Top Ten Greatest Movie Punches
He's down for the count!
 | Rocky, Apollo, Rocky, Apollo… |
Like all Rocky films, Rocky takes a severe beating all while doling one out as well. So I guess it should really come as no surprise when one final blow from the Italian Stallion sends Apollo to the mat followed shortly by Rocko himself. Who will get up in the end? Oh, the drama…
 | The ultimate bear claw. |
The version of this punch from 2006's The Wicker Man starring Nicolas Cage and featuring the music from Chariots of Fire is just priceless. Of course it makes the clip funnier than it actually is in the film, but if you were to describe this scene to someone I am not sure you could convince them it was actually part of a multi-million dollar studio effort. However, it's true. Nicolas Cage, the Oscar-winning actor from Leaving Las Vegas, puts on a bear suit and runs off to punch a woman. Classy.
You can get even more Cagey blows (including the original version of this punch) thrown in Wicker Man and then some — Oh, the bees! — right here.
 | "Hey you, get your damn hands off her!" |
Photo: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Can you believe this is the only punch from a film I couldn't find a clip for? I am sure many expected this to be the #1 punch of all-time as there is no telling what may have happened to the world had George McFly not decked Biff at the end of Back to the Future, but thankfully he got the nerve and delivered a left cross from out of nowhere. However, I am not sure I will ever understand how Marty's parents never realized the guy that brought the two of them together at the "Enchantment Under the Sea Dance" looks, sounds and actually is their son. That one is a brain teaser for the ages.
 | "Now… we are fucked." |
The first uppercut delivered in this clip from Snatch may actually be one of the more visually appealing punches in film history, but when Mickey rises from the depths to deliver the knockout blow, coupled with Turkish saying, "Now… we are fucked," we end up with a truly classic punch.
I can't tell you how many times I watched this clip while making this list and as a matter of fact… I think I will just go watch the whole movie. You should to, and if you don't own it hustle up and buy it!
So that's all I have. I know there are more out there. I considered adding the ear shot from Fight Club, a punch from The Matrix (but I could only really think of the one from Revolutions which was just to much CGI) and I considered the punch from Punisher: War Zone where he punches straight through that guy's head. There were a couple of others I had in my head, but I just couldn't place the movies so I know there are more to be discussed.
Care to help me out? Discuss your favorite punches and my top ten in the comments below.
Links from Other Sites You May Like
Showing 26 Comments
~ PLEASE NOTE ~
If, in any way, your comment is an attack on the author of this post or a previous commenter, your comment will be deleted without question.
Add a New Comment |
Click to Read Our Commenting Rules & Guidelines
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