Caliber Winfield's Top 5 Greatest Fight Scenes

Hey, guys.

I know that a lot of wrestling fans are also big into film, TV, and other facets of pop-culture. So, my every-so-often column will always be a random choice, to keep things interesting. I hope you guys dig each effort. 

This time around, I thought I'd post what I believe are the Top 5 Greatest Fight Scenes of all time. I've been into martial arts and such since I was a kid, and have always been obsessed with fight scenes, and the beauty that can come with the choreography. Serious, some of the fight scenes you see these days are just gorgeous. 

So, here's my Top 5, and I'd really like to hear which scenes you guys dig. And yes, before anyone posts the video of Captain Kirk fighting the Green Lizard Thing, it is a funny fight scene. 

 from….
Ong Bak: Thai Warrior

 

People might think I’m off my rocker for including this, but as always, I’m a genius who often goes away from the curve. Ong Bak: Thai Warrior is one of those movies that was first passed around from friend to friend who were fans of martial arts. It was like the stuff of legend, you had to see it. You had to see this new kid, Tony Jaa. He was Jackie Chan times 10. So, you pop it in,  all is well and rocking,  it comes to the first fight, and you’re expecting one hell of a bout, then BAM. It’s one awesome knee to the face and it's over. It’s far more impactful than any actual fight could have been. It showed you right then that Ong Bak, and Tony Jaa, truly were something fresh.

from….
Enter The Dragon

 

This one film caused a massive influx of people taking up martial arts in the 1970′s. Seriously, I bet that not only did local dojo’s see their attendance rise by probably 200%, but probably 2-3 new dojos opened up per city. Hell, the song Kung-Fu Fighting wouldn’t have been written if not for Lee. Bruce is such an awesome guy that he needs…nay, deserves his own article. The guy has influenced so many fields from film, martial arts, to writing and exercise. His best known work is one of the greatest martial arts films of all time, Enter The Dragon. The scene in question is also one of the most iconic. Lee and Han doing battle in the hall of mirrors, Bruce with his slashed up torso, Han rocking that bad-ass claw hand. It is such an awesome scene, that any director or writer who ever plans on creating a movie, no matter the genre, need to see this scene. If you don’t, then you have offended my family, and the Shaolin Temple.

from….
Revenge of the Ninja

 

If you’re a fan of martial arts films, then chances are you have been since you were a kid. If you were a kid, then you loved ninjas. One of the major stars of that era was the man, Sho Kosugi. They say some people are born to play a part, and he was damn well born to play a ninja. In this classic, a man named Cho has his family slaughtered by ninja, and decides to move to America to start a business with his best friend, Braden. Well, we come to find out it was all a ruse so Braden could sell coke, smuggling it through Cho's dolls, and he is in fact, a ninja. Basically, there’s only one thing you can do in a situation like this. No, you don’t call the cops, sissies do that, you go back to the ninja ways you swore off forever, and do battle.

I’ve always loved the hell out of this scene. It’s a pretty long fight scene that involves some hand to hand, the acrobatics one expects with ninjas, an array of weapons, and a few surprises too. It’s just a bad-ass brawl that is the pinnacle of on screen ninja fights.

 from….
The Protector aka Tom-Yum-Goong

If you’re looking for a martial arts movie with awesome fight scenes, honest to God, look no further than this film. It’s hands down the greatest, most ambitious martial arts film ever. It has some of the most innovative, incredible fight scenes and moves ever caught on film. From Tony taking on about 40 kids on bikes and roller blades who have light bulb tubes, to, what I believe is an homage to Bruce Lee’s Game of Death by fighting 3 separate fighters who have 3 different, and distinct styles. I wanted to include that scene as well, but then this whole list would have been the Tony Jaa Show. Search out that scene, it’s incredible. Now, this scene…

The only reason this scene isn’t number one is simply because the first place fight is longer. This is probably the most ambitious and creative scene in all of cinema. It’s a 4 minute long, non-stop, no edits, no camera tricks fight scene. Tony walks up 4 flights of a tower, fighting people the entire time. He’s throwing people over railings, through walls and tables, executing flying knees through drinking fountains and people. This shot took about 6 weeks to set up. After 6 different attempts, they finally got it. It truly has to be seen to be believed.

 from….
Drunken Master II

Roger Ebert once said, regarding this film: “it may not be possible to film a better fight scene”. 

He’s spot on.

This fight scene is absolutely non-stop, and truly has to be seen to be believed. Honestly, I’m not even going to describe it, I’m just going to let you watch it all and see it for yourself. So fast, so brutal, so f'ning incredible.

The guy who’s doing all the fancy foot work is Ken Lo, one of Jackie Chan’s Stunt Team members, and at one point in time, his personal body guard. How hard do you think this guy can kick? He could probably cave in your chest. Or kick you so hard in the face it'd break your toes. 

Hope you guys enjoyed the list. I know some of you guys like to talk film & television, so, since Scott's mailbag is usually for wrestling, anyone who wants to ask a question regarding movies or TV, or just get a topic going, send one my way and we can start a mailbag. email: faucetofslfame@hotmail.com

If you're digging the article, you can find more at these lovely websites:

Str8 Gangster, No Chaser - more lists, Man Movie Encyclopedia, reviews, pro-wrestling

WCW In The Year 2000 - A review of the worst year in pro-wrestling history.