10 Most Elaborate Movie Climaxes Ever

When Brian De Palma was shooting Carlito's Way, his second film with Al Pacino, he wanted the climax to take place at the World Trade Centre. The attempted bombing of the towers prevented this, and the script was retooled to his dismay. "Another railway station," he lamented, recalling the shootout on the steps at the end of The Untouchables.

But Carlito Brigante's escape from mob life and, hopefully, into Penelope Ann Miller's arms, starts at a nightclub; a seeming polite conversation between Pacino and some goons, but it's implicit the hit is out on him. From there, it's a heart-racing chase through the New York City subway system, leading to a multi-level shootout up and down a set of escalators at Grand Central Station. It's as intense as possible, loaded with moments in which the slightest wrong turn could lead to imminent death.

Ultimately, though, it's what Carlito overlooks that brings him down. As in most crime films, there really is no getting out no matter how well-planned your getaway is. It's also advisable, under any circumstance, to supply Sean Penn with cocaine.