Top 10 Movie Fights on Mountains and Cliffs
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Script written by Nolan Moore.
If the mountains won’t come to the movies, then the movies must go to the mountains. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 movie fights on mountains and cliffs.
Going toe-to-toe with your archenemy is hard enough on the ground, but imagine having to throw punches just inches away from a hundred-foot drop? That’s something else entirely. So for this list, we’re focusing on big screen fights that take place on cliffs and mountains. In other words, there need to be rocks and a precarious precipice involved. And since some of these stand-offs are the grand finales of their films, we’re going to go ahead and issue a spoiler alert.
#10: Chopper Confrontation
Sylvester Stallone has punched everybody from Mr. T to Jean-Claude Van Damme, but his toughest foe was none other than John Lithgow. As mountain climber Gabe Walker, Sly finds himself at odds with Lithgow’s Eric Qualen, a military intelligence officer searching for $100 million in cash. But when Qualen kidnaps Gabe’s partner, this rescue ranger goes into Rambo mode, and they duke it out atop an overturned helicopter that’s dangling from a cliff. Seriously, this is a fistfight that’ll leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.
#9: Punch-Out on a Panzer
Everybody hates the Nazis, especially Indiana Jones. And when they try to steal the Holy Grail and kidnap his dad to boot, this two-fisted archaeologist decides to throw down with the Third Reich. In “The Last Crusade”’s big fight scene, Indy goes to town on top of a tank, all the while hurtling straight towards a deadly drop-off. Even James Bond gets in on the action, and you’ll never find a more satisfying scene than when Indy finally beats that SS officer to a bloody pulp. Geronimo.
#8: Battle Royal
You can’t choose your family, and that’s too bad if your uncle is a manipulative murderer who killed your father. After offing the king and stealing his throne, the scheming Scar gives young prince Simba a major guilt complex…and tries to have him eaten. Years later, a wiser, stronger Simba returns to claim his crown, and the two battle atop Pride Rock, surrounded by flames and hungry hyenas. Basically Discovery Channel meets Shakespeare, this epic slugfest is one of the greatest all-time Disney duels.
#7: Fighting Down the Mountain
When a secret mission goes horribly wrong, four Navy SEALS find themselves trapped in the Afghan mountains. Led by Lt. Michael Murphy, the SEAL team tries to make a run for freedom, but when they’re surrounded by Taliban insurgents, they’ve no choice but to lock and load. Unlike most of the films on this list, “Lone Survivor” is based on true events, and while director Peter Berg takes some liberties with the story, he effectively captures the brutality and horror of being in a gunfight.
#6: This. Is. Sparta!!!
Like blood-drenched battles dangerously close to sheer drop-offs? Well, have we got the movie for you. When the massive Persian army invades Ancient Greece, the Spartans face the invaders along a rocky beach complete with craggy cliffs. And these muscle-bound brawlers use those bluffs to their full advantage. They even send a few unlucky elephants down to their deaths. With archers, Immortals, ogres, and war rhinos, this crazy clash is the most over-the-top fight on our list…which is another way of saying it’s totally awesome.
#5: Rushing Down Mount Rushmore
Alfred Hitchcock always wanted to make a movie on America’s most patriotic landmark, and in this Cold War thriller, he finally got his chance. When advertising executive Roger Thornhill is mistaken for a government spy, he’s chased across the country, eventually ending up on Mount Rushmore, alongside double agent and love interest, Eve Kendall. And while he’s just a Manhattan mad man who’s more comfortable in a cocktail bar, Thornhill holds his owns against professional assassins, all while crawling across Abraham Lincoln’s face.
#4: Dwarf vs. Orc
The first installment of a three-part trilogy, “An Unexpected Journey” is jam-packed with Middle-Earth action, most notably the climactic fight in the Misty Mountains. When Azog the Defiler catches up with Gandalf and the dwarves, both sides launch into an all-out war using everything from swords to Wargs to fiery pinecones. Things get really intense when dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield takes on the battle-scarred white orc himself, but in a dramatic twist, audiences learn size isn’t everything, especially when battling on mountains.
#3: Skeletal Swordfight
Fighting on a cliff is hard enough, but it’s even worse when an undead army has a bone to pick with you. On his quest to find the magical Golden Fleece, legendary Greek hero Jason and his band of Argonauts run into the villainous King Aeetes, who has his very own squad of sword-wielding skeletons. With a little help from stop motion pioneer Ray Harryhausen, these skeletal soldiers make short work of Jason’s crew…until the toga-wearing hero uses the geography to his advantage.
#2: A Swashbuckling Battle
When a trio of thugs kidnaps the beautiful Princess Buttercup, they think they’re going to get away clean…until the Dread Pirate Roberts shows up. After scaling the aptly named Cliffs of Insanity with only his hands, the man in black must face off against each of the outlaws, starting with Inigo Montoya. Armed with rapiers and the wittiest banter in the history of swashbucklers, these swordsmen thrust and parry their way over rocks and crags in a fight you can only describe as inconceivable.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Duel of the Immortals
“Highlander” (1986)
- Taking Out the Chopper
“Rambo III” (1988)
- Prehistoric Rumble
“King Kong” (1933)
- Foggy Mountain Tag-Team
“The Fox and the Hound” (1981)
#1: Hurtling Through the Himalayas
Our top pick, this high-flying duel is nine minutes of mind-blowing martial arts. After seeking refuge in the Himalayas, Cobra villain Storm Shadow finds good guys Jinx and Snake Eyes hot on his tail. When the two finally subdue their white-clad opponent, they have to face an army of katana-wielding ninjas. And that’s when things get really crazy. While several sequences were done with CG, those zip-line stunts were shot in Vancouver with actors dangling 1,000 feet in the air. Talk about dedication to your craft.
Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite movie fight on a mountain or cliff? For more awesome Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
Top 10 Movie Fights on Mountains and Cliffs
If the mountains won’t come to the movies, then the movies must go to the mountains. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 movie fights on mountains and cliffs.
Going toe-to-toe with your archenemy is hard enough on the ground, but imagine having to throw punches just inches away from a hundred-foot drop? That’s something else entirely. So for this list, we’re focusing on big screen fights that take place on cliffs and mountains. In other words, there need to be rocks and a precarious precipice involved. And since some of these stand-offs are the grand finales of their films, we’re going to go ahead and issue a spoiler alert.
#10: Chopper Confrontation
“Cliffhanger” (1993)
Sylvester Stallone has punched everybody from Mr. T to Jean-Claude Van Damme, but his toughest foe was none other than John Lithgow. As mountain climber Gabe Walker, Sly finds himself at odds with Lithgow’s Eric Qualen, a military intelligence officer searching for $100 million in cash. But when Qualen kidnaps Gabe’s partner, this rescue ranger goes into Rambo mode, and they duke it out atop an overturned helicopter that’s dangling from a cliff. Seriously, this is a fistfight that’ll leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.#9: Punch-Out on a Panzer
“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989)
Everybody hates the Nazis, especially Indiana Jones. And when they try to steal the Holy Grail and kidnap his dad to boot, this two-fisted archaeologist decides to throw down with the Third Reich. In “The Last Crusade”’s big fight scene, Indy goes to town on top of a tank, all the while hurtling straight towards a deadly drop-off. Even James Bond gets in on the action, and you’ll never find a more satisfying scene than when Indy finally beats that SS officer to a bloody pulp. Geronimo.#8: Battle Royal
“The Lion King” (1994)
You can’t choose your family, and that’s too bad if your uncle is a manipulative murderer who killed your father. After offing the king and stealing his throne, the scheming Scar gives young prince Simba a major guilt complex…and tries to have him eaten. Years later, a wiser, stronger Simba returns to claim his crown, and the two battle atop Pride Rock, surrounded by flames and hungry hyenas. Basically Discovery Channel meets Shakespeare, this epic slugfest is one of the greatest all-time Disney duels.#7: Fighting Down the Mountain
“Lone Survivor” (2013)
When a secret mission goes horribly wrong, four Navy SEALS find themselves trapped in the Afghan mountains. Led by Lt. Michael Murphy, the SEAL team tries to make a run for freedom, but when they’re surrounded by Taliban insurgents, they’ve no choice but to lock and load. Unlike most of the films on this list, “Lone Survivor” is based on true events, and while director Peter Berg takes some liberties with the story, he effectively captures the brutality and horror of being in a gunfight. #6: This. Is. Sparta!!!
“300” (2007)
Like blood-drenched battles dangerously close to sheer drop-offs? Well, have we got the movie for you. When the massive Persian army invades Ancient Greece, the Spartans face the invaders along a rocky beach complete with craggy cliffs. And these muscle-bound brawlers use those bluffs to their full advantage. They even send a few unlucky elephants down to their deaths. With archers, Immortals, ogres, and war rhinos, this crazy clash is the most over-the-top fight on our list…which is another way of saying it’s totally awesome.#5: Rushing Down Mount Rushmore
“North by Northwest” (1959)
Alfred Hitchcock always wanted to make a movie on America’s most patriotic landmark, and in this Cold War thriller, he finally got his chance. When advertising executive Roger Thornhill is mistaken for a government spy, he’s chased across the country, eventually ending up on Mount Rushmore, alongside double agent and love interest, Eve Kendall. And while he’s just a Manhattan mad man who’s more comfortable in a cocktail bar, Thornhill holds his owns against professional assassins, all while crawling across Abraham Lincoln’s face.#4: Dwarf vs. Orc
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (2012)
The first installment of a three-part trilogy, “An Unexpected Journey” is jam-packed with Middle-Earth action, most notably the climactic fight in the Misty Mountains. When Azog the Defiler catches up with Gandalf and the dwarves, both sides launch into an all-out war using everything from swords to Wargs to fiery pinecones. Things get really intense when dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield takes on the battle-scarred white orc himself, but in a dramatic twist, audiences learn size isn’t everything, especially when battling on mountains.#3: Skeletal Swordfight
“Jason and the Argonauts” (1963)
Fighting on a cliff is hard enough, but it’s even worse when an undead army has a bone to pick with you. On his quest to find the magical Golden Fleece, legendary Greek hero Jason and his band of Argonauts run into the villainous King Aeetes, who has his very own squad of sword-wielding skeletons. With a little help from stop motion pioneer Ray Harryhausen, these skeletal soldiers make short work of Jason’s crew…until the toga-wearing hero uses the geography to his advantage.#2: A Swashbuckling Battle
“The Princess Bride” (1987)
When a trio of thugs kidnaps the beautiful Princess Buttercup, they think they’re going to get away clean…until the Dread Pirate Roberts shows up. After scaling the aptly named Cliffs of Insanity with only his hands, the man in black must face off against each of the outlaws, starting with Inigo Montoya. Armed with rapiers and the wittiest banter in the history of swashbucklers, these swordsmen thrust and parry their way over rocks and crags in a fight you can only describe as inconceivable.Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Duel of the Immortals
“Highlander” (1986)
- Taking Out the Chopper
“Rambo III” (1988)
- Prehistoric Rumble
“King Kong” (1933)
- Foggy Mountain Tag-Team
“The Fox and the Hound” (1981)
#1: Hurtling Through the Himalayas
“G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (2013)
Our top pick, this high-flying duel is nine minutes of mind-blowing martial arts. After seeking refuge in the Himalayas, Cobra villain Storm Shadow finds good guys Jinx and Snake Eyes hot on his tail. When the two finally subdue their white-clad opponent, they have to face an army of katana-wielding ninjas. And that’s when things get really crazy. While several sequences were done with CG, those zip-line stunts were shot in Vancouver with actors dangling 1,000 feet in the air. Talk about dedication to your craft.Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite movie fight on a mountain or cliff? For more awesome Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
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