Top Ten Greatest Movie Punches
He's down for the count!
 | Dirty look = Punched |
The 1977 hockey comedy Slap Shot starring Paul Newman is a decent enough film at the start, but once Jeff, Steve and Jack Hanson take the ice it turns into something special. While the boys offer up their own brand of punishment throughout the film there is a singular punch that stands out among the rest. Before the game had even started Steve Hanson didn't need much more than a shifty evil-eye from #2 to set him off. The second time around #2's face met #17's fist and the rest is history.
After watching the short clip included here you can see the Hanson brothers' debut right here.
 | "You got knocked the fuck out!" |
I first saw Friday at a dollar theater back in 1995 and I remember it vividly as it was the rowdiest crowd I had ever seen a movie with and I remember this punch as the only moment in my movie watching history I allowed myself to truly lose it in public. A combination of a rambunctious crowd and a truly hilarious moment had me standing up and cheering along with about 30 or 40 other people in my section, not to mention everyone else in the audience.
When Deebo (Tommy 'Tiny' Lister) punches Red (DJ Pooh) and Smokey (Chris Tucker) runs over and stands directly over the camera and yells in that high squeal, "You got knocked the fuck out!" I was cheering with the rest of them.
 | "You can't park that animal over there…" |
I have no idea if Conan's camel punch was inspired by Mongo's (Alex Karras) decking of a horse in Mel Brooks' 1974 Blazing Saddles, but I am sure most anyone that saw the title of this top ten list immediately thought of this classic haymaker.
I guess you could debate on how fair it really is to have two animal sluggings in the top ten, but I had to include Conan's camel bashing and any guy that can stroll into town on the back of a white bull, slug a horse and survive an exploding candygram and in the end find a friend and utter such poetic words as "Mongo only pawn… in game of life," deserves a spot on this list.
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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