It’s always interesting to see how many different approaches movies can make to a similar type of action sequence. When looking at the best action movies ever made, it’s not hard to find a number of them that feature a set-piece set in an airplane.
This seems to be a very popular location for the genre, but some movies continue to find exciting new ways to deliver one such action scene. Perhaps it is the added danger of the plane being in midair or the looming possibility of disaster that makes these scenes so exciting. Whatever the case for their popularity, these plane sequences are undeniably fun.
Final Destination (2000)
While the Final Destination series is considered part of the horror genre due to its gory deaths, the movies often feature some pretty wild set pieces. The first introduction to the mayhem of the franchise was with the premonition sequence in the first movie.
As a group of students boards a plane for a school trip, one of the students has a horrific vision of the plane experiencing catastrophe upon takeoff. The scene escalates so quickly with all hell breaking loose in an unforgettable way to open the movie.
Con Air (1997)
In a perfectly ridiculous 90s action movie premise, Con Air centers around an airplane transporting some of the most dangerous criminals in the country. Inevitably, the criminals take over and plan to fly to freedom with only kind-hearted convict Cameron Poe (Nicholas Cage) onboard to stop them.
This is the kind of movie that is so much better if the viewer just shuts their brain off. This is especially true of the climactic sequence where the plane has to make a crash landing on the Las Vegas Strip. As goofy as it is, it remains an impressively bombastic sequence.
Air Force One (1997)
Of all the movies that are basically Die Hard clones, Air Force One is one of the better copies. Harrison Ford plays the President of the United States who is forced to fight a group of terrorists who take over his plane.
Along with Ford’s great heroic performance, the movie benefits from a great villainous turn from Gary Oldman as the lead terrorist. Their final fight is a thrilling scene as Ford attempts to stop Oldman from escaping the plane. The battle ends with a great villain death and the classic line “Get off my plane.”
Executive Decision (1996)
Though one of the more overlooked 90s action movies, Executive Decision is a pretty fun ride with a stellar cast. It stars Kurt Russell as an intelligence analyst who accompanies a group of soldiers, led by Steven Seagal, to sneak aboard a hijacked plane.
In the first act of the movie, there is a great tense sequence as the team attempts a risky intercept with the plane in midair. Things quickly go south leading to the shocking moment where Seagal, who was set up to be the hero, is swiftly killed off, which gives the movie a whole new energy.
World War Z (2013)
While zombie movies tend to be smaller-scale horror stories, World War Z turns the concept into a globe-trotting action-adventure story. Brad Pitt stars as a United Nations employee tasked with finding a way to stop a zombie outbreak that is overrunning the world.
Following a harrowing sequence in Jerusalem, Pitt and his allies make it to a plane filled with survivors and attempt to find somewhere safe to land. However, with a single zombie managing to get aboard, chaos breaks out in a bloody and horrifically claustrophobic sequence which ends with a spectacular crash landing.
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
While Tom Cruise had done some wild stunts in the previous Mission: Impossible movies, the opening sequence in Rogue Nation proved just how much danger he was willing to put himself through to entertain audiences.
With a plane filled with weapons about to take off, Ethan Hunt finds himself jumping on the wing of the plane and holding onto its side as it takes to the skies. Cruise really did strap himself to the side of a plane for the scene and it is a wild image to see on the big screen.
Iron Man 3 (2013)
In another movie where Air Force One becomes the target of the villains, disguised as Iron Patriot, the villainous henchman Savin boards the plane and kills the Secret Service agents before capturing the President.
Iron Man shows up to do battle with Savin but when the hostages are thrown out of the plane, Iron Man is forced to make an incredible midair roundup. Though Iron Man 3 is not as well regarded as some other MCU movies, this ranks as one of the most memorable action sequences in the franchise.
Flight (2012)
Though Flight would not be considered an action movie, it’s impossible to deny the intense action sequence that kicks off the movie. Denzel Washington plays an alcoholic pilot who is nonetheless effective at his job.
While on a routine commercial flight, the plane experiences massive failure and begins to lose control. Without going for any over-the-top theatrics, the sequence is an edge-of-the-seat ride. Washington’s performance as he calmly yet assuredly takes charge of the situation really makes it all the more compelling and believable.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Christopher Nolan has always been a big fan of practical action sequences, and his opening set piece in The Dark Knight Rises may be his best. After the mysterious mercenary Bane is brought aboard a CIA transport plane, it becomes clear he had planned to get caught.
The sequence unfolds with soldiers rappelling down from a second plane and flipping the CIA plane upside down all while in midair. It’s a mind-boggling scene that makes the audience wonder at how Nolan possibly achieved it.
Fast And Furious 6 (2013)
The Fast and Furious franchise is known for its over-the-top action sequences which can sometimes veer into laughable territory. However, this climactic sequence in the sixth installment is just the right amount of ridiculous fun.
With the villain attempting to make a getaway, Dom and his team take to the plane runway to stop him from taking off. Is the runway absurdly long? Yes, but if that is the kind of logic that has to be ignored in order to deliver this wild extended sequence then it is well worth it.
