#5: Spino vs Rex – Jurassic Park 3
I consider Animal fights to be fair game, so let’s start strong with our biological diversity pick: A grossly anatomically incorrect Spinosaurus and a near-equally mutated Tyrannosaurus Rex!
The reason I have put this one on my list was because this scene shocked movie and Jurassic Park fans when it came out. For the previous century, moviegoers believed the T-Rex was the ultimate predator producible by nature. Now there are we know there are other carnivorous dinosaurs that were even bigger and scarier than T-Rex.
#4 Batman vs Bane – The Dark Knight Rises
In the 3rd film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, we see a withered Batman return from 8 years of retirement to fight a new underground villain known as Bane played by a beefed-up Tom Hardy. To find his layer Batman teams with Catwoman to search Gotham underground. Instead, Catwoman betrays Batman, locking him in Bane’s headquarters forcing Batman to fight one on one.
What makes this fight work for me is that we have seen Batman take out numerous bad guys with martial skill with ease. Here, he finally meets a villain who matches him muscle for muscle. Even when Batman tries to disappear in the dark, Bane said his own words “I was born in It”, before grabbing him in the air, breaking the Bat’s back. This moment brought to you by the comic: Batman: Knightfall.
#3: Zhang Ziyi v Michelle Yeoh – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Whenever there was ever a martial arts movie I could recommend to literally anyone, it’s this one.
The overuse of wire stunts may look silly some western audiences – but to others more familiar with Asian film and its tropes, it’s just part of the fun. One fight however that did not use wire jumps was duel between Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh. Ziyi welded an unbreakable sword called the Green Destiny, and she uses it to cut through half of Yeoh’s private arsenal as we see her hostwap through a variety of classical-era Chinese weapons from sabers, to feathered spears, twin hooks, even a sword breaker.
#2: Achilles vs Hector – Troy (2004)
2004’s Troy was one of my favorite films growing up. It has large scale battles with a star-studded cast that felt like an homage to the older epics from the 1950’s and 60’s. Among them were the movies 2 best characters: Brad Pitt’s Achilles and Eric Bana’s Hector. In terms of story, it mostly follows true to Homer’s Iliad, with Achilles challenging Hector over the death of his cousin Patroclus (in the original poem they were lovers). One detail I loved was despite both sides hating each other take off their helmets before battle ensuring that they both fight on equal terms revealing the respect for a fair fight. Plus, it makes it easier for the audience to see their faces and get the emotions out of these characters.
In terms of the fight itself it was well choreographed with both characters having a different fighting style, with one fighting as if he was divine, the other fighting from raw experience. One Is skilled and seemingly flawless, the other is gritty and down to earth. One Is fighting to avenge his family, the other fights to protect his family. All makes for a fantastic fight scene.
#1: Liam Neeson vs Tim Roth – Rob Roy
Set at the turn of the 18th century when the Scottish clan system was being disbanded and replaced by a new aristocracy, Rob Roy focuses on the titular character played by Liam Neeson, a cattle farmer trying to pay off his debt to a landlord. At the same time, he’s being pressured by a sociopathic English aristocrat played by Tim Roth who burned down his house and assaulted his wife. Rob is a man bound by old fashioned honor and so Rob challenges Roth to a duel to settle the debt. It’s been established early on that despite Roth’s character at times acting like a silly dancer, he is incredibly skilled with a rapier. In contrast Roy fights with a basket hilt broadsword, something representing the old days.
Roth had the upper hand the entire fight, cutting into Rob Roy piece by piece. In this entire duel there was no music at all, just the sound of the swords echoing in the castle walls. The duel was effectively won with Rob on his knees with his enemies toward his throat, then Rob grabs the blade with hands bleeding and lashes out with his sword striking above cleaving through Roth’s chest. A heroic triumph for our hero and a bloody end to our brutal character.
