1987 | 1h 38m | Directed by Rob Reiner
 
Starring Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin and Robin Wright
 
Even a good romance movie can include a little fighting, especially when it is for the hand of a princess. In the movie, Westley, a simple farmhand, and Inigo Montoya, the greatest swordsman to have ever touched the world, fight each other in a well-choreographed sequence of smooth moves and snappy dialogue.

1999 | 2h 16m | Directed by Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski
 
Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss
 
Thanks to the work of Yuen Woo Ping, The Matrix is now known for its iconic fights. The training scene between Morpheus and Neo sets the stage for the memorable bouts that come afterward and is reminiscent of the six-month regimen that Woo-ping made the actors undergo before shooting.

1994 | 1h 42m | Directed by Chia-Liang Liu and Jackie Chan
 
Starring Jackie Chan, Ho-Sung Pak and Lung Ti
 
Jackie Chan's masterwork is the pinnacle of his recognizable style of action-comedy, with actual punchlines, hilarious prop work, and one of his most blistering stunts. The pivotal battle, directed and choreographed by Jackie Chan, contrasts his free and fluid drunken boxing style with Ken Lo's stiff Taekwondo.

2019 | 2h 10m | Directed by Chad Stahelski
 
Starring Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry and Ian McShane
 
When it comes to modern action movies, the John Wick franchise has some of the greatest fights in cinema. With Keanu Reeves in the lead role, a man who takes the time to learn martial arts moves and to wield multiple weapons, the third part of the movie sees John Wick fighting assassins and using swords and guns.

1984 | 2h 06m | Directed by John G. Avildsen
 
Starring Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and Elisabeth Shue
 
When it comes to karate movies, this movie might take the cake. We get to see young talent grow and win. The most memorable fight of the movie might be the last one — between the hero, Daniel, and his bully, Johnny. Wounded, Daniel and Johnny share a last stand-off, which ends with an epic crane kick.

1972 | 1h 47m | Directed by Wei Lo
 
Starring Bruce Lee, Nora Miao and James Tien
 
Bruce Lee's Chen Zhen knocks a whole Japanese dojo to the ground in 1972 in the world's quickest fight choreography. It was a significant occasion for Hong Kong as well as for martial arts movies. Later, Donnie Yen and Jet Li would portray Chen Zhen, but nothing can beat the original version (literally and metaphorically).

1984 | 1h 40m | Directed by Sammo Kam-Bo Hung
 
Starring Jackie Chan, Biao Yuen and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung
 
Jackie Chan can fight, crack jokes and beat up any villain in a movie with his signature moves. In the movie, Thomas, portrayed by Jackie Chan, is forced to fight a thug, played by Benny ‘the Jet’ Urquidez. The fight scene includes little to no famous Jackie Chan humor and instead focuses on quick fighting moves.

1981 | 1h 55m | Directed by Steven Spielberg
 
Starring Harrison Ford, Karen Allen and Paul Freeman
 
You have to be aware of your surroundings when fighting someone — and one character learned this lesson the hard way. Indiana Jones fights a nazi mechanic in fist-to-fist combat. However, the mechanic failed to notice the spinning propellers of a plane coming closer to him and thus ended the fight in a not-so-nice way.

1973 | 1h 42m | Directed by Robert Clouse
 
Starring Bruce Lee, John Saxon and Jim Kelly
 
Bruce Lee squares up against Han, his ultimate formidable foe, in a battle conclusion that features deceitful mirrors and lethal traps. Cleverness was the only way an adversary could expect to beat Bruce when he was at the peak of his game. After much sneaking through the mirrored hallways, Lee eventually spots Han and strikes him with a last high kick.

1980 | 2h 04m | Directed by Irvin Kershner
 
Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher
 
In one of the most iconic father and son fights in the history of motion pictures, Luke Skywalker has to fight his father, Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker, to return him to the good side of the force. Complete with foreboding lighting and strong lightsaber-wielding, the fight established the film as a considerably darker and deeper installment of the story.

2000 | 2h 00m | Directed by Ang Lee
 
Starring Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh and Ziyi Zhang
 
There is something so exciting about an epic sword duel. This movie sees Jen Yu, portrayed by Zhang Ziyi, who wields a legendary 400-year-old sword, and Yu Shu Lien, played by Michelle Yeoh, fight each other in an epic duel that is both tense and beautiful in its way. The well-choreographed scene is a nail-biting moment in the movie.

2004 | 2h 17m | Directed by Quentin Tarantino
 
Starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine and Michael Madsen
 
This franchise doesn’t hold back on the violent side of fighting. While the first movie saw Kiddo fighting a group of Yakuza assassins and more, the sequel focuses more on one-on-one fights. The most interesting one is between two rivals — Kiddo and Driver. They fight in a cramped house, exchanging sword swings at one another.

2006 | 1h 57m | Directed by Zack Snyder
 
Starring Gerard Butler, Lena Headey and David Wenham
 
When you center your story on the legendary warriors of Sparta, you know the fighting scenes will be epic. One of the first conflicts sees the 300 warriors of King Leonidas fight the soldiers of King Xerxes. We get to see the conflict happen in slow motion as the Spartans easily fight back the endless horde of Persians.

2000 | 2h 35m | Directed by Ridley Scott
 
Starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen
 
Maximus, who has already won over the audience, is matched up in the arena against Tigris of Gaul while being surrounded by chained tigers. Trying to avoid the tigers and the swings from Tigris, Maximus has to maneuver the arena while the crowd cheers the fighters on. In the end, Maximus decides to spare the life of Tigris, angering the emperor.

2014 | 2h 16m | Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
 
Starring Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson
 
Even an elevator fight is nothing to the icon of the American spirit — Captain America. When he gets stuck in an elevator full of Hydra agents, he only says one thing — “Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?” After that, Captain America fights off plenty of baddies and ends it all with a jump out of the elevator.

2001 | 2h 58m | Directed by Peter Jackson
 
Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom
 
In a minute-long battle that swings back and forth violently before intensifying to a ferocious, limb-hacking conclusion, Aragorn exacts revenge for his fellow human Boromir on a group of Uruk Hai. As a final act of defiance, Lurtz draws Aragorn's blade into his chest; in return, Aragorn chops off his head.

1988 | 1h 34m | Directed by John Carpenter
 
Starring Roddy Piper, Keith David and Meg Foster
 
Roddy Piper, an ex-wrestler, is not a stranger to long fights. In the movie, Nada, portrayed by Piper, is the only one to see, through a pair of sunglasses, the world for what it is — filled with controlling aliens. He tries to show the real world to Frank, his friend, even when he has to fight it. The scene has no music, or quick cuts, only big swings and friendship.

2003 | 2h 00m | Directed by Park Chan-wook
 
Starring Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae and Kang Hye-jeong
 
In this incredible man-versus-mob scene, the former prisoner Oh and his go-to mallet for headbutts battle a large group of lead pipe-equipped mobsters. The scene was shot without the use of any fancy computer effects and required three days and 17 taxing takes to perfect. It has blood, violence, and everything in between.

2010 | 1h 48m | Directed by Wilson Yip
 
Starring Donnie Yen, Xiaoming Huang and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung
 
This movie isn’t about IP, as in internet protocol — it’s about Ip Man, a wing chun grandmaster, based on a real-life person of the same name. It follows Ip Man’s journey to Hong Kong, and one of the scenes sees him fighting a Shaolin master and using environmental threats to their advantage in an epic fight scene.

1990 | 2h 04m | Directed by Renny Harlin
 
Starring Bruce Willis, William Atherton and Bonnie Bedelia
 
John McClane fought on top of a skyscraper and a plane. On the wing of a flying aircraft, John McClane engages two bad guys, sending one flying into the propeller before taking a life-or-death leap back to solid ground. After breaching the plane's fuel tank, McClane grabs his lighter and sets the entire thing ablaze.

2014 | 2h 09m | Directed by Matthew Vaughn
 
Starring Colin Firth, Taron Egerton and Samuel L. Jackson
 
Instead of a battle, Freebird is used to soundtrack a horrible slaughter in a Baptist church. Other than the incredible brutality, what's most striking about the fight is that Colin Firth, known for his more romantic roles, is the one doing the hurting. This fight has it all — guns, fire, and quite a lot of violence involved.

1982 | 1h 57m | Directed by Ridley Scott
 
Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer and Sean Young
 
Every aspect of this battle is brilliant. The hand-to-hand combat between Harrison Ford’s Deckard and Rutger Hauer’s Batty is tension-filled, but the cake belongs to the 42-word monologue said by the villain. The most human thing said by a replicant, the monologue touches upon the fact that when a person passes away, a small part of the world disappears too.

1984 | 1h 38m | Directed by Chia-Liang Liu
 
Starring Chia-Hui Liu, Sheng Fu and Lily Li
 
Before becoming Pai Mei and Johnny Mo, Chia-hui Liu was already brilliant in his movies. In the movie, he stars as a rogue monk who decides to break his vows to beat the people who were involved in his sister's kidnapping. The fight between him and the Khitan baddies has everything — colors, tension, and some creative moves.

1996 | 1h 32m | Directed by Dennis Dugan
 
Starring Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald and Julie Bowen
 
Who could have known that a golf game could result in a good old brawl of fists and strength? Happy Gilmore, played by Adam Sandler, fights Bob Barker himself, the host of The Price Is Right. They exchange punches and funny lines at one another. For the first time in history, golf has captured the attention of the audience.

2004 | 1h 59m | Directed by Yimou Zhang
 
Starring Ziyi Zhang, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Andy Lau
 
When the movie has “flying daggers” in the title, you know that the action will be fast and tension-filled. The blind Mei gets assaulted in the middle of the bamboo jungle, and even though she bravely fights off her attacker, it is obvious that she needs assistance. Fortunately, Wind, a lone warrior, is there to help her.

1976 | 2h 00m | Directed by John G. Avildsen
 
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire and Burt Young
 
Rocky can take a punch and dish a few out on his own. In the movie, the most well-known underdog in cinema history gets to fight the proud heavyweight champion himself — Apollo Creed. Rocky’s stamina plays an important role in the fight. When Rocky gets knocked out by Apollo, he is still able to stand up and put up a decent fight.

2010 | 2h 28m | Directed by Christopher Nolan
 
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Elliot Page
 
The hardest battles we fight happen in our minds. Arthur squares off against a projection of Robert Fischer's mind in a hotel hallway which gets pushed into a condition of zero gravity. To startle his opponent and get a punch in, Arthur charges the enemy by jumping from the wall and hitting him once.

1986 | 2h 17m | Directed by James Cameron
 
Starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn and Carrie Henn
 
Who would dare to fight an apex alien? How about Sigourney Weaver? In this unusual space fight, Ripley faces off against the Xenomorph Queen. In the end, a beefed-up forklift truck defeats the creature's snapping jaws and sharp tail. To send the Xenomorph back into space, Ripley successfully tricks the creature into a cargo lock.

2004 | 1h 34m | Directed by Adam McKay
 
Starring Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate and Steve Carell
 
The news anchors can charm the audience with the information they say on the screen but can also be quite vicious when meeting their rival teams. In the movie, we see our heroes, led by the great Ron Burgundy, fighting it out with other news teams. The fight includes knives, swords, and even a trident.

2013 | 1h 49m | Directed by Edgar Wright
 
Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Martin Freeman
 
Bar crawls don't get much worse than the one the characters in Edgar Wright's bonkers body-snatching comedy set out on as a night out on the town turns into a struggle for survival. After Gary unintentionally decapitates an extraterrestrial Blank in the lavatory of The Cross Hands bar, its teen-bot companions return with their fists ready.

2018 | 2h 27m | Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
 
Starring Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill and Ving Rhames
 
Tom Cruise always delivers the action in the Mission: Impossible movies, but combine that with Henry Cavill, and you get quite an interesting fight. In the sixth installment in the franchise, we see Cavill’s raw strength and Cruise's light humor (and combatting skills) working together to defeat a mysterious Asian fighter in a public bathroom setting.

1979 | 1h 33m | Directed by Walter Hill
 
Starring Michael Beck, James Remar and Dorsey Wright
 
Ajax and Swan more than make up for the lack of numbers when the sports-themed thugs pursue the anti-heroes, the Warriors, and they fight at Riverside Park. The two gangs engage in rough thumps to the head and gut punches after managing to steal a few of their opponents' bats.

2010 | 1h 52m | Directed by Zack Snyder
 
Starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Kieran Culkin
 
With all of Ramona's prior ex-boyfriends defeated, Scott has taken on the wicked tycoon Gideon Graves. It's an epic sword duel with special effects and cool lens flare. As Scott declares his passion for Ramona at the beginning of the battle, he receives a loving power-up and can draw a blazing blade from his chest to use in battle.

1987 | 1h 24m | Directed by Sam Raimi
 
Starring Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry and Dan Hicks
 
Good thing we have two hands at our disposal. In Evil Dead 2, Ash's hardest battle involves his hand. The cunning little animal has quite a few maneuvers in its repertoire. The struggle between them is long and ends in a bloody mess. To get the picture of how bloody it is, just know that a chainsaw is involved.

1971 | 3h 20m | Directed by King Hu
 
Starring Feng Hsu, Chun Shih and Ying Bai
 
When it comes to epic fighting sequences and martial arts movies, this movie might be the greatest. Set in 14th-century China, the action reaches the climax when Gu, Yang, and Abbott have to fight Hsu, an evil commander. At the end of the battle, the three “victors” are seen bleeding golden blood.

2007 | 1h 55m | Directed by Paul Greengrass
 
Starring Matt Damon, Edgar Ramírez and Joan Allen
 
The finest example of mano-a-mano fighting can be seen in this movie during Jason Bourne's fight with Blackbriar sleeper agent Bouksani. The palate cleanser after an interior brawl in which punches get traded, books and candles serve as makeshift weapons, and someone ultimately gets choked with a towel in a wild pursuit through the rooftops of Tangier.

2019 | 1h 27m | Directed by Jesse V. Johnson
 
Starring Scott Adkins, Craig Fairbrass and Thomas Turgoose
 
Scott Adkins is not a stranger to fighting people, especially when he stars in Jesse V. Johnson movies. In their sixth collaboration, Adkins is again fighting rough and tough enemies in a simple pub. He ends up in an East End pub, where he reduces the place, and a few pub patrons, into splinters.

2007 | 1h 40m | Directed by David Cronenberg
 
Starring Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen and Armin Mueller-Stahl
 
Viggo Mortensen is not a stranger to fighting — he fought orcs, racism (metaphorically), and mobsters. Two leather-clad goons believe an ambush at the bathhouse would catch criminal turncoat Nikolai, portrayed by Mortensen, off guard. They are mistaken, as our hero shockingly and brutally demonstrates their mistake.

2011 | 1h 41m | Directed by Gareth Evans
 
Starring Iko Uwais, Ananda George and Ray Sahetapy
 
A brother is always there to support his sibling in a fight. In the movie, the heroes end up in the mouth of the rabid Mad Dog after a special forces raid on a tower block inhabited by criminals goes wrong. What comes next is a shockingly nasty two-on-one match that serves as a superb display for the Pencak Silat fighting art form.

1999 | 2h 19m | Directed by David Fincher
 
Starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Meat Loaf
 
The first rule of fight club — you do not talk about fight club. Well, here we are breaking that rule. One of the more remembered fights of the movie is between Jared Leto’s Angel Face and Edward Norton’s Narrator characters. While Face gets to throw a single punch, The Narrator still wins, throwing one hit after another.

1999 | 2h 16m | Directed by George Lucas
 
Starring Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman
 
This franchise is known for its deep lore, brilliant characters, and some tension and action-filled lightsaber fights. They are like sword fights, but with bright lights. The fourth movie in the franchise, Episode I, sees Jedi Kenobi and Jinn fight the cool lightsaber-wielding Darth Maul, which makes the three fight in a choreographed light show.

2006 | 2h 20m | Directed by Christopher Nolan
 
Starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Ken Watanabe
 
Batman would do anything to save Gotham City — even if it leads to destroying some of its infrastructure and buildings. Bruce constantly forgets Ra’s’ warning to be aware of the surroundings throughout the film. When they fight in a moving train, Batman turns the tables on Ra’s. Batman defeats Ra’s by destroying the train in the process.

2022 | 2h 17m | Directed by Robert Eggers
 
Starring Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman and Claes Bang
 
On a not-so-stable volcano, Amleth, the hero of the story, tries to finish the man that started the turmoil in his family — his uncle Fjölnir. These two men clash in a great duel, bashing their shields and axes at one another. The battle ends in quite a brutal way — with both of them losing their heads.

1986 | 1h 44m | Directed by Hark Tsui
 
Starring Brigitte Lin, Sally Yeh and Cherie Chung
 
What happens when you put a cross-dressing revolutionary, a musician, and a stagehand against a group of gun-wielding crooks? You get an awesome fighting scene. The fight doesn’t hold back on hilarious humor, unexpected violence, and some of the best slow-motion shots in the history of cinema.

1998 | 2h 49m | Directed by Steven Spielberg
 
Starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon and Tom Sizemore
 
Spielberg did a magnificent job of capturing the horrors of World War II, from the American side, in this movie. With no beautiful cinematography, impressive moves, or quick snaps of dialogue, Private Stanley Mellish, without any ammunition on him, fights a Waffen SS Soldier in hand-to-hand combat and sadly passes away.

1983 | 2h 05m | Directed by Richard Lester
 
Starring Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor and Margot Kidder
 
Superman experiences horrible symptoms of desire, wrath, and self-loathing after coming into contact with red kryptonite, and finally, he separates into two personalities and engages in combat with them. To disclose the sparkling S hidden beneath his shirt, Clark regains his warrior spirit and strangles Superman until he disappears.

2011 | 2h 20m | Directed by Gavin O'Connor
 
Starring Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte and Joel Edgerton
 
Tommy and Brendan, two estranged brothers, ultimately square off in the championship match of an MMA competition. With each hit, the very tense fight brings to the surface previously suppressed feelings. Tommy tries to release himself when Brendan manages to trap his left arm beneath his knee, but he reaches too far, resulting in a not-so-pleasant cracking sound.

2004 | 2h 12m | Directed by Clint Eastwood
 
Starring Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman
 
The hero of the movie gets what she's always wanted: a $1 million bout versus Billie "The Blue Bear," a notorious nasty fighter and the WBA women's welterweight champion. Once the round is over, the Blue Bear sucker punches Maggie, knocking her to the ground and breaking her neck, rendering her paralyzed.

2003 | 1h 37m | Directed by Ronny Yu
 
Starring Robert Englund, Ken Kirzinger and Kelly Rowland
 
In this exaggerated crossover film, the two horror icons square off, with Freddie, in particular, displaying some hitherto unexpected gymnastics while Jason dives through the blazing scenery. Before smashing Freddy's head through a window and pulling it over a pile of shattered glass, Jason takes him up in his arms like a small child — total humiliation.

2000 | 1h 42m | Directed by Guy Ritchie
 
Starring Jason Statham, Brad Pitt and Stephen Graham
 
Some fights are already planned out by the organizers themselves. In the movie, Snatch, we see what happens when the match doesn’t go the planned way. Brad Pitt's Mickey engages in combat with a beefy opponent in a fight that Brick Top intended to throw. Mickey strikes Horace with an uppercut, sending him to Dream Street.

1989 | 1h 54m | Directed by Rowdy Herrington
 
Starring Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch and Sam Elliott
 
Patrick Swayze can dance in Dirty Dancing and stand his ground in a fight. Swayze brought out his A-game in his role of Dalton, a doorman with a thirst for violence and fighting. The cherry on top is the pivotal altercation with Jimmy. There is even a Mortal Kombat-level finisher at the end of the duel.

1988 | 1h 32m | Directed by Newt Arnold
 
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Donald Gibb and Leah Ayres
 
Jean-Claude Van Damme and the ‘80s movies are beasts in themselves. Combine them, and you get Bloodsport. Frank Dux, Van Damme's character, has to fight the champion and quite beefy-looking Chong Li, portrayed by Bolo Yeung, for the title in a martial arts tournament. This fight gives Van Damme a chance to show off some cool moves.

2005 | 1h 51m | Directed by Prachya Pinkaew
 
Starring Tony Jaa, Nathan Jones and Xing Jin
 
Tony Jaa did a lot to popularize the Muay Thai martial art form in popular media. And with the help of Prachya Pinkaew, they topped a lot of movies with some epic fighting sequences using this fighting style. In this movie, Kham fights through multiple levels of a restaurant, destroying everything to avenge his elephants.

2022 | 3h 07m | Directed by S.S. Rajamouli
 
Starring N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan and Ajay Devgn
 
The fight between Bheem and Ram is the ideal representation of this exhilarating three-hour epic. Both tragic and sensationally hilarious, our two heroes fight while attacking the British Raj's headquarters in Delhi with the help of animals. It includes a man hitting a tiger with a blazing arm cannon and manages to be both truly emotional and intense.

1985 | 1h 30m | Directed by Mark L. Lester
 
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong and Dan Hedaya
 
Arnold is built like a machine, so it’s not a wonder why his characters in the movie can take quite a punch too. This movie fight sees the characters letting off some steam. Arnold Schwarzenegger responds as usual when Bennett commits the error of pointing a knife at him before he delivers one of his best payoff lines ever.

2012 | 1h 54m | Directed by John Hyams
 
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren and Scott Adkins
 
The Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning has that touch of Apocalypse Now and feels like a dream come true. However, that dream soon became a nightmare when violence and fighting appeared on the screen in a fantastic fighting sequence. With Scott Adkins in the lead of the fight, cool moves get used in a sporting goods shop.

1991 | 1h 50m | Directed by Nicholas Meyer
 
Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley
 
Sometimes, the greatest enemy you can face is yourself… or a body-morphing alien who looks exactly like you. In the movie, William Shatner’s character, Kirk, has to fight the body-morphing alien Martia, who has transformed into Kirk. While they started off the fight with hand-to-hand combat, it ended with some quick-thinking decisions.

2017 | 1h 55m | Directed by David Leitch
 
Starring Charlize Theron, James McAvoy and John Goodman
 
Even spies have to fight their own battles. The length of the fight and the savagery of the maneuvers are the key reasons why this scene is so stunning. During the conflict, one of the guys takes a blade out of his chest, but Theron repeatedly rams it down into his throat before throwing him down the steps.

2009 | 2h 42m | Directed by Zack Snyder
 
Starring Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson and Carla Gugino
 
You better “watch” out for who is attacking you. A bathrobed Comedian is attacked in his flat by an unidentified assailant in the opening sequence - a perfect way of establishing the narrative and tone. There is no consideration for the Comedian's furnishings in this thudding struggle, and everything gets used in the fight.

1993 | 1h 32m | Directed by Godfrey Ho
 
Starring Cynthia Rothrock, Don Niam and John Miller
 
Despite the title of the movie, a fight always has a person getting the loser label. The movie focuses on Kristi Jones, portrayed by Cynthia Rothrock, and her gang members, who participate in a not-so-legal street fight. The most memorable fight of the movie is between Jones, DiMarco, and the villain — Stingray.