Top 10 Bomb Defusing Movie Scenes

Cut the blue wire…no wait, the red, the red wire! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 bomb defusing scenes in movies.

For this list, we’re taking a look at big screen scenes in which a character must disarm an explosive device with a clock ticking down. And, as you can expect, there are a few spoilers ahead so SPOILER ALERT.

With a title like “Blown Away,” you’re bound to get at least several explosions and bomb defusing scenes. At a university, a female hostage encounters something much more deadly than a virus on her computer screen. Enter Jimmy Dove, a member of the bomb squad on the verge of retirement. Approaching the situation like a carefree daredevil, Jimmy is faced with the familiar action movie conundrum of which wire to cut. The answer all comes down to the hostage’s preference of wine. In a figurative taste test, they wisely select red.

What sounds more nerve-racking: Diving 4.3 miles into the sea with limited oxygen or disarming a nuclear warhead? In “The Abyss,” Bud takes on both dangerous endeavors for the price of one. Reaching the ocean floor, the foreman prepares to defuse the bomb with a Navy SEAL giving him step-by-step instructions. Director James Cameron takes an already daunting circumstance and totally ups the ante, depriving Bud of his ability to talk, placing him in a hostile environment, and keeping the action going even after the wire’s been cut.

In this scene from “The Rock,” Stanley Goodspeed and his incompetent comrade stumble upon a baby doll that really should have been recalled. Unleashing Sarin gas, matters become increasingly chaotic as the poison eats through their suits, the sprinklers stall, and C-4 is set to blast. While everybody else in the room panics, Goodspeed keeps his head in the game. Fixated on the explosives, he won’t even stop to take the antidote. With seconds remaining, the chemist saves that day and spares himself a date with a really big needle.

The IMF team frantically races to stop Kurt Hendricks from launching another nuclear warhead in the fourth “Mission Impossible” picture. As a missile charges for San Francisco, Ethan finds himself in the midst of a thrilling car chase and an exceptionally choreographed parking garage fight. The climax just keeps building with one exciting development after another. Even when it appears our hero has accomplished his mission, the action persists until the very last second. With a little help from his friends, Ethan deactivates the nuke in the nick of time.

Time is a major factor in this 1998 blockbuster about an asteroid on a collision course with Earth. When the would-be astronauts miss their mark upon landing, the military decides to detonate the bomb on board and hope for the best. Split on whether to follow orders, Harry and the Colonel engage in a Mexican standoff. Putting his rival in a chokehold, Harry finds a couple of seconds for an inspirational speech. The Colonel sees the light, has the blue wire cut, and it’s smooth sailing from there…well not really…

The “Lethal Weapon” movies are known for incorporating comedy into intense circumstances, a fine example being this scene from the third movie. Insisting there’s no bomb inside the building, Riggs drags his longsuffering partner into danger once again. As you might expect, they find a bomb and recklessly decide to take care of business themselves. Although time is of the essence, the duo spends several minutes bantering until Riggs finally cuts the wire. Things don’t exactly go according to plan. Probably should have waited for the bomb squad, guys.

Movies usually make defusing bombs look so straightforward. Sometimes simply cutting a wire isn’t enough, though. In “The Peacemaker,” George Clooney and Nicole Kidman come to the conclusion that the nuclear weapon before them can’t be entirely shut down. They can bring the big boom down, however, by removing one of the explosive panels to save the city from nuclear destruction. The scene builds great tension as Kidman hurriedly attempts to detach the lens. She pulls it off with just enough time for our heroes to perform a clichéd, but always fun, window jump.

Simon Gruber is all about games, challenging his opponents physically and mentally. After surviving a Crazy Taxi campaign in the third “Die Hard,” Simon treats John and Zeus to their reward: A bomb that can only be neutralized by placing four gallons of water on the scale. The problem is they only have three and five gallon jugs. The two attempt to solve the riddle while also engaging in another racial dispute. Through mathematical problem solving, they eventually figure it out and live to play another round of Simon Says.

James Bond is no stranger to explosives with ticking clocks. After giving Oddjob a shocking sendoff in “Goldfinger,” James is left with less than a minute to prevent an atomic device from blowing up Fort Knox. Although the secret agent can be quite skillful with his hands, this is one bombshell he doesn’t know how to handle. With James at his wit’s end, a specialist unceremoniously steps in and turns the bomb off by simply flipping a switch. Ironically, the clock stops at exactly 0:07. Well played, 007.

Before we countdown to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Atomic Bomb
“The Shadow” (1994)
- The Undefeated Champion
“Juggernaut” (1974)
- Causal Disarming
“Face/Off” (1997)
- You Think?
“Fight Club” (1999)
- Michaud’s Death
“The X-Files” (1998)

Knowing that his suit isn’t going to make a difference upon discovering a trunk full of explosives, William James decides to make himself comfortable. It’s equally humorous and disturbing how casually the sergeant approaches this hazardous situation, so used to war that he doesn’t even seem to care if he blows up. Instead of relying on a ticking clock, bombastic music, and cheap thrills, this scene from “The Hurt Locker” instead keeps us at the edge of our seats by staying grounded in reality, making the final outcome entirely unpredictable.

Do you agree with our list? What big screen bomb-defusing scene had you biting your fingernails? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.