Top 10 Worst Action Scenes in Major Blockbuster Movies
#10: Scorpion King
“The Mummy Returns” (2001) At the climax of this sequel, the main heroes converge for a jumbled fight. The sequence could be attacked for its staging, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Dwayne Johnson’s appearance as the Scorpion King - looking like something from an outdated video game - throws a wrench in the entire sequence for his look alone. Characters try to attack the villain, but Johnson’s unconvincing appearance makes it especially hard to believe that the actors are really hitting something. Imhotep then throws a spear in a slow-motion shot that’s overly dramatic and somewhat silly. All in all, this might be one of the worst character reveals ever.
#9: Helicopter Fight
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“Cliffhanger” (1993) In the end to an outrageous plot about mountain climbing, Sylvester Stallone finds himself grappling with a helicopter. Dangling unrealistically from a rope ladder attached to the helicopter as it crashes, he soon finds himself battling villain John Lithgow on a helicopter which by all rights should be plunging to its doom. And the fight scene just gets more ridiculous with each passing second. Defying the laws of physics, the fighters tumble around on the helicopter in a laughable showdown. Finally Stallone kicks his opponent down with the wreckage in a sequence that needs to be seen to be believed.
#8: CGI Showdown with Electro
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“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014) This battle between villain Electro and Spider-Man takes place in Times Square, but deficiencies in both direction and CGI make it less than electrifying. The best part of this scene is when there isn’t any action at all. Once the bad guy starts shocking the world around him, the computer effects and editing throw everything out of whack. Some of the key moments rely on visuals that look too artificial for their own good. It could’ve been cool to see Spider-Man jumping around in real life, but the actual choreography is overshadowed by the technical choices. Jamie Foxx’s distracting costume and the ending destruction further adds to an unsatisfying sequence overall.
#7: Mr. Hyde vs. Dante
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“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (2003) During the extended climax of this comic adaptation, the evil Dante drinks Mr. Hyde’s potion to create his own muscly exterior. The result is a CGI mishap that looks too cartoonish to interact with any live-action hero. Bulked up beyond recognition, the monster challenges Hyde to a brawl that’s not all that compelling. Captain Nemo even appears to flail his sword around in a moment that falls flat. Both heroes eventually run away as the facility explodes, seeking shelter as their antagonist is crushed to death. The movie doesn’t even give them a chance to finish him off themselves.
#6: Bambi & Thumper
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“Diamonds Are Forever” (1971) In the first James Bond film of the 1970s, Sean Connery stars in one of the wackiest entries in the series. “Diamonds Are Forever” has the secret agent sparring with two female bodyguards named Bambi and Thumper. Having walked into a different movie, Connery has his work cut out for him as he tries to put up a fight. The absurd sequence lets the women show off their acrobatic skills as 007 ends up being thrown into a pool. If the lead actor appears confused, so are the audience members who are struggling to comprehend the trajectory of this spy franchise. This scene proves to be a particular low point for excitement and legitimate action in Bond.
#5: Jungle Chase
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“Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008) People didn’t exactly love this entry in the “Indiana Jones” series, and this action scene is one of the many reasons why. A jungle chase ends up with Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt in the trees with some monkeys. With a nod to “Tarzan,” the archaeologist’s son swings on vines in order to catch up with his parents. It’s a distracting moment that feels like it’s from another kind of movie. If that isn’t enough, he finally catches up with the cars along with the creatures. The latter help to attack the Russians as if they’re programmed to do so. Everything happens in a flurry of activity that’s funny for all the wrong reasons.
#4: Deadpool Battles Wolverine
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“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009) For those that remember “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” the film represents one of the worst representations of Deadpool. The movie turns the character into an experiment called Weapon XI. Wolverine ends up fighting the bizarre hybrid villain, the latter of which can teleport and even shoot laser beams out of its eyes. The fight itself isn’t anything to write home about either. Mixing a fake background with nonsensical choreography, the sequence feels like a mess of ideas. Victor Creed also shows up to help out the adamantium hero until the antagonist can be finished off. The entire scene comes crashing down as a head goes flying off, bringing this chaotic and hard-to-follow battle to a close.
#3: Enchantress
“Suicide Squad” (2016) Dr. June Moone becomes Enchantress after being possessed, leading to the titular Squad going after her. This final fight brings together the remaining team members in an anti-climactic battle. Not only does the action feel rudimentary, the CGI elements distract from the actual execution. The villain’s overall design is so poor that it makes her every move harder to take seriously. As for the various attempts to take her down, nothing quite feels as impactful as it should as each character takes their turn attacking. Harley Quinn and Deadshot come in to finish her off in a moment that you can see from a mile away. Without much suspense or stakes of any kind, this movie’s big scene lands with a thud.
#2: Fighting on the Tarantula
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“Wild Wild West” (1999) Will Smith’s character is pushed to his limits in the finale of this justifiably maligned adaptation. Finding himself on a mechanized tarantula, he fights henchmen who are among the most ineffective goons imaginable. They each come with corny one-liners and inexplicable abilities that will have viewers scratching their heads. After one of them comes out as a full-blown martial artist, this scene officially jumps the mechanical shark. Smith doesn’t seem to have much of a problem dealing with any of them either, including the final one with a metal head. The last villain could be a substantial threat, but they just have him electrocute himself instead. “Wild Wild West” doesn’t do itself any favors in this chaotic set piece.
#1: Ice Skating
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“Batman & Robin” (1997) Christopher Nolan returned the Batman story to earth after this version had reduced the series to sheer silliness. This scene perfectly encapsulates the ridiculous situations the hero and his sidekick encounter in the film. They both face off against chilly henchmen in a room covered in ice, and it soon devolves into a strange game of ice hockey. The duo even has skates of their own, throwing any semblance of logic out the window. It’s a crazy brawl that can easily infuriate the most lenient comic book fans. When you consider it’s all in service of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s quippy villain, this sequence becomes an unwanted fever dream.
