In this post we continue our countdown with #15-#1. If you missed Part One, please go read it first: The Most EPIC Movie Chase Scene List Ever - My Favorite 30! Part 1 (30-16)

#15

Stop me if you've heard this one... A priest, a nun, Victor Sifuentes, and Bobby Simone walk into a . . . high speed chase. That is what we get in this next chase, along with Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal. A year before we had Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, there was Running Scared. It featured this chase scene with Hines and Crystal in a taxi chasing Jimmy Smits in a limousine. The chase begins at the airport terminal, moves to the interstate, and finishes on the El train tracks. This is probably a chase that is not often thought of, but is an underrated one in my opinion.

#14

Many will consider my entire list to be blasphemy because this next one isn't #1. I cannot apologize for that. Although Steve McQueen as Bullitt driving his Mustang over the rolling hills of San Francisco at high speed is pretty EPIC, I just never really got into the film. The fiery conclusion of the chase is pretty badass as well. Interesting note: in the first clip below, at about the 55-second mark you will see McQueen do a burnout in reverse. This was not in the script. McQueen simply missed the turn and reacted and they decided to leave it in the film.

#13

This listed started off with the original Gone in 60 Seconds and I mentioned that Nicolas Cage would get some love later on in the list. Well here it is, the ALL-Nic-Cage section of our countdown.

Nicolas Cage has been in some great chase scenes -- so many, in fact, that I cheated a bit, but hey -- it IS my list. I also skipped a lot of his possible chases.

Coming in at #13 on our list is a tie. First off we have the diaper robbery chase scene from Raising Arizona. This was the best quality video I found, but it is not the full scene. The music is great, the old guy driving the truck screaming was great, and the dog posse taking out the convenience store clerk was awesome.

Tied with Raising Arizona is The Rock, which returns us to the hills of the San Francisco streets. Cage and Sean Connery talking to themselves during the chase or yelling out things like "I hope you're insured" after crashing into someone is pretty cool, and the owner of the Hummer that Connery stole calling him mid-chase is great. Include a staple of San Fran culture, a trolley car, in the chase and blow it all up in the end? EPIC.

#12

Next up on the Nicolas Cage mini-list is Con-Air. Cage and John Cusack on police motorcycles chasing after John Malkovich as Cyrus the Virus and his other escaped cons who are riding on and in a firetruck on the Strip in Las Vegas? On the list of EPIC scenarios, this is pretty high! The end that is given to Cyrus is so amazingly awesome.

#11

Our next made-up tie is between Nicolas Cage and John Travolta from Face/Off. One chase takes place in boats, and the other in a helicopter and a plane. Both are very EPIC scenes with great endings. For me, though, the boat scene is better.

When Castor Troy is attempting to escape via airplane, he first shoots Sean Archer's wife and tosses her from the plane --where she is then run over by a wheel of the plane. Archer snaps and commandeers a helicopter to make sure that plane and Troy remain grounded.

This boat chase scene is quite possibly the most EPIC boat chase ever in film. The moment that Castor's boat crashes through the police boat in a fiery jump is so amazingly badass. The stuntmen on this film should have gotten paid as much as Cage and Travolta did.

#10

Coming in at #10 on our countdown, even though I have NEVER seen the movie, is Baby Driver. I really wanted to see this one when it came out, but we never wind up going to the movies. Like most things, it got lost in the shuffle and I still haven't seen what looks like an amazing movie. This chase scene, however, is tremendous. Something to keep in mind?This was the first six minutes of the movie; imagine how much further they went as the film went on.

#9

At #9 we have a bit of a unique chase in The French Connection. Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle is chasing after a subway train on an elevated track through the streets of New York City. He is after a member of a narcotics smuggling ring who is on the train and has taken control of it to assure it doesn't stop. Actor Gene Hackman was actually driving for much of the scene with stuntman Bill Hickman doing the more dangerous parts. Director William Friedkin was in the back seat with a camera to film those more dangerous scenes. He didn't want to put anyone from the crew in that much danger.

While the chase itself is EPIC, it takes on LEGENDARY status when you learn the particulars of the chase. They didn't have the proper permits for filming this scene. They did, however, have some help from the NYPD to close off about a five block stretch from other traffic. Of course they then exceeded those boundaries into uncontrolled areas, thus having to avoid real traffic and pedestrians. The lady with the baby carriage was not one of the unexpected; that was all carefully planned. However, some of the scripted close calls with other cars wound up being closer than expected, including the one crash that was left in because of its realism -- realism caused because it was REAL!

#8

Our countdown takes a bit of a turn at #8. I have always loved Aladdin; it is one of my favorite Disney movies for sure. I am very happy my wife reminded me of this scene when I asked if she could think of any great chase scenes. Good luck watching this, listening to the music, and not "chair-bopping" along. As this video ended it reminded me of another I hadn't listed yet in my preparations, so it will be coming up on the list soon. I would be curious to know how many of you could guess what scene I mean.

#7

It might seem weird to follow the innocence of Disney's Aladdin with the greatest chase scene in horror movie history, but that is how it all shook out when I decided which order they would go in. Coming in at #7 on the list is my favorite horror film of all-time, Tobe Hooper's classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). In the clips, Sally Hardesty manages to escape the house of horrors but the Hitchhiker and Leatherface are not far behind. In the end Sally gets away, and Leatherface does a little dance.

#6

When you read my blurb above for Aladdin, did you know it made me think of Back to the Future? This classic and fun chase scene ends in a similar fashion. In the scene, Calvin Klein (aka Marty McFly) essentially invents the skateboard and uses it to elude Biff and his bullying friends.

#5

Some of you might say this next one, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, doesn't belong on the list. My argument for it being on this chase scene list, apart from the sheer EPICNESS of the Die Hard franchise, is that Detective John McClane and Zeus Carver are chasing after the way to stop Simon Gruber from blowing up a school. They are raciing the clock to make it to the phone in time to receive their next call and save hundreds of lives.

"I didn't say Park Drive. I said through the park."

The comedy in the scene only adds to its EPICNESS. Zeus asks, "Are you aiming for these people?" and McClane responds, "No! Well, maybe that mime." This is such a great movie, and I would argue that it might be the best installment in the franchise. No, literally; I have had this argument with one of my friends on numerous occasions.

#4

At #4 on our countdown not only do you get an EPIC car chase, but it is followed by an incredibly awesome foot chase. Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), an undercover FBI agent, is after the group of bank robbers The Ex-Presidents, led by Bodhi (Patrick Swayze). Once the car driven by his partner, Pappas (Gary Busey), stalls, Utah gets out and chases on foot. He catches up with them at a gas station where they are switching cars and torching the old one to destroy any evidence. The others have no choice but to leave Bodhi behind once Pappas catches up and starts shooting at them. This all leads to the EPIC foot chase that winds through yards and houses. In the end, Bodhi gets away because Utah's old football injury reemerges when he lands on his knee the wrong way. This one gets elevated to LEGENDARY status when Bodhi uses a pit bull as a weapon by THROWING IT at Utah.

Note: No animals or Keanu Reeves were harmed in the making of this post.

#3

Time for our Top 3! At #3 we have The Princess Bride, one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces of all time. DON'T ARGUE! In this scene, the Dread Pirate Roberts is in hot pursiit of Vizzini, Inigo Montoya, and Fezzik, who have kidnapped the lovely Buttercup. The chase culminates during a climb up The Cliffs of Insanity. Andre the Giant carries the other three up the rope while Roberts (spoiler alert: Westley!) speedily ascends the rope behind them. Even the rope being cut doesn't deter Westley in his quest to rescue his one twue wuv. Once he makes it to the top of the cliffs, the most EPIC sword fight in film history takes place between Westley and Inigo.

#2

Here it is, #2 on the list and the inspiration for me doing the countdown! ::plays trumpets prior to the introduction::: It is Top Gun. This scene is when Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Hollywood (Whip Hubley) are pitted against Viper (Tom Skerritt) and Jester (Michael Ironside). Viper breaks off the pattern and they pursue Jester. Maverick, however, would prefer the bigger prize of getting Viper, so in true Maverick fashion, he leaves his wingman to try and get Viper. In case you haven't seen it yet, I won't spoil the end. What an EPIC chase Maverick and Goose (Anthony Edwards) give, though!

#1

Finally at #1 on our countdown is Jake and Elwood on a mission from God! "You want out of this parking lot? OK!" A chase that takes you through a parking lot, into a shopping mall, and past "Disco Pants and Haircuts" -- it doesn't get any more EPIC than that! The film actually had another amazing chase scene, but for me the better of the two is the one in the mall. The sheer destruction of the scene in the second video below is awesomely amazing as well.

So, there you have it: MY Most EPIC Movie Chase Scenes countdown.

Which ones were your favorites?

What ones did I leave off the list that you love?

Are there other lists you might like to see me make?

You can find the start of the countdown here:
The Most EPIC Movie Chase Scene List Ever - My Favorite 30! Part 1 (30-16)