111 replies to this topic

[Angalin]

In one of the Star Wars threads, someone (Brude?) cited the duel between Kenobi and Darth Maul at the end of Episode I as being one of the best swordfights in film history.  Now I want to know: what are the others?  If they're in suitable films for children, even better.

[Daeric]

The sword fight from Princess Bride with Wesley versus Montoya

[Noontidal]

Omaric, on 02 June 2010 - 01:17 PM, said:

The sword fight from Princess Bride with Wesley versus Montoya

This.

Not a great movie, but "Ring of Steel" has some of the best swordfighting you are likely to see.

[G'Kar]

Some consider the final sword fight in Scaramouche to be one of the greatest sword fights ever to be filmed, though I find it way to theatrical. Its an old movie, so nothing objectionable for children.

Robin Hood with Erol Flyn has one of the most memorable sword fights ever between Sir Guy and Robin. Another good movie for kids.

[G'Kar]

never mind.

Edited by G'Kar, 02 June 2010 - 01:21 PM.

[drawkcabi]

Omaric, on 02 June 2010 - 01:17 PM, said:

The sword fight from Princess Bride with Wesley versus Montoya

This was the first thing I thought of.

Another good one are the Mad Martigan swordfights in Willow.

[Eurytus]

Gladiator: Commodus v the Gaul (better than the climax by far)
Crouching Tiger: Jen Yu v Yu Shu Lien (best bit of the film)
Fellowship of the Rings: Aragorn v Lurtz (short but first time I ever heard an audience cheer when he decapitates him)
Rob Roy: Rob v Archibald Cunningham (love, love, love this fight)
Equilibrium: Preston v Brent (or whatever his rival was called, I loved the way they built up this guy as a credible rival and then he got schooled in 2 seconds flat)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail: King Arthur vs The Black Knight (obviously) and Lancelot vs an entire wedding
Last of the Mohicans: Chingakook (or however you spell it) v Magua

[Exa Inova]

That swordfight in the water mill wheel in Pirates of the Carrabian 2
Jet Li in Fearless http://www.youtube.c...pw&feature=fvst
starts at the 1.45 mark

[Prince of the North]

I'm no expert in swordfighting but I've always found the duels and battle scenes in Excalibur to be entertaining.

[RaceBannon42]

Eurytus, on 02 June 2010 - 01:27 PM, said:

Gladiator: Commodus v the Gaul (better than the climax by far)
Crouching Tiger: Jen Yu v Yu Shu Lien (best bit of the film)
Fellowship of the Rings: Aragorn v Lurtz (short but first time I ever heard an audience cheer when he decapitates him)
Rob Roy: Rob v Archibald Cunningham (love, love, love this fight)
Equilibrium: Preston v Brent (or whatever his rival was called, I loved the way they built up this guy as a credible rival and then he got schooled in 2 seconds flat)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail: King Arthur vs The Black Knight (obviously) and Lancelot vs an entire wedding
Last of the Mohicans: Chingakook (or however you spell it) v Magua

Well aside from equilibrium which I've never seen, all great choices.

[Marcelo Rebelo Firqoralas]

I liked the sword fights in House of the Flying Daggers and Hero, but they are of course very stylized and unrealistic. Otherwise I really like the fights in the seventies version of The Three Musketeers since they are so inelegant and unheroic.

Edited by Marcelo Rebelo Firqoralas, 02 June 2010 - 02:09 PM.

[Maltaran]

Anything involving Basil Rathbone.

[Liffguard]

Don Diego de la Vega vs. Captain Pasquale from The Mark of Zorro.

[Eurytus]

Oh, and I don't know how I left it out of my list but, Troy - the fight between Achilles and Hector. Whatever the flaws of that film that duel is epic.

[Slurktan]

Eurytus, on 02 June 2010 - 01:47 PM, said:

Oh, and I don't know how I left it out of my list but, Troy - the fight between Achilles and Hector. Whatever the flaws of that film that duel is epic.

It is great, but not a swordfight as the thread title wants however.

[Jaxom 1974]

Exa Inova, on 02 June 2010 - 01:34 PM, said:

That swordfight in the water mill wheel in Pirates of the Carrabian 2

Ugh.  No.  Too over the top.  The first fight in the smithy in the first Pirates movie between Jack and Will is much better...

[elmis]

Eurytus, on 02 June 2010 - 01:27 PM, said:

Gladiator: Commodus v the Gaul (better than the climax by far)
Crouching Tiger: Jen Yu v Yu Shu Lien (best bit of the film)
Fellowship of the Rings: Aragorn v Lurtz (short but first time I ever heard an audience cheer when he decapitates him)
Rob Roy: Rob v Archibald Cunningham (love, love, love this fight)
Equilibrium: Preston v Brent (or whatever his rival was called, I loved the way they built up this guy as a credible rival and then he got schooled in 2 seconds flat)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail: King Arthur vs The Black Knight (obviously) and Lancelot vs an entire wedding
Last of the Mohicans: Chingakook (or however you spell it) v Magua

Was thinking about these two, loved them. Is my memory hazy, or did the Equilibrium movie end with part of his face sliding off? If so, it gets negative marks for that (technically though, that's not part of the fight).

[Stone-Made-Soft]

Beatrix Kiddo versus O-Ren Ishii in Kill Bill Vol. 1 comes to mind. The melee in The House of Blue Leaves was also excellent.

[Tobin]

Hellboy vs Prince Nuada = yummy!

[Fez]

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Equilibrium: Preston v Brent (or whatever his rival was called, I loved the way they built up this guy as a credible rival and then he got schooled in 2 seconds flat)

Yeah, I laughed when that happened.  The fight after that though, with the main baddie, that was a good one.  In fact that whole movie was full of good action sequences, and cool visuals; too bad the plot and characters were only 'meh'

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The sword fight from Princess Bride with Wesley versus Montoya

Absolutely, without question.

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Otherwise I really like the fights in the seventies version of The Three Musketeers sunce they are so inelegant and unheroic

Those are a lot of fun.  Nothing quite like seeing Oliver Reed bludgeon someone with his cloak, rat-tail style.  All things considered, they're probably the most realistic fights I've ever seen in a movie.  Real fights aren't pretty, they're people doing anything they can to win including just throwing themselves into an enemy if necessary, choreography be damned, and that's what's going on here.