From the epic shootout in H.E.A.T to the Terminator battling the T-1000, everyone loves fight sequences. The two previously mentioned are some of the best of all time. The good fight scenes stand out and the bad ones are forgotten. But it’s the great ones that are seared into our memory. The following is a list consisting of the very best fight scenes that 2007 had to offer.

# 10. Transformers – Optimus Prime vs. Bonecrusher

While this was a guilty pleasure of mine this year, for many fan-boys, it was a dream come true. Their childhood toys and favorite cartoons came to life like never before in this live-action special effects driven extravaganza. Although I nearly jumped out of my seat with excitement when Optimus and Megatron exchanged yells in the climactic battle, it was Optimus’s fight with Bonecrusher that stood out. Capping off a chase sequence on the highway where Bonecrusher rips through a bus like it was made out of paper, they both continue to slug it out until Optimus puts a sword through his head. Yeah, it was awesome.
# 9. Hot Fuzz – The Final Epic Battle
Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg really know their stuff. Making the perfect blend of satire and comedy and closing both films (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) with dramatic elements really helped shape both into excellent flicks. The closing showdown that Nicholas Angel and Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) have on the town of crazies is as entertaining as anything you will see all year. From gunning down a priest, battling the circus freaks, and maiming a bad Timothy Dalton with a model church steeple that goes through his chin, this final fight really does have it all.
# 8. Live Free or Die Hard - McClane vs Mai (Maggie Q)
Who knew that Len Wiseman, whose prior claim to fame was a mediocre at best Underworld and marrying one of the hottest women on the planet, could make one of the best action movies of the year? And wow, that bitch would just not die. They should have made her the head honcho, cause she can take an SUV going about 90 mph to the chest and keep on tickin.’ Wiseman chose to do quite a few stunts the old school way and tried to stay away from CGI as much as he could. The result is the best action scene of this film. You’ll be hard pressed not to like it. If only there was a clip online somewhere
# 7. Smokin’ Aces – Sniper Lobby Scene

There are shootouts involving sniper rifles, than there is Joe Carnahan’s version which makes everything else look like their using BB guns. An entire hotel floor is destroyed, and the impact of the bullets will either literally blow your head off or send you 20 feet across the room in one of the most insane action pieces of the year. The film does an incredible job building up to key moments, and this is definitely one of them. To top it off, if the sniper wasn’t enough, the clueless police force must also battle an angry gun totin’ Alicia Keys in the elevator. The body count for this film is obviously extremely high.
# 6. Grindhouse – The Girls vs. Stuntman Mike

One of the truly greatest chase sequences in recent memory is capped off with the brutally blood-tastic ass-beating of Stuntman Mike, truly a legendary type of villain. But you know what they say: what goes around, comes around. So after they T-Bone his Deathproof car, the girls proceed to put down one of the most memorable beat downs you will likely ever see. It makes it all the more fitting that Mike is screaming and pleading like a little bitch the entire time. It isn’t that often that you enjoy seeing a character meet their demise in such a brutal way, right down to the last kick.
# 5. 300 – First Battle Sequence

Another film that was surprisingly much more bad ass than people were anticipating, this first battle sequence is one of beauty. The moment King Leonidas screams for the Persians to "come and get them" (their weapons), you know you are in for something special. There are decapitations, limbs are severed, and when Leonidas absolutely jacks a Persian in the chest with his spear and lifts him off the ground, I was about ready to go throw on a red cape and fight. I most likely though wouldn’t be able to lift the shield off the ground. The absolute lack of mercy that the Spartans show is a thing of beauty and really helps make this epic action flick one of the best of its kind since Gladiator.
# 4. Beowulf – Beowulf battles the Dragon

This is really one of the only films that could have two entries on this list. It isn’t very often that you have an animated film with such high quality action scenes. But then again, there never has been a Beowulf quite like this one has there? The man is about as tough as Jack Bauer, and that is as tough as they come.

Beowulf fought Grendel naked to even the odds (Grendel uses no weapons) and only lost a swimming match by a few seconds because he was starting epic fights with sea monsters along the way. But the climactic battle in Beowulf is really something to see, especially in 3-D at the IMAX. Spanning over a few locations which include a life altering decision, Beowulf actually cuts his own arm off to rip out the dragons throat. You can’t get much more bad ass than that. Too bad no clip is available.
# 3. Eastern Promises – Nikolai battles two assassins in a sauna. Naked.

This fight scene was done so effectively, you will cringe at every punch and wince at every slash. I am not kidding. Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) is alone in a sauna, wearing only a towel, and is attacked by two Russian assassins armed with some seriously scary looking knives. The fight feels epic in length because all Nokolai has to fight with are his hands. It is survival of the fittest and is one of the most brutally barbaric fights I have ever seen. It's excruciatingly realistic, and just when you think its over, it isn’t. The very definition of no holds barred. (If you're over 18, you can view the video on YouTube.)
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – Dumbledore vs Voldemort

I have to admit I am a huge Harry Potter fanboy and saw this at the glorious IMAX in 3-D. The final battle at the Ministry of Magic was un-frickin'-believable. Yes, I know they cut a bunch of stuff out, but the fight sequences were outrageously good. From the chase the Death Eaters gave Harry, Ron, and Hermione, down to the legendary showdown between Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort, it was pure cinematic magic. The special effects were jaw dropping, particularly when Voldemort commands all the broken glass to form a dagger (it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up). This was a modern day Obi-Wan and Darth Vader brawl, the stuff of legends.
1. The Bourne Ultimatum – Fight with the Asset

These are the new blueprints to the spy action genre. The extremely realistic way it is portrayed on screen is a direct result of director Paul Greengrass’s effective use of the hand-held camera. You will more than once say to yourself “oh my gawd” while watching this movie (especially when Bourne drives a car in reverse off the top of a parking structure. Are you kidding me?). But this scene takes the cake.

Capping the end of a thrilling rooftop foot chase, Jason Bourne is closing in on the asset (an equally gifted and trained killing machine) and jumps off a rail through a window a story below, then starts fighting in the most thrilling action sequence you will see all year. I mean, he uses a book to help beat the asset’s ass. It is gritty, captivating, as "The Bourne Ultimatum" isn't just the best in the series, it is one of the finest action films released this decade.
Honorable Mentions:

Beowulf- Beowulf vs. Grendel
Stardust- Tristan vs. Voodoo
The Kingdom – The Kidnapping Shootout

Story by Anthony Liccardello
Starpulse contributing writer