Top Ten Greatest Movie Punches
He's down for the count!
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Although I am sure most of you have already seen the trailer for this weekend's release of The Hangover, I have included it to the right just in case as it served as the inspiration for this top ten list thanks to the right hook Mike Tyson delivers to Zach Galifianakis laying him out for a ten count. The clip got me to thinking about the best punches I have seen landed in movies and those that have stuck with me. Since I hadn't seen The Hangover prior to posting this list I have no idea if Tyson's blow would have made it, but I think I have gathered a collection of ten knockdowns worthy of consideration.
Just to clarify, this is a list of my personal favorite single punches thrown in movies. One punch and done. While other punches may surround the ones I have listed here it is the one specific punch that made the bloody-knuckler worthy of consideration. With that note… let's get ready to rumble!
 | Camel meets Conan |
To think Conan the Barbarian was Arnold Schwarzenegger's break-through role as an actor is appalling, but one thing cannot be ignored and that is the moment when Conan stumbles into the side of a camel and decides to knock it out. As awful as this movie is, this is a scene that is impossible to forget.
Conan goes on to punch a horse in the sequel, Conan the Destroyer, as well as conks out another camel after it spits up on him, which is a little more understandable than it was in this clip, but then again, the camel really should have been watching where Conan was going.
You can check out a montage of Conan vs. animal knockouts here.
 | "Why did you do that?" |
This is one I am sure many will debate, but when I first saw this film I laughed my ass off at this moment.
Son in Law was released in 1993 and featured a sexy 22-year-old Carla Gugino and not to forget Tiffani-Amber Thiessen who at the time was known to most as "Saved by the Bell" hottie Kelly Kapowski. I haven't seen the movie itself for quite a while, but Son in Law, along with Pauly Shore's Encino Man, were two of my guilty pleasures. I'm not sure if either one would make me laugh now, but I know this clip still cracks me up.
 | "Take your best shot…" |
The quality of movie doesn't get better at the eighth spot, but to think of movie punches and not think of Jason's decapitation of Julius in Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan would be a crime. Julius is introduced early on as a young boxer who is apparently undefeated, but when he decides to take on Jason in a bit of rooftop sparring he doesn't last long.
While the film itself is certainly one of the worst horror films I have ever seen, this punch was the first, and only, thing you would hear about from anyone that saw it. As for Vincent Craig Dupree who played Julius, he never really went on to have much of a career, but I am sure his role as Black Man on Bus in Dutch in 1991 is something he remembers fondly.
SIDE NOTE: Wouldn't a better title for this film been Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes a Boat to Manhattan? They could have got The Lonely Island for the soundtrack.
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The only ones I can get off the top of my head right now are T3, when TX punches through the guy's chest and drives the car (I was like, holy shit), and Temple of Doom (which I rewatched a couple of days ago), when Indy in search of the antidote accidentally punches some woman in the face. Those arguably deserve to be in the Top 10, but are pretty memorable, especially the former.
Aside from that, I can't think of one that you haven't mentioned. Btw, in my opinion the punch from Matrix Revolutions totally deserves to be on that list.
God I love 'Snatch'. I actually like the uppercut Mickey took as the best punch in a movie. Obviously it's one of our protagonists getting "knocked the FUGGOUT!" but it's just one of the coolest effects I've ever seen in a fight sequence. One of those moments where you just go "…wow." when you see it.
Great, now I have to watch that movie again.
How about "Diggstown" when Lou Gossett Jr. was fighting his 10th boxer of the day (for a bet), James Woods put his thumb down (watch the movie to understand) and the guy just stopped and as Gossett Jr. knocked him out. James Woods and Bruce Durn where good in that movie. Some good quotes to like "He's bigger than you are. He's tougher. He's faster. He's younger than you are. He hasn't fought 22 rounds today, but remember this… you are BLACK!. What the hell is that supposed to mean?. I don't know. I mean it's… I'm trying to inspire you. It's a Roots kinda thing. It's a motivation thing. Well, you're s**t at motivation."
Conan the Barbarian was awful? I beg to differ.
The movie actually did very well at the theaters and for better or worse sparked the 80's sword and sandal B-movie movement. I'm not saying Conan was Citizen Kane or anything but it stuck to the source material and was a crowd pleaser.
you forgot about bruce willis in last boy scout, and the one-hit-death scene
I want to give props to Steve for Diggstown. Highly underrated movie.
Snatch is crazy good, and that scene is classic. I don't see anyone doing it better than that.
The scene from Wanted where he hits Chris Pratt upside the head with the computer keyboard and the letters off the board spell F— You. Not exactly a punch, but still awesome.
What about that punch in punch-drunk love that sandler gives the first brother it looks so real!
i was just wondering how many times have you guys seen snatch? it kinda gets boring after a couple of watches. the max i did was 3, now i have the dvd, but i never touch it, last time i seen it was 2 yrs ago.
anyone remember when billy zane punched through the sherrifs head in demon knight?
gold jerry!
@ddurden33: Haven't watched it for two years? Well there's your first problem… dust it off durden and enjoy. :)
I dont know if it truly qualifies, but the fight seen from They Live. Also My Cousin Vinnie when JP comes off the ground to knock that guy out that had been hassling him.
"That's for John Lennon, you yankee-fuckin-cunt"
Ray punches the Canadians, In Bruges!
Hey Brad, this top ten list is fantastic. Back to the Future is one of my favorite movies of all tie, and no punch affected the outcome of a movie more than that punch by McFly. I like the Son in Law Reference too. You can post this to our site http://www.toptentopten.com/ and link back to your site. We are trying to create a directory for top ten lists where people can find your site. The coolest feature is you can let other people vote on the rankings of your list.
A little bit off topic, but in the Conan clip…did anyone else notice the dude in the background screwing the llama in the butthole? It's totally there. Conan even comments on it as he passes by.
roger dorn on ricky vaughn in major league was good, that double punch russel crowe threw against joaquin in gladiator was pretty tight. I think the top 10's pretty good though.
I thought the slow motion punch Neo delivers to Smith through the rain droplets from Matrix Revolutions was worth a mention, the movie may have sucked, but that was a great punch.
A few that come to mind:
–Lois Lane punching out a depowered Ursa at the end of Superman II
–Sgt. Hulka having a "discussion" with Bill Murray's John Winger in the bathroom in Stripes
–Bill Murray joyfully punching out Ned the insurance guy upon meeting him again for the (?)th time in Groundhog Day.
–Batman punching out the Joker's chattering teeth in Batman
–Jerry Mitchell knocking out Buddy Revell with his own brass knuckles in Three O'Clock High
And I have to back up the "Diggstown" love, as that ending is classic.
No mention of Bruce Lee anywhere?
Gotta say that the Mickey breaking Gorgeous' jaw at the beginning of Snatch carries slightly less dramatic weight but is a far more devastating punch than the one that closes the movie. No one will ever read this, but I'm compelled.
John Wayne's last punch to Victor McLaughlin in their cross-country fight in THE QUIET MAN. It was in a bar, and it was a memorable shot the way Wayne's fist was drawn back towards the viewer before the punch was thrown. It gave it a great sense of anticipation and power.
I have to say, some of the throat-punching that Liam Neeson doles out in Taken ranks right up there in the movie-punch hall of fame for me.
- Edward Norton beating the fuck out of Jared Leto in Fight Club
- Does the decapitation-by-punch in Rambo count?
- The movie isn't much of anything, but the atomic punch in Cinderella Man when Max Baer disconnects the other fighter's brain is probably the most devastating one I can think of.
uh, HELLO! The punch Cary Elwes delivers to Alicia Silverstone at the end of the movie The Crush. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuLGMaPXgZk
I can excuse some of the other classic punches I think you completely overlooked, but come on dude.
I personally liked the scene during the opening credits, where after the lesbian kicks Conner in the nads, Murph comes from behind and lays a bitch out.
I personally liked the scene during the opening credits of The Boondock Saints, where after the lesbian kicks Conner in the nads, Murph comes from behind and lays a bitch out.
this made me really want to punch someone now