10 Insane Movie Stunts They Filmed FOR REAL
4. Harrier Attack - True Lies
Before James Cameron starting making gargantuan modern blockbusters, he put together the highly underrated True Lies. One of Arnold Schwarzenegger's better films, it uses a hybrid of action and comedy to make its impact. Of course, its stunts are no slouch either.
Arnold's chase with the horse and the rescue on the causeway were both impressive enough, but it's the final showdown with the harrier jet that generates the biggest impression. Special agent Harry Tasker takes the the skies above Los Angeles to take out the remaining terrorists and rescue his daughter Dana (Eliza Dushku).
To pull off this extravagant sequence, the US Air Force provided three Harrier jets and their pilots for a high price to simulate the wider shots. But when it came to putting a plane on top of a skyscraper, it was too risky to fly that close. Instead, the production team built a full scale fibreglass mock-up that the main actor sat in.
Suspended from wires that were removed in post, the stunt was incredibly impressive for its time. The real danger of the moment manifested itself as actress Eliza Dushku broke some of her ribs and the set was hit by a lightning storm during production. Luckily, there were no serious injuries and the stunt took place successfully.