Steven Spielberg’s 7 Best Action Scenes, Ranked

Director Steven Spielberg has been responsible for some of the most incredible action scenes of all time. Steven Spielberg’s movies are a staple in cinematic history, and shortly after his theatrical directorial debut in 1974 with The Sugarland Express, he took the world by storm with Jaws in 2975. Steven Spielberg’s horror movies have also been quite successful, including the 1982 title Poltergeist, which he co-wrote and produced but didn’t direct. However, the director has established himself brilliantly in the action genre and provided audiences with nail-biting scenes in his films.

Certain qualities need to be included to be considered a good action scene. For example, some of the best fight scenes in movie history have demonstrated an adrenaline-pumping atmosphere, carefully choreographed chases or battles, and creative cinematography. However, a fight has never been a requirement for a scene to be considered action-packed. Spielberg has proved that some of the best action scenes simply keep audiences on the edge of their seats. With so many fantastic action scenes from Spielberg, the very best have fueled arguments among cinephiles about which is the most deserving of the top spot.

7

Bike Chase

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

The classic family movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial has remained one of Spielberg’s most recognizable movies since its release in 1982. The film starred Henry Thomas as Elliott Taylor, a young boy who encountered an alien and, with his friends, attempted to return E.T. to its home planet. In the climax of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the kids get caught up in a chase on their bikes, with E.T. wrapped up in Elliott’s basket. The group swerved and weaved across several landscapes to avoid the police, government agents, and scientists, all of whom were hell-bent on getting the alien back.

As each second passed by, the tension continued to build up as Elliott and his friends narrowly missed being caught. This was made even better by John Williams’ iconic score, one of the best sci-fi movie soundtracks ever. However, this scene’s climax was what made it so brilliant. To escape the clutches of the police, E.T. used its telekinesis so that Elliott’s bike would fly above them, into the sky, and toward safety. The journey was so exciting, yet terrifying at the same time, that Universal would go on to create a ride based on the sequence.

6

Tripod’s First Appearance

War Of The Worlds (2005)

The 2005 version of War of the Worlds, an adaptation of H. G. Wells’ 1898 novel, provided audiences with a modern interpretation of humanity’s destruction at the hands of aliens. The film saw Tom Cruise as the lead character, Ray Ferrier, who spent the film trying to avoid being killed by the “tripod” war machines. Although some elements of War of the Worlds received criticism, such as the characterizations of some of its supporting characters, Spielberg’s use of special effects and cinematography were heavily praised. There were plenty of action-packed moments throughout, but the tripod’s debut was easily the best.

When the crowd first gathered around the steaming tarmac, it was immediately clear that a big threat was incoming. As the tripod slowly emerged from underground, it built a lot of tension, which made both the characters and the audience nervous. However, Spielberg’s skills were best displayed when chaos ensued and the tripod’s destruction began. The panic in the civilians as they fled through the rubble, dust, and cars flying through the air set up the perfect tone for the film, but it was the CGI used to show the tripod towering over them that was particularly impressive.

5

The Motorcycle Chase

The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)

Although The Adventures of Tintin was considered to be one of Spielberg’s lesser-loved films, it did include one of the best chase scenes in his entire career. The animated film combined several stories together from the original comic book series of the same name by Georges Prosper Remi (a.k.a. Hergé), and along with another brilliant soundtrack from John Williams, Spielberg created a wholesome and exciting journey for Tintin (Jamie Bell) and Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis). In one scene, the pair were pursued by the villainous Ivan Sakharine (Daniel Craig), which resulted in an incredible chase sequence.

Despite being an animation, Spielberg treated the project like it was a live-action film, which could clearly be seen in this scene. A lot of Spielberg’s directional choices were inspired by Hergé’s work, especially when it came to the body language of the characters, and their facial expressions translated the story well as they escaped Sakharine on a motorbike. This chase was famously made as one long, continuous shot, which made the moment even more exciting. According to Spielberg in an interview with the New York Times, it took over a year and a half to film (via NY Times).

4

Indy’s Minecart Escape

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)

One of the best scenes in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was a wild sequence with Indy (Harrison Ford), Willie (Kate Capshaw), and Short Round (Ke Huy Quan) attempting to escape the temple via a mine cart. Unfortunately, the trio was pursued by the Thuggee cult, which made the already dangerous ride even more difficult. This Steven Spielberg scene was another that was made into a ride, and in 1993, the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril ride opened at Disneyland Paris. Despite the film being made in 1984, the way the scene was shot was fascinating.

Certain shots in the scene were made using stop-motion, and in moments where Short Round was pulled between Indy and the Thugees, dolls were put in place of the actors (via Looper). This scene was teeming with tension and was a rollercoaster from start to finish, quite literally. Spielberg was especially praised for jumping between wide and close shots, which built anticipation and allowed audiences to get a good look at how dramatic the situation truly was. The mine cart chase was beautifully filmed, and the flurry of hits and punches directed at the Thugees made it even better.

3

The Final Battle

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Considered to be one of the greatest movies of all time, Saving Private Ryan‘s final battle at Ramelle was hands down the most heartwrenching and dramatic scene throughout. Saving Private Ryan focused on the story of Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) and his team in the backdrop of France during World War II, on a mission to get Private James Ryan (Matt Damon) back home. Spielberg was praised for the use of mumbled sound effects and grainy camera filters throughout the film, which made the events playing out on screen feel even more impactful.

Defending the bridge, the group was thrown into danger. The set design was amazingly accurate for the time period, especially with the several shots of soldiers and tanks pushing through the rubble, among the explosions and screams that were simply chilling. The stakes were continuously raised throughout the scene and brilliantly represented the horrors of war, especially in moments like Upham (Jeremy Davies) freezing in fear as he watched Mellish (Adam Goldberg) stabbed to death or Miller’s final words to Ryan after being mortally wounded. With such an impactful climax, it made sense that Saving Private Ryan was so successful.

2

Indiana Jones Running Away From The Boulder

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

The legendary opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first of the Indiana Jones movies, set the bar for action adventure movies. This was by far the best sequence in the entire franchise, and it quickly established Indy’s character to audiences within a matter of seconds, defining exactly what kind of person he was. The iconic scene saw the archaeologist steal the Golden Idol from a Peruvian temple, but the abandoned cavern didn’t take his actions well and tried to take revenge. As opening scenes go, this was a great way to introduce the world to Indy.

Watching Indy swerve and dodge around the various booby traps in the temple was a delight to watch, especially when he faced the towering boulder crashing toward him. However, it was Indy rolling out of the boulder’s way at the last second that truly made this an action sequence. It was so memorable that it was frequently referenced in other films and TV shows, including Toy Story and Community. Indiana Jones running away from the large boulder became a notable shot in both the franchise and Spielberg’s career, and one that was cemented in viewers’ minds for years afterward.

1

The T-Rex Escape

Jurassic Park (1993)

Steven Spielberg has provided cinema with some show-stopping action scenes, but his absolute best was in the 1993 classic Jurassic Park. Through his direction, Spielberg struck fear into millions of audiences’ hearts in his adaptation of the Michael Chrichton novel of the same name, using the power of special effects to bring long-dead dinosaurs back to life on the silver screen. There were countless action-packed moments in Jurassic Park, but the most dramatic was the T-Rex’s escape. This scene alone was a blockbuster in its own right, and not just because of the growling and threatening dinosaur.

The pouring rain added a dark tone to the scene and helped build suspense as the characters watched from their cars. Every shot in this sequence was very strong, focusing on the facial expressions of each person as the T-Rex got closer. This scene was especially action-packed because of the little details – the electric fence, the T-Rex’s echoing roars, and the initially slow pacing, for example. The CGI for the T-Rex was nothing short of perfection, especially for 1993. Between the dinosaur flipping cars across the landscape and Grant’s (Sam Neill) distractions, every decision Steven Spielberg made was absolute perfection.