Sunday 9 March 2008

Top 5 - Film/TV Swordfights

5 - Pirates of the Caribbean - Keith Richards v that Elf dude


Makes it into the top 5 above the swordfight from 'Die Another Day' mostly because it didnt involve Madonna. It did have, however, fighting while walking over a spinning wheel, which is damn cool.

4 - Rush Hour 2 - Chris Tucker v Ziyi Zhang

A screaming Chris Tucker tries some moves on Ziyi, who is this time playing a psycho kung-fu expert in Vegas, rather than a pyscho kung-fu expert in bamboo. He doesnt always use a sword, but parrying her fatal blow with a wad of cash wins my vote.

3 - The Simpsons - Homer v Meathook

This was about the time The Simpsons writers discovered LSD, creating some of the stranger episodes in the series, including a scene in which Homer and Meathook fight for Marge with Harley Davidson motorcycles rather than swords.

2 - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - Indiana v Sword-wielding devil worshippers

Following on from (or ahead of?) 'Raiders of the Lost Arc', Indiana is confronted by two blokes with swords looking to chop him up. He smugly goes for his gun, only to realise he has lost it before turning and running. Not much of a sword fight, but then not many of these have been, and it was good comedy value.

1 - The Princess Bride - Wesley (aka. farmboy / the dread pirate Roberts) v Inigo Montoya

The benchmark in film swordfights, it draws you in with some good swordplay, but it is the script that really dazzles;
Inigo: You seem a decent person, I hate to kill you
Wesley: You seem a decent person, I hate to die

Almost makes you want to learn fencing, certainly makes you want to find a man with six fingers on his right hand.

Here 'tis

2 comments:

Gervy said...

I like the one in The Scarlet Pimpernel. But no-one axed me...

Joaquin said...

good call on The Princess Bride. Actually, there really isn't a close second.