POINT BREAK – In Cinemas Friday – Most Spectacular Stunts in Film
Movies are full of stunts and more often than not there’s no escaping them. Hand-to-hand combat, horse riding, car chases and even sliding down the escalator partition are all fairly common examples but when stunts are done properly. With care and an imaginative vision they take on a whole persona for themselves and in some cases even catalyse the beginnings of movie cultdom.
To introduce the death-defying stunts of POINT BREAK, released in UK cinemas 5th February, we thought it only right to round up some of the greatest technical stunts in film...
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – The Boulder Scene
Let’s start with an oldie, but a goodie. There are many ways to distinguish Indiana Jones as a cinematic icon. Harrison Ford couldn’t have been better cast as Spielberg’s archaeologist with attitude but there is one scene in particular that earned Indiana that hat and whip. In pursuit of the Ark of the Covenant, and still used by Universal Studios as a live stunt show, Indy challenges the odds and just skims his way through to the goal. All until he realises that the place is full to the brim with booby-traps. Run Indy, run!
Casino Royale (2006) – The Car Flipping Scene
The idea of simply owning an Aston Martin is enough to catch your breath but watching one smashed to a thousand pieces is enough for anyone to hyperventilate into a paper bag. Casino Royale in its entirety delivers just that. Centring on James Bond’s battle of wits with Le Chiffre at a high stakes poker game in Montenegro at the eponymous Casino Royale, his nervy ego is thrust into action-hero mode when Vesper Lynd is kidnapped. With our smooth talking hero in pursuit, nothing could prepare us for Martin Campbell’s masterful decision to cut the chase short and smash Bond against the polished interior of an Aston Martin DBS.
Set at Millbrook hill circuit in the dead of night, watching hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of super car tear itself to shreds, spiralling through the air with our chiselled gentleman hero in tow makes for captivating cinema.
Inception (2010) – The Corridor Scene
Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending science fiction epic baffled audiences first with its enigmatic trailers and then with some truly stunning set pieces. Let’s not even talk about the dream within a dream within a dream thing. Amidst all this dreamscape bemusement lies one of Nolan’s greatest cinematic achievements. As the first dream begins to collapse, altering the reality of the second dream, Joseph Gordon Levitt is left in a moment of zero gravity fighting and attempting to trigger the second kick. It all sounds a little confusing out of context, heck, it’s a lot to wrap your head around in context as well but it’s a visual and technical masterpiece.
The Dark Knight (2008) – The Truck Scene
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy reimagined the caped crusader with a dark, sinister undertone, largely influenced by Heath Ledger’s stunning performance as The Joker. Christian Bale and Ledger each brought their characters’ personas to the screen excellently and in one of the most confrontational action sequences between the two we witnessed an amazingly spectacular stunt. Flipping a truck head over heels and sending The Joker crashing to the ground is a fantastic spectacle on the big screen and solidified The Joker’s crazed sense of invulnerability even further.
Hot Rod (2007) – The Final Scene
The majority of the smaller stunts in Andy Samberg’s Hot Rod feel like something you’d find on a YouTube ‘Fails’ compilation. Not managing to clear the community swimming pool, speeding down a hill strapped to a longboard and slamming into an innocently parked RV. Even getting smashed by an oncoming car dressed in your Nan’s duvet and pillows are but a few of the failed stunt capers the eponymous Hot Rod puts himself through. However, Hot Rod’s unfailing indie chic charm doesn’t let us down in the finale as he attempts to beat Kanevil’s record and jumps a mere THIRTEEN buses. A huge set piece worthy of the Hollywood company it surprisingly finds itself in.
The whole persona of Hot Rod with his faux moustache, evil kanevil cape, and low-powered peddle motorcycle scream ‘underdog’ and there’s nothing we love more than an underdog.
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) – The Opening Scene
The trailer that made all sorts of headlines – Tom Cruise clinging to the side of a military Airbus as it takes off, couldn’t have announced the new Mission: Impossible any better. Before the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) is forced to go rogue, they’re involved in one last mission. Opening Rogue Nation in spectacular fashion, Tom Cruise risks life and limb for authenticity but also to satisfy his adrenaline fix. But the authenticity is key in ensuring that a heightened sense of authenticity is captured for the screen and projecting a real sense of danger. Tom Cruise really kicks Ethan Hunt’s action hero status into high gear for this one.
Police Story (1985) – The Glass Stunt
Jackie Chan, the father of practical effects is renowned for his perfectionism and dedication during a shoot. But only a couple of his stunts come close to the finale of Police Story. Hot on the tail of crime, chasing Lord Chu Tao through a shopping mall, Jackie Chan slides down a pole wrapped in lights, suffering third degree burns on his hands, injuring both his back and pelvis in the process. But true to Chan’s authenticity he carried on shooting and finished the scene to stunning visual results! What a guy!
POINT BREAK FLIES INTO UK CINEMAS ON FEBRUARY 5
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