15 Most Awesome Explosions In Movie History

Because who doesn't love a fireworks display?

By Jack Pooley /

Warner Bros.

There's no accounting for taste when it comes to movies, but at the same time, who among us doesn't love watching a really, really big explosion?

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An expensive, cinematic pyrotechnics display can elevate an already stellar action movie or perhaps serve as the saving grace of a terrible one, as tough as it is to stand out from the pack these days.

In an age where CGI is making gigantic practical explosions increasingly more rare, these are the best-in-class examples you absolutely cannot miss...

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15. Commando

Fox

The classic 1985 Arnold Schwarzenegger action vehicle Commando is a masterclass in testesterone-fuelled mayhem that doesn't ever take itself too seriously.

It's so silly, in fact, it ends up feeling like a borderline-parody of 80s action fare at times, and this is surely no more obvious than in the movie's explosive array of set-pieces.

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Before John Matrix's (Arnold Schwarzenegger) climactic assault on villain Arius' (Dan Hedaya) island lair, he rigs up all of the buildings with explosives. Naturally, he detonates them all when he begins his attack.

The result is a glorious spectacle of propulsive fire, exploding building materials and catapulted hapless goons, captured from an excessive - yet awesome - number of camera angles.

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It's even more amusing when you realise the massive continuity error, that Matrix places the bombs on the outside of the buildings, yet the explosions are very clearly occuring from the inside. If anything it just adds to the gleeful insanity, honestly.

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