaking and indeed ridiculous racing moments over the course of the last decade. With the franchise suffering from the extremely sad loss of Paul Walker in 2013, the question has been raised as to whether the series can live on with his notable absence from it. Choosing a stand-out set piece from a solid, six strong movie series is difficult, but its inclusion in this list is essential, so we’ll opt for Rob Cohen’s original, and our very first glimpse of the visual high-octane greatness of which we’ve come to love ever since. “Dude, I almost had you.”
THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE AND FRIENDS: THOMAS AND BERTIE (1984)
The only TV entry on our chart (making it the best TV race of all time) is the original, model railway set ‘Thomas and Bertie’ episode of perhaps the greatest children’s television series of all time, Thomas The Tank Engine. Adapted from the books by the Reverend W. Awdry, the show ran for many years and even managed to bag a Beatle (Ringo Starr) to voice 52 episodes. This classic story from season one sees little blue tank engine Thomas have a cheeky little race with a red bus named Bertie around their home island of Sodor. It’s classic hare and the tortoise stuff, albeit with vehicles with silly little faces on them. “Well done, Thomas! That was fun, but to beat you over that hill, I’d have to grow wings and be an aeroplane!” Oops, spoiler.
BAD BOYS (1995)
Okay, so while not strictly a race, this sequence from the very last scene in perhaps Michael Bay’s greatest action film is going down as one because, well, we’re in charge.
Heading for a gap in a barrier the width of one motor vehicle a few hundred yards away, a shot-in-the leg Mike Lowrey (Will Smith), is barking into the ear of Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) while Tea Leoni sits squealing in the back seat of an extremely spritely Porche 911. Besides them is naughty bad guy Fouchet (Tcheky Karyo) in another high performance car, an AC Superblower no less, who is also belting along at a rate of knots heading for the same space. Only one of them will make it! It should be our heroes, as they have the faster car, but then again Marcus does drive slow enough to drive Miss Daisy, as Lowrey so often reminds us throughout the movie. They’re always arguing and swearing at each other those two, but then again they are bad boys. What ya gonna do?
SEABISCUIT (2003)
Not a story about a salty ocean-fairing cracker at all, no, SEABISCUIT is a film revolving around one of the greatest horses that ever raced. Not only did Seabiscuit race 89 times at 16 different distances over the course of his career, but he did it with Spider-Man strapped to his back. There is usually great odds on landing a Bet on Ladies Day – outstanding horse racing & odds, which is great. SEABISCUIT is a true-story features the dramatic race between the title character and War Admiral from the 1930s and also the classic line; “Show him the stick at the quarter pole and he’ll give you a whole new gear.” Filth.
TALLEDEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY (2006)
“If you’re not first, you’re last”. Inspiring words from Gary Cole’s father to Will Ferrell’s NASCAR racing star son in this superb comedy from 2006. There are many racing scenes to choose from in this bloody hilarious movie, but it’s the climactic race-off between Bobby and rival Jean Girard, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, that makes our list. Top notch.
DAYS OF THUNDER (1989)
Our top two films are included because of their services to racing movies as a whole, and not just that one impressive scene. DAYS OF THUNDER, released in the summer of 1989, was billed as TOP GUN on wheels, and reunited its star Tom Cruise with the legendary late Tony Scott, the director that helped propel him to fame three years previously.
The film was also led by legendary producing team Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, the man whose life in Hollywood is almost as well known as the blockbusters he brought to the screen. DAYS OF THUNDER also sees Cruise have a wife, his co-star Nicole Kidman, but more importantly, it gave the world Maria McKee.
THE CANNONBALL RUN (1981)
I don’t care what you say, this is the greatest racing movie of all time. Putting famous people in fast cars and a film that revolves around a cross-country race is a stroke of cinematic genius. Throw in a few girls in bikinis and Burt Reynolds with a moustache, and you’ve got cinematic gold.
This film also features Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jnr, Jackie Chan, Peter Fonda, Farah Fawcett and none other than Roger Moore. Need we say any more?
Here’s the fantastic opening sequence.
RUSH is released on DVD, Blu-Ray and video on demand services on Monday 27th January, 2014.
