This coming Monday sees the DVD and Blu-ray release of THE KING OF FIGHTERS, a live action adaptation of the popular video game of the same name. The film stars Maggie Q, Sean Faris and Ray Park, and centres around a fighting tournament held in another dimension. As such, THN thought it would be good clean fun to look back on some of the finest fight scenes cinema has offered us over the years…
UNLEASHED (2005)
“So you essentially turned a man into a dog.”
As a film on its own merit, UNLEASHED is pretty darn good. Jet Li often doesn’t seem to be given an opportunity to do anything other than beat up everyone in the room, but here, his sympathetic portrayal of childlike death machine Danny is enough to allow him to flex his acting chops (as well as beating everyone up). In amongst all the tenderheartedness are some of Jet Li’s most savage fight scenes, one of which takes place within the small confines of a toilet cubicle. Set in Glasgow, and with support from Bob Hoskins and Morgan Freeman, playing a blind piano tuner and a gangster (can you guess which is which?), UNLEASHED is definitely a unique film of Jet Li’s arsenal.
FIRST STRIKE (1996)
“Really, I’m not making this up! I feel almost like James Bond, except no gorgeous girls.”
Having played primarily straight roles early in his career, it was the Police Story series that introduced audiences to Jackie Chan’s distinctive blend of fights, stunts and laughs. Released to western audiences as the solitary JACKIE CHAN’S FIRST STRIKE, the film is in fact POLICE STORY 4: FIRST STRIKE (for anyone that cares) in Chan’s long running series. Although it contains a ludicrous plot involving Chan’s Hong Kong police officer chasing after Russian nuclear scientists for some reason, it does contain one of Jackie’s more innovative fights, where he makes inventive use of a step ladder as a weapon.
THE CANNONBALL RUN 1 & 2 (1981, 1984)
“Have no fear, ‘Him’ is here.”
If we’re being honest, THE CANNONBALL RUN films are not going to be on a lot of ‘great film’ lists. With the thinnest of plots inspired by a real life illegal cross-country race, it was simply a reason for an all-star cast (including Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Roger Moore, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jnr, Jackie Chan, Richard Kiel, and Catherine ‘Daisy Duke’ Bach, among others) to get together again and have some fun.
Both films feature a massive brawl, where the bickering racers team up against Peter Fonda’s bikers, and Telly Savalas’ mobsters, in the first and second films respectively. What’s great about the two fight scenes, apart from the impressive all-star brawling, is Dom DeLuise, who changes into ‘Captain Chaos’ whenever he senses danger. If you ever wanted to see an awesome fat guy in a cape throwing people out of windows, you should definitely watch THE ‘RUNS. For trivia hunters out there, CANNONBALL RUN 2 marks the final appearance of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr in a film together.
THE PUNISHER (2004)
“I think we should stay out of it. He’s a very scary man.”
Although 2008‘s PUNISHER: WARZONE perhaps succeeded more in capturing the tone of Marvel’s resident mass murdering vigilante, 2004’s reboot delivered a brutal and bloody brawl between Tom Jane’s ‘Frank Castle’ and ‘The Russian’, played by wrestler Kevin Nash (Diesel if you’re old enough to remember). Intercut with amusing footage of Castle’s neighbours cooking their dinner, the savage fight is set to the comical sounding opera La donna è mobile, which provides a stark contrast to the violent nature of the scene. There’s even a live grenade getting thrown around.
EASTERN PROMISES (2007)
“I’m just a driver.”
David Cronenberg is well known for his shocking body-horror films such as THE FLY and SCANNERS, but he seems to have had a change of pace in recent years, focused his efforts more on creating brooding violent thrillers. EASTERN PROMISES features a rather bloody scrap in a London steam room where Viggo Mortensen’s Russian gangster tries to defend himself with nothing but his towel, which he loses almost immediately. Although very low-key in its set up, Cronenberg crafts a ferocious fight that goes to show the man still knows exactly how to make us squirm.
OLDBOY (2003)
“Can ten years worth of imaginary training be put to use? Apparently it can.”
The original adaptation of the Japanese Manga, OLDBOY is the second and probably most well known of Chan-Wook Park’s ‘Vengeance’ trilogy. Featuring an extraordinary corridor fight that harks back to the beat-em-up video games of the early 90’s (Streets of Rage anyone?), the iconic scene manages to balance both comedy and brutality. OLDBOY has since been unofficially adapted by Bollywood (ZINDA), and is currently in the American remake realms with Spike Lee at the helm. Time to get that claw hammer out.
THEY LIVE (1988)
“I’m giving you a choice: either put on these glasses or start eatin’ that trash can.”
With one of the longest, and easily one of the dirtiest fist fights in cinematic history, John Carpenter’s satirical sci-fi throwback remains a cult favourite to this day. Drifter ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper discovers a pair of sunglasses that allow him to see the world as it really is, which is not all it seems to the naked eye. Hot Rod tries to convince his mate Keith David to put on the sunglasses and see the truth, but Keith doesn’t like taking orders from a guy with a mullet. Trivia fans might like to know that the scene was parodied in SOUTH PARK with almost identical fight choreography.
ROCKY IV (1985)
“If he dies, he dies.”
Of the many glorious fights in the series, Rocky’s battle with Ivan Drago is perhaps the most emotionally charged of the lot. Rocky is forced to come out of retirement to face the towering, drug-fueled superman, who punched friend Apollo Creed straight into the afterlife. Clubber Lang almost seems like a simple van driver compared the Soviet machine, who throws Rocky around like a ragdoll for much of the fight. But in the end all the drugs and heart-rate monitors cannot compete with Rocky’s fresh air jogs through the snow, so let that be a lesson to you kids.
WARRIOR KING (2005)
“You killed my father, and you stole my elephant!”
Tony Jaa burst onto our screens back in 2003, dropping many a jaw with his dazzling blend of stunts and martial arts in ONG-BAK. Although that film has since spawned a number of sequels, his next effort was WARRIOR KING. When his elephants are kidnapped by gangsters, Tony Jaa sets off to Sydney to find them, kicking anyone that gets in the way. His journey leads him to a large illicit restaurant, where in one scene, he fights his way to the top in one camera take. What must have taken hours of preparation comes off as a striking fight scene, showcasing some impressive choreography and endurance.
ANCHORMAN (2004) 
“They’ve done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works every time.”
The cast of ANCHORMAN is essentially just a who’s who of the current comedy cream-of-the-crop, in the days before Russell Brand started showing up in everything. The legendary fight scene in ANCHORMAN is instigated by the long standing rivalry between Ron Burgundy’s Channel 4 news team and Wes ‘number two’ Mantooth’s Channel 9 team. Soon all of the city’s various news teams are coming out of the woodwork to try and take a piece of Burgundy and his boys, including Tim Robbins, Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson.
THE KING OF FIGHTERS is released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on the 26th December 2011.
Zach
Dec 30, 2011 at 5:47 am
It should be noted that the corridor fight scene in Oldboy is BLATANTLY ripped off in the Jude Law movie Repo Men.
I enjoyed both movies, though 🙂