Top Ten Greatest Bar Fights in Film

It’s that time again! St. Patrick’s Day is here and in honor of the Irish holiday I’ve decided to make a special Top Ten. This holiday makes me think of pubs, bars, and anyplace else that will serve me that special green beer. Therefore, I’ve ranked the best bar brawls from some of your favorite movies. Each scene’s placement is based on originality, creativity, and execution of their fight. Crack open a cold one and prepare yourself, because this is going to be a bumpy ride.

10. Terminator (1984)

Watch out Linda Hamilton! This is the scene where Sarah Connor comes face to face with a terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and her saving grace Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn). If anything the suspense in this scene is what nails it for me. Even though I’ve seen this movie multiple times there’s always that part of me that wonders if Kyle can get to her in time.

9. Universal Soldier (1992)

Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a cyborg with a Belgian accent in this early nineties action flick. This scene includes the most prominent element in all movie bar fights, a lack of common sense. The bystanders approach Van Damme one by one, as if their standing in line to receive their ass whooping. If he broke the arms of the three people ahead of you, what makes you think you won’t suffer the same fate?

8. Out for Justice (1991)

I don’t know what’s worse in this scene, the violence or the Brooklyn accent Steven Seagal’s trying to pull off. Either way, those are the two strongest elements in this bar fight. Seagal walks around like he owns the place, and does it while wearing what looks like a woman’s blouse.

7. Mean Streets (1973)

Vintage Scorsese, De Niro, and Keitel highlight this old school brawl. Johnny Boy (De Niro), the most unstable element of Charlie’s (Keitel) crew really shows his true colors in this one. Keep an eye out for the amazing dolly shot during this scene. It’s like the ancestor to the famous restaurant scene in Goodfellas.

6. Road House (1989)

Acrobatic martial arts moves are executed with ease through blue jeans that are like a second skin. Unnecessary flips and the multiple uses of a pull cue dominate this eighties fight. The only thing more over the top than the choreography are Patrick Swayze’s feathered bangs.

5. Serenity (2005)

The one thing the bar fight in Serenity proves, is that no matter how far in the future you go a beer glass can always be used as a weapon. In Joss Whedon’s feature length farewell to the sci-fi series Firefly, Summer Glau aka Cameron from the Sarah Connor Chronicles proved that she could hold her own years before she became a terminator.

4. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

I love this movie. It has everything you could ask for, vampires, guns, and George Clooney. If a horror film has those three things in it, I’m there. This is definitely an underestimated film in my book. What happens when a criminal, a preacher, and his children walk into a bar full of vampires? This scene has the answer, and it’s not pretty.

3.Boondock Saints (1999)

The Saints come marching in, and they’re making a lot of noise.This fight is a true, blue Irish bloodbath that features lots of shattered glass, and a man getting set on fire. Even though it isn’t as long as some of the others, brothers Connor and Murphy kicking ass and enjoying it is what makes this one a winner.

2. A Bronx Tale (1993)

Chazz Palminteri christens this scene with the line, “Now you’s can’t leave.” With those words he unleashes his fury on a group of bikers who’ve strolled into the wrong part of town. My favorites part has to be at the end when Sonny says, “That ruined my whole fuckin’ lunch.” So hilarious, but inappropriate at the same time.

1. Desperado (1995)

Antonio Banderas became a star in the U.S. as the lead in Robert Rodriguez’s English version of El Mariachi. In this scene the execution and gun play in ridiculous, and I mean that in a good way. Baderas’ attitude is what makes his performance unforgettable. My favorite line is when he adamantly shouts, “you missed me, ” and then continues to shoot like there’s no tomorrow.

Those are my top ten, what do you think? Who did I miss? What are some of your favorite bar fights?