The action genre remains one of the most popular genres of film, and so movies with excellent fight scenes are commonplace. Whether the fights are the only well-liked part of the film, or part of a more solid whole, there is no shortage of impressive fight scenes.

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Audiences can get bored of just seeing two people hit each other, so fight scenes in films often get more creative. Changing up the weapons, the abilities of the combatants, or the setting can all make a fight scene more fresh. Some films go even further, creating truly unique battles that stay with an audience long after the film is over.

8 Indiana Fights For Antidote (Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom)

Indiana Jones holds Wu-Han as he dies Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

The opening scene of Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom is almost like the denouement of another film. Indiana Jone sits down to dinner with crime boss Lao Che to give him the remains of Emperor Nurhaci. When negotiations over payment break down, Lao poisons Jones and gives him the chance to trade his payment for an antidote.

What follows is a lengthy fight sequence using concealed guns, fists, feet, and even a meat skewer to battle over both the diamond and the antidote. The scene includes a lengthy car chase, all while Jones is dying of poison. Although Temple Of Doom is considered a middling instalment in the franchise, its opening scene is well-liked for its creative action.

7 Will, Jack, And Norrington Settle Their Differences (Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)

Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and James Norrington battle over the key to the Dead Man's Chest Pirates of the Caribbean

The alliances in the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies are always shifting and unstable. For a time in Dead Man's Chest, there is a truce between Will Turner, Jack Sparrow, and James Norrington. Working together to get the Dead Man's Chest, things break down once they recover it, with each wishing to use it for a different reason.

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The result is that Jack, Will, and Norrington enter into a three-way sword duel. Already an interesting set-up, as they battle over the key to the chest, their fight takes them to a ruined church. They use the ropes on the church bells to move around. They end up at a moving water wheel, fighting both outside and inside as it rolls through the island.

6 Oh Dae-Su Fights An Entire Gang (Oldboy)

Oh Dae-Su battles the gang in the corridor Oldboy

A popular concept in movies is an entire group of people fighting a singular opponent, or much smaller group. As much as this concept is used, it is often criticized in films for straining the suspension of disbelief by having one member of the larger group attack at once, allowing the smaller group to defeat them one by one.

In Oldboy, this is not the case. When protagonist Oh Dae-Su is attacked by an entire gang in a narrow corridor, he fights off the entire gang at once. Making use of the narrow terrain and the uncoordinated nature of his foes, he fights them to a standstill. The scene is noted for both its realism and its brutality, with the direction highly praised.

5 Vasily And König Have A Sniper Duel (Enemy At The Gates)

Herman Konig prepares to duel Vasily in Enemy at the Gates movie

The unique fight in Enemy At The Gates takes place over much of its runtime. Enemy At The Gates follows Vasily Zaitsev, a marksman and hero of the Soviet Union, in the Battle of Stalingrad. The thrust of At The Gates - aside from its love story - is on the duel between Vasily and German sniper legend Erwin König.

Rather than a fast-paced battle with dozens of people, the action of Enemy At The Gates focuses on this very slow battle between a handful of men. The two spend hours outmaneuvering and playing mind games with one another, the fight is slow-paced and tense, and almost universally-acclaimed.

4 The Battle For The Lab (Ant-Man And The Wasp)

Ant-Man rides a truck in Ant-Man and the Wasp movie

One recurring criticism about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that the climax of most of its movies tend to involve two people with similar powers fighting one another to a standstill. Ant-Man And The Wasp addresses this criticism in numerous ways. Aside from involving multiple combatants, a range of superpowers are used creatively, and there is a greater aim than simply defeating the opponent.

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The climax is a chase scene between three factions fighting over the miniaturized Pym Lab. One faction has entirely mundane thugs, the other has shrinking and growing tech, and the other consists of a woman who can make herself intangible. Each faction uses their abilities to the fullest, and it has been hailed as one of the most inventive battles in the MCU.

3 Arthur Fights A Projection In Zero Gravity (Inception)

Arthur fights a projection in the zero-gravity hotel Inception

Inception is a movie that helped put Christopher Nolan on the map as one of the most creative filmmakers in Hollywood. Much of Inception's plot is set within nested artifical dreams. This is exploited to maximum effect, with the dreams affecting time, space, and gravity.

Although Inception's action has been praised, the stand-out scene is widely agreed to be Arthur's fight scene in the hotel. After being an expositional device and comedic straight man, Arthur fights one of Robert Fischer's dream-security 'projections' to protect his sleeping friends. Due to the effects of the dream, they fight in zero gravity, making full use of the unique setting. Filmed almost entirely with practical effects, the scene is widely acclaimed.

2 Jackie Chan Is At His Finest With A Ladder (Police Story 4: First Strike)

Jackie Chan fights off opponents with a ladder in Police Story 4: First Strike movie

Jackie Chan is well-known for some of the most inventive and creative fight scenes in all of the kung fu genre. Filmed practically, and making full use of the environment and improvised weapons, Chan's fight scenes tend to be mobile, surprising, and funny.

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With many to choose from, one scene accepted as Chan's most creative fight is one in the largely-forgettable Police Story 4: First Strike. Interrupting a memorial service to try to clear his name, Chan is forced into a fight with bodyguards. Heavily outnumbered, him and his opponents make use of weapons such as chairs, tables, and mops. He wields a ladder and uses it to fight several men to a standstill.

1 The Protagonist Fights Himself (Tenet)

The Protagonist fights a future version of himself Tenet movie

One of Christopher Nolan's most inventive films, Tenet received mixed reviews. Many cited Tenet's confusing plot, and the unclear nature of its time travel mechanics. Nonetheless, some scenes are considered to make excellent use of the reverse-time premise, including Tenet's signature fight.

At one point, the Protagonist is attacked by a masked figure who is 'inverted' travelling backwards through time. The fight between two opposite timestreams is compelling enough. Later in Tenet, the masked figure is revealed to be a future version of the Protagonist, whose attempts to escape look aggressive in reverse. It is an incredibly memorable fight, and one that shows Tenet's potential.

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