Top 10 Movie Car Chases Top Ten: 1. Bullitt 2. Gone in 60 Seconds [2000] 3. Smokey and the Bandit 4. The Blues Brothers 5. Gone in 60 Seconds [1974] 6. The French Connection 7. Ronin 8. Vanishing Point 9. The Italian Job [2003] 10. The Fast and the Furious Best of the Rest:
Let me say for probably the 1,000th time that "Ronin" freakin rocks--with that wrong-way car chase being one of the most rockin elements. "I never left."
Ronin's was awesome, I'll give it that. I remember being dumbstruck watching it in the theater... But American muscle cars in hilly SF, and then the gas station scene? WHOA! And it's McQueen, for chrissakes!
Trivia for Bullitt... * The director called for speeds of about 75-80 mph, but the cars (including the ones containing the cameras) reached speeds of over 110 mph. Filming of the chase scene took three weeks, resulting in 9 minutes and 42 seconds of footage. They were denied permission to film on the Golden Gate Bridge. * Two Mustangs and two Dodge Chargers were used for the famous chase scene. Both Mustangs were owned by the Ford Motor Co. and part of a promotional loan agreement with Warner Bros. The cars were modified for the high speed chase by veteran auto racer Max Balchowsky. Stunt co-ordinator Carey Loftin got Bud Elkins to drive the Mustang for the bulk of the stunts. Both of the Dodges were junked after the filming, as was one of the Mustangs. The other less banged-up Mustang was purchased by a WB employee after all production and post-production was completed. The car ended up in New Jersey a few years later, where Steve McQueen attempted to buy it. The owner refused to sell, and the car now sits in a barn and has not been driven in years. I saw a picture of the car and it's a complete stripped out mess. The owner's a complete asswipe and should sell or donate that car to an owner who will restore it and give it it's proper place in history.
The best car chases ever are still in Ronin, in my opinion. If you have the DVD, listen to Frankenheimer's commentary and you'll appreciate it so much more. The ones from the Bourne movies are close behind. And I had high hopes for The Transporter after the opening chase, but the rest of the movie ended up being one massive suckfest.
All of "Cannonball Run" should have been in the Top 10 somewhere. Rest in peace, Dr. Van Helsing. Why, we couldn't even go through Denver it's so high.
What, no Bond films made the list? But Bullitt definitely is the best. What I love is that there's no music or any background noise outside of the cars. I think the French Connection is the same way. Some of the funniest: Fletch Hey, Fred. How's the herpes? Midnight Run: You guys are the dumbest bounty hunters I've ever seen! You guys couldn't even deliver a bottle of milk! Foul Play: Kojak! Bang, bang!
I've always been fond of the chase at the end of "The Hunter", Steve McQueen's last film. Through Chicago and up the parking levels of Marina City.
How about that Dirty Harry film where the toy car with a bomb on board was chasing Clint around. (Dead Pool?)
How could they not have The Chase? The whole movie was a car chase! I don't see any of those other movies doing that. Plus, Henry Rollins playing an overzealous cop is too much fun!
I like the one in "The French Connection". I didn't like the one in "Bullitt" because, speaking as someone living in the Bay Area, it was rather disjointed geographically.
Yessir, "The Chase" rep coming your way. "You're confused! He's confused you! It's very... confusing!" Swanson is hot.
You're right, there are some good ones. Off the top of my head, the chase scene when Bond and Major Amasova are driving in Sardegna in a white Lotus and the hot chick (who was the chick in Adam Ant's Goody Goody Two Shoes video) in the helicopter. Foul Play: Far Out!
Bullitt for me and I agree that the chase in the Transporter is one of the best in recent memory. Beautifully edited.
Bullit should definitely be number one. But the list left out a lot of great chase scenes: "The Blues Brothers" - they pretty much destroyed most of downtown Chicago. "The Road Warrior" - the last half hour is pretty much nothing but a huge chase scene. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" - c'mon, Indy was dragged behind the truck that had the Ark inside of it by his bullwhip, fer Chrissakes! "The Rock" - Sean Connery steals a Hum Vee and Nic Cage tries to catch him, first in a Ferrari then on a motorcycle (was that a Ducati? I can't remember). "Mad Max" - the scene where Mel Gibson is trying to catch "The Night Rider" as he's heading towards civilization. "Terminator 2" - when the new terminator (T1000?) is chasing John Connor and the new terminator is being chased by Ahnold. T1000 is in a tractor trailer, Connor is on a small motorcycle, and Ahnold is on a big ole' Harley.