5. 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, its hear for two reasons one, while its brutality is perhaps less than other entries, the fact its happening in a Bond movie gives it added clout, and two, theres no way this film wouldve been a 12A if it wasnt 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 didnt disappoint. Were thrown right in at the deep-end almost from the very beginning, as the worlds 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 couldnt be further removed from Pierce Brosnan prancing about in an ice hotel if it tried, and indeed, thats 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.