Every train fight in the James Bond franchise, ranked
Some of the best fight scenes of the James Bond Franchises are set on moves, with some being better than others. With 25 films in the series, there’s surprisingly little of it. But that’s what makes them so special when they emerge.
Bond isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, as he’s proven many times throughout the series. Although not all of these fights take place on trains, trains are an exciting backdrop for such sequences as there is usually no way out, giving the feeling of being trapped. Bond therefore has no choice but to confront his enemies head-on with his impressive fighting style. Here are all of the train battle sequences in Bond, from worst to best.
7 Bond vs. Trevelyan, Xenia and Ourumov (GoldenEye)
While it may not strictly speaking be a “fight,” shots are fired and the sequence has a special power. It’s the first moment in the film that Bond has the upper hand over Trevelyan after learning of his defection, and it’s also the only scene in the film that features all of the main villains in the same room at the same time, with Trevelyan, Xenia and Ourumov all present. Because it doesn’t technically qualify as a fight, it’s at the bottom of this list, but gets credit for an honorable mention and a great train scene in the series.
6 Bond vs. Gobinda and Grishcka (Octopussy)
This is a fine sequence in Octopus, a movie that isn’t as bad as some say and is only so far down this list because of its competition. However, it doesn’t last very long and comes right after seeing Bond disguised in a gorilla suit, and the juxtaposition of a somewhat goofy moment with a rather impressive stunt sequence is harrowing. With this in mind, the addition of a dramatic score to this sequence might have been helpful. But the combat is layered with a variety of fun moments, with impressive swordplay and hand-to-hand combat.
5 Bond vs. Tee Hee (Live & Let Die)
Certainly one of the Bond classics, this train fight even remasters some of the power found in the Red Grant fight Greetings from Russia, a James Bond formula so great it deserves a return. It’s an act of cold, hard revenge on Tee Hee’s part as he attacks Bond in a fit of rage, with little to no rational thought guiding his actions. The fight is dramatic and engaging in parts and has a decent running time, but since it takes place at the end of the film it has little to no significance to the plot, making the scene’s impact underwhelming compared to its counterparts.
4 Bond vs. Jaws (The Spy Who Loved Me)
Jaws is a character who embodies horror, which was a welcome change for audiences at the time. This fight sequence is significantly shorter than the Tee Hee fight, which it is very similar to in some ways, but its intensity and excitement earn it a higher spot on this list. The moment Anya opens her closet to find her enemy inside is downright terrifying, and what follows is a James Bond-Jaws sequence that’s exciting, funny, and as electrifying as Bond’s attack on Jaw’s teeth with the broken lamp.
3 Bond vs Hinx (Spectre)
This entry was originally intended to be higher up on this list as it is undoubtedly a high point Spook. Still, his competition ended up being stronger than Mr. Hinx and his intervention of Bond and Madeleine Swann’s dirty martinis. The fight is perfectly choreographed and an absolutely exciting hand-to-hand combat without any significant gimmicks. It’s reminiscent of classic Bond fights like the Red Grant, Tee Hee and Jaws fights that came before it, but in this case the fight is much longer, terrifyingly dynamic in its movement and dramatization, and features incredibly impressive stunt work by Daniel Craig and Dave Bautista themselves.
The problem with this scene, however, is that it doesn’t fit well with the overall narrative of the film and poses a bit of a villain problem spook repeats from skyfall. Because of this, the actual purpose of the fight in the storyline is problematic and prevents it from earning second place on this list. However, it is an incredibly memorable fight sequence and certainly one to last forever.
2 Bond vs Patrice (Skyfall)
This fight takes place exclusively on the train and not in it. It’s layered with a buildup of dramatization and intensity, with an unforgettable climax when Bond is accidentally shot by Moneypenny before falling off the train into the water. The scene is heartbreaking from start to finish as Bond pursues an assailant who is in possession of an extremely important list while the audience enjoys the variety of Bond jumping off a motorbike onto a train, Bond operating an excavator, all the way to a… Hand-to-hand combat that makes for one of James Bond’s best opening action scenes.
1 Bond vs. Grant (From Russia With Love)
Perhaps one of the best battle sequences in all of Bond is the dark and utterly terrifying battle between Bond and Red Grant. With this fight, it’s the build-up that makes it stand out, not just in the immediate scenes before the fight, but throughout the film. The audience knows from the moment he’s introduced that Red Grant is a dangerous, deadly, and serious assassin, but as the turn sequence begins it also becomes clear that he’s intelligent and cunning with his espionage and identity theft since posing as the ally Bond was expecting to meet Tatiana (a Bond girl who could easily have betrayed 007).
The fight itself is an inevitable result of a tension that has been brewing for some time. The combat itself is ugly but wonderful in its intensity, a terrifying life-or-death conflict. Audiences know only one will survive, and it’s one of the most brutal physical and mental trials Bond has ever endured, and embodies the very real danger of his profession like few others in history James Bond Series has managed to reach.
https://screenrant.com/james-bond-movie-franchise-train-fights-ranked/ Every train fight in the James Bond franchise, ranked
