Favorite Fight Scene

What's your favorite fight scene?

  • Flying Wing (German Mechanic)

    Votes: 33 51.6%
  • Rock Crusher (Thugee)

    Votes: 9 14.1%
  • Tank Fight (Vogel)

    Votes: 15 23.4%
  • Big Damn Ants (Dovchenko)

    Votes: 7 10.9%

  • Total voters
    64

JP Jones

New member
This might have been done before,but what's your favorite fight scene.
Mine is the Big Damn Ants! It was sheer brilliance and people give it no credit. It was a fast paced, edge of your seat, thrill ride. with a very satisfying ending.
1.Big damn ants
2.Flying wing
3.Rock crusher
4.Tank fight
 

pellman

New member
I think the actual fighting of flying wing is the best -- when Indy takes that first shot to the face and falls on his ass. Priceless.

But I voted rock crusher for two reasons.
1. Shortround: "I gotta save Indy!" Willie (holding him back): "No!" Pause while Indy's getting his butt kicked. "Ok, save him."

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2. The expression on Indy's face when he finally gets released from the voodoo doll.

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oki9Sedo

New member
All great fight scenes, but the German mechanic fight is the best, I think. I'd say its possibly the best fight scene of all time.
 

JP Jones

New member
For me the flying wing and the big damn ants are pretty equal. Some days I would put the flying wing over the ants and sometimes I'd put the ants over the flying wing, but the shot of the first russian getting eaten puts it over by the slimest margian.
 

Chewbacca Jones

New member
I have to go with the Flying Wing fight. Not only is it a great scene, and a classic, but it also encapsulates the story and the Indiana Jones character into a single scene. We see Indy's weakness, we see his strength. His smarta** side, his awareness of his own vulnerability. And his heroic side, for sure, as saving Marion quickly overrides his other concerns. As to the overall story, it has all the ups and downs of the film as a whole, the changes in fortune and motivation, and just when you think Indy is beat - an outside force brings justice and Indy exits with the girl!

The tank fight and the rock crusher scenes are close in my book, but the fact that the rock crusher fight just plops down in the middle of the movie with little or no lead-up to it tips the scale.

As for the ant fight.... too many missed opportunities, too many big damn CG ants! And Indy's hat came off. For shame. Boo! Hiss! (The fact that Dovchenko rips it off his head would have been cool and funny if the hat hadn't kept falling off throughout the movie. The joke was no longer a joke.) And the ant's dragging him away was a bit OTT for me. I understand why they did it, but... eh.
 

The Drifter

New member
I have to go with the Tank fight.
I love how the whole piece is set up. Indy having to deal with saving his father on the treads of the tank while Vogel is slapping him around. I love it!
 
Flying wing...great place to stage a fight! What was Indy trying to do with the prayer hands? That was always strange...but it was cool that Indy was never going to be able to beat him.

He threw sand in his face, (almost?) kicked his junk and bit him! WOW!

I REALLY liked the ant fight, I didn't mind the ants swarming him and carying him away but I didn't like the blood bubbling out of his mouth...go figure.;)

Nice Thread/Poll, (looks left then right...hmmm must be an update to the Matrix)
 

Kevin

Member
Chewbacca Jones said:
I have to go with the Flying Wing fight. Not only is it a great scene, and a classic, but it also encapsulates the story and the Indiana Jones character into a single scene. We see Indy's weakness, we see his strength. His smarta** side, his awareness of his own vulnerability. And his heroic side, for sure, as saving Marion quickly overrides his other concerns. As to the overall story, it has all the ups and downs of the film as a whole, the changes in fortune and motivation, and just when you think Indy is beat - an outside force brings justice and Indy exits with the girl!

This is great, I agree with all points.
 

lao che & sons

New member
The ants were just plain brilliance there, the effects were really priceless. But I wish they had added the area 51 dovchenko fright. I would've voted THAT #1. Instead I went with the roack crusher, don't ask why, I'm just in the mood to cursh some rocks!!:p
 

JP Jones

New member
[/QUOTE] And Indy's hat came off[/QUOTE]. That's why it was so satisfying when Dovchenko got eaten. It was like that's what you get for taking my hat off.
 

Zeppelin

New member
Chewbacca Jones said:
I have to go with the Flying Wing fight. Not only is it a great scene, and a classic, but it also encapsulates the story and the Indiana Jones character into a single scene. We see Indy's weakness, we see his strength. His smarta** side, his awareness of his own vulnerability. And his heroic side, for sure, as saving Marion quickly overrides his other concerns. As to the overall story, it has all the ups and downs of the film as a whole, the changes in fortune and motivation, and just when you think Indy is beat - an outside force brings justice and Indy exits with the girl!

I never thought of it that way, but you're totally right. It's always been my favorite action scene, at least in the first movie.
 

pellman

New member
The only problem I have with the flying wing scene is ... they didn't establish that he is a bad guy. In fact, he could very well be a good guy.

Here he is, just a regular soldier, responsible for getting a plane ready to fly. And here comes some guy, obviously an enemy of some sort, trying to sabotage the plane. Not only does the mechanic do his duty by stopping the attack but he does so by challenging him to a fair fight. And continues to fight fair when the enemy fights dirty.

I always felt sorry for him.

It is an example of how American films are prejudiced against Germans. If you have a German bad guy, you don't have to establish that he is bad. Being German is enough.

All that aside, I agree that it is a great fight.
 

Chewbacca Jones

New member
It's a good point, Pellman. But in the context of the film there is no assumption of evil, just that the mechanic is Indy's adversary. One that takes a certain glee in the idea of pummeling him. Like all of the nameless germans killed in Raiders, and like so many nameless enemies killed in action movies as a whole (Stormtroopers, armed guards, police in foreign countries, etc.), the big guy was a soldier opposing the hero. If we assume he was a bad man, it makes us feel a little better, but he doesn't stand out in the long list of possibly innocent characters who die fighting movie heroes.
 

JP Jones

New member
I just thought of a new reason to put Ants over the flying wing.
In the begining of the fight the mechanic coaxes him down from the wing and wants a fight. Now talk about slow-paced.
In the ant fight however, he gives dovchenko a punch, yells "Get to the river!", and the fight insues.
 
mr.kotcs said:
I just thought of a new reason to put Ants over the flying wing.
In the begining of the fight the mechanic coaxes him down from the wing and wants a fight. Now talk about slow-paced.
In the ant fight however, he gives dovchenko a punch, yells "Get to the river!", and the fight insues.

That's a pretty weak reason...

Have you ever been in a fist fight, not a girl fight, not a wrestling match...a FIST FIGHT?

If you want to be picky, Dovchenko is a fag, (no offence gay community)...because he doesn't finsh Indy off. Instead he lets Indy "call time out" while he crawls to his hat and he allows him to grab the tree branch.

I like that Indy uses it and really have no problem with the pacing that he does it because that's how it happens sometimes.

Just like like German Mechanic, you have to consider the EMOTIONS involved!
Put yourself in his shoes...you, and I mean YOU mr kotex, walk into the music room in your school and two kids little more then half your size are fighting and the one who just got knocked out is your little step brother.

Well now, you've just come from Gym class where the teacher just yelled at you to shake down the flying wing so there's no chance...I mean told you to run laps until you stopped tripping over your own feet, and that next time your clumsy toe dragging doesn't cost the school or your team the game.

Well, (not knowing you, but understanding human nature), you're going to take off your glasses, slowly and you're going to tell that kid to come over here tough guy! He's half your size and you're ready to rock.

Now re-read that and consider that this guy is a 250lb-ish walking muscle who is probably the Nazi boxing champ, cause (Pat Roach being a Professional Wrestler) THAT's WHAT HE LIKES TO DO!

It's FAR from boring...go pick some fights with some kids bigger then you and come back and tell us that knot in your stomach, the rush of emotion and adrenaline is BORING!;)

No offence!
 

pellman

New member
Chewbacca Jones said:
But in the context of the film there is no assumption of evil, just that the mechanic is Indy's adversary. One that takes a certain glee in the idea of pummeling him. Like all of the nameless germans killed in Raiders, and like so many nameless enemies killed in action movies as a whole (Stormtroopers, armed guards, police in foreign countries, etc.), the big guy was a soldier opposing the hero.

I don't want to hijack this thread too much but just a couple more words on this.

I also have similar reservations about the nameless Germans during Desert Chase, but as for nameless enemies in general, these are always participating in a greater conflict, such as the stormtroopers, or are themselves acting as aggressors. Individually, there may be a decent fool among them who has chosen the wrong side, which is unfortunate. But the point is that they have chosen sides.**

The mechanic is part of a standing army during peacetime (1936) and has not aligned himself with any aggressor. It is Indy who is the aggressor in that scene. The soldiers are just defending themselves and doing their duty.

Opposing the hero is not enough. The hero has to have moral justification to be a hero. But maybe I should start another thread about that.

**I'm not overlooking police, but don't get me started on that.
 

JP Jones

New member
Rocket Surgeon said:
That's a pretty weak reason...

Have you ever been in a fist fight, not a girl fight, not a wrestling match...a FIST FIGHT?

If you want to be picky, Dovchenko is a fag, (no offence gay community)...because he doesn't finsh Indy off. Instead he lets Indy "call time out" while he crawls to his hat and he allows him to grab the tree branch.

I like that Indy uses it and really have no problem with the pacing that he does it because that's how it happens sometimes.

Just like like German Mechanic, you have to consider the EMOTIONS involved!
Put yourself in his shoes...you, and I mean YOU mr kotex, walk into the music room in your school and two kids little more then half your size are fighting and the one who just got knocked out is your little step brother.

Well now, you've just come from Gym class where the teacher just yelled at you to shake down the flying wing so there's no chance...I mean told you to run laps until you stopped tripping over your own feet, and that next time your clumsy toe dragging doesn't cost the school or your team the game.

Well, (not knowing you, but understanding human nature), you're going to take off your glasses, slowly and you're going to tell that kid to come over here tough guy! He's half your size and you're ready to rock.

Now re-read that and consider that this guy is a 250lb-ish walking muscle who is probably the Nazi boxing champ, cause (Pat Roach being a Professional Wrestler) THAT's WHAT HE LIKES TO DO!

It's FAR from boring...go pick some fights with some kids bigger then you and come back and tell us that knot in your stomach, the rush of emotion and adrenaline is BORING!;)

No offence!
I certainly never meant to say the flying wing fight is BORING! It's spectaculer, but so is the ant fight. The two fights are VERY close. It's really tough to like one more than the other. The real reason I like the ants better is that it was very fast paced. Not only was there a great fight but there were a few little details that made it better.
1. The shot of dovchenko jumping on Indy from the truck.
2. Mutt and Mac running to the river.
3. Irina's trouble with the ants.
4. The first Russian being eaten.
I'm not saying the Flying wing didn't have some cool little things, but they just were as good.
 
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