20 Biggest Blockbuster Movie Showdowns Of All Time
10. Gandalf Takes On The Balrog - The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is loaded with epic set-pieces, and Gandalf's showdown with the Balrog ranks as one of the most crowd-pleasing sequences across all three movies. Initially fleeing from the creature in the Mines of Moria, Gandalf decides to stand his ground and save the rest of the Fellowship, establishing him both as a selfless hero as well as a total and utter bad-ass. Ian McKellen's instantly-iconic delivery of 'you shall not pass' quickly infiltrated popular culture, and the battle turned out to be so taxing that the climax had to be recapped via flashback in the next movie. As the two foes fall through the abyss beating the living daylights out of each other, the combination of incredible CGI, a rousing musical score and some beautiful imagery combine to create one of the most thrilling and exciting scenes in the entire trilogy.
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