08.19.07

     Quite often in films, there is a chase sequence. Most of the time it involves a couple of cars - the bad guy trying to get away from the good; or vice-versa. Sometimes it is more than one car (Italian Job) and other times there aren’t even cars involved at all, but trucks, ships or something else entirely. Here are my ten favorite chase sequences:

10) Terminator 2: Judgement Day
- - The T-1000 drives a semi truck off a bridge in an effort to kill John Connor who is frantically trying to escape on his little 100cc dirtbike through the dried up spillways of Los Angeles. Luckily Arnie saves the day on his Harley. Nothing overly special; just an exciting scene utilizing unique vehicles and characters in an equally unique environment. This is pure diesel power at 100 MPH.

9) The Matrix Reloaded
- - The high speed chase down the expressway is VERY fast and very intense with some pretty interesting characters that help make the chase that much more memorable. Major crash ups with a lot at stake. The only thing keeping this from being higher on the list is the obvious use of too much CGI. Had it been more “real”, it’d be higher on the list.

8) The Bourne Supremacy
- - The way Greengrass is able to pull this off in such a believable manner is fascinating. It’s not as intense because it’s so much fun to see the camera inside the car and its passenger as it takes massively huge hits from oncoming and side traffic.

7) Deja-Vu
- - This chase isn’t even really a chase. It’s easily the most original and innovative car “chase” I can think of. Denzel is chasing a guy that was there 102 hours ago using advanced, “see into the past” technology. It’s a total mind trip and exciting as hell. Especially given what is on the line. One of the best sequences of 2006.

6) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- - The mine shaft chase on carts. So much fun, because they can’t steer and they can’t slow down. Some track missing? Tough luck, you’ll have to jump the tracks. With agents of death hot on their trail, Indy has to be as innovative as ever to get away. Did I mention they’re riding over molten lava?

5) Raiders of the Lost Ark
- - Once again Indy finds himself in a tight spot and must be innovative. And innovative he is in one of the most iconic images of the decade… maybe ever, as Indy goes UNDER the moving truck to come up safe on the back end. Yeah.

4) The French Connection
- - It’s been a while, but I remember the chase through NYC; weaving and dodging traffic and the narrow lanes beneath the L trains as Hackman tries desperately to keep up with the fast moving train in his Pontiac GTO. Some narrow misses and near death for a baby in a stroller made this one a chase to remember.

3) Bullitt
- - My dad told me to watch Bullitt for the car chase, so I did. Man, he was right. Through the streets of San Fran over those huge hills, Steve McQueen and his speed machine gets some serious air. Not the best chase ever, but it probably was at the time. And damn cool it is.

2) Return of the Jedi
- - To this day when I ride my parents’ 4-Wheeler through the woods at top speed I recite lines to myself from the speeder bike chase in Jedi. How fast do you think they’re going in that movie? 100? 200 mph? Maybe more? Impossible with all that foilage and those huge trees of Endor, but no less of a thrill.

1) Ronin
- - Wow. This sequence seems to just go on forever and the speed at which DeNiro drives through those narrow streets is absolutely gripping. I remember my teeth nearly breaking as I gritted my jaw together so tightly and I kept looking for the seat belt on my theater chair. The most exciting and well choreographed chase scene I’ve ever seen. Brilliant.

honorable mention must go to Ben-Hur. It’s not a chase sequence technically, because it is a race, not a chase. Still, it’s exciting and gruesome as hell. I still have seen nothing like it to this day. I would’ve paid top dollar back in the day to watch a chariot race like that.