10 Most Brutal Fight Scenes In Movie History

5. Casino Royale

Casino Royale Nearly every other fight in this list belongs in an 18-rated film, so you might be tempted to ask just what the hell a 12A is doing here. Well, it€™s hear for two reasons €“ one, while it€™s brutality is perhaps less than other entries, the fact it€™s happening in a Bond movie gives it added clout, and two, there€™s no way this film would€™ve been a 12A if it wasn€™t part of the Bond franchise. The rating system can be easily manipulated by powerful studios, which might explain why something as shockingly visceral as this takes place in a film which can be seen by children. We all knew that after the gadget-and-glamour excess of the later Pierce Brosnan Bonds that this was going to be a big, dramatic rebrand of the franchise from the start, and the film didn€™t disappoint. We€™re thrown right in at the deep-end almost from the very beginning, as the world€™s most suave secret agent fights a man in one of the grimiest locations devisable €“ a toilet. The fact that Bond might be fighting here is inherently shocking, and the choreography really rams this home €“ tiles are broken, clothes are crumpled, the two men go careering into the fittings and Bond attempts to suffocate his man in a toilet bowl. This couldn€™t be further removed from Pierce Brosnan prancing about in an ice hotel if it tried, and indeed, that€™s kind of the whole point. Playing against the glamourous Bond screen persona and going back to the military sociopath of the books was a bold move and to my mind, this sequence is absolutely perfect to showcase this transformation. The fact that Bond seemingly succeeds in drowning his man in a public sink just rams the whole thing home €“ that they combine this with the traditional gun-barrel screenshot is a stroke of genius.
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Durham University graduate and qualified sports journalist. Very good at sitting down and watching things. Can multi-task this with playing computer games. Football Manager addict who has taken Shrewsbury Town to the summit of the Premier League. You can follow me at @Ed_OwenUK, if you like ramblings about Newcastle United and A Place in the Sun. If you don't, I don't know what I can do for you.