10 Jaw Dropping Movie Moments

Lists. Every critic has them. The people almost demand them. Some are created to showcase the best, others the worst. We hope to provide our readers interesting lists on this site from time to time, including the obligatory top ten movies of the year when the time comes. We broke it up to five movies each, but we reserve the right in any future lists to have as many or as few as we see fit.

Dan – I couldn’t quite rank these movies from first to last, so I listed them alphabetically. I realize that some of them are also on Mark’s list, but we have our different reasons. And these are not the only movies that have elicited a reaction like this, but merely the first few that popped into my head. I also realize that these all revolve around action sequences, and I hope those who read this blog can see that I don’t prefer only action movies. I’d like to think that there is a well-rounded selection of movies reviewed on this site that fit at least a part of most people’s tastes. So without further ado:

THE DARK KNIGHT – It begins with the armored car transport of Harvey Dent and ends with the capture of the Joker. There was a hint of this scene in the trailer for the movie and I remember thinking that seeing a semi flip end over end would be cool to watch. But it was more than just the semi-truck flip. It was everything leading up to it. Seeing the Bat-Pod eject from the Tumbler and zip through people and in between cars only pumped me up for how it could end. And then the flip. Sure, it defies a few logistical issues, but it’s just so damn cool! And you gotta love the Joker’s reaction when he finally gets caught.

INCEPTION – You probably know the scene if you’ve seen it: The turning hallway/zero-gravity fight. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and some random bad-guy beat the crap out of each other in a hotel hallway while it rotates a full 360 degrees or more. My jaw was almost in my lap and I was giddy through the whole scene. I loved it for a few reasons: One – I have never seen anything like it before, even if it has been done in other movies. Two – Upon watching the DVD special features I learned that there were very few, if any, special effects used on this scene. The whole set was built in an airplane hangar and actually rotated! So it was up to the actors themselves to sell me on making it look real. And finally – Consider my mind blown by putting this scene in context of the movie itself; it’s a dream within a dream, and whenever something happens to the dreamer’s body in the original dream, it manifests itself physically in the second layer dream. See, just trying to explain it blows my mind all over again!

INDEPENDENCE DAY – The jaw drop happened when the aliens make their initial attack and destroy New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. I know, I know, most people don’t like this movie a whole lot especially those movie “elitists” that don’t appreciate a great summer popcorn movie. And the director of this movie, Roland Emmerich, has made some really stupid movies loaded with effects in hopes that plot and interesting characters would be overlooked (I’m looking at you 2012 and 10,000 BC). But let’s give a tiny amount of background here. I was 16 when this movie was released and thus not mature enough nor concerned with much beyond cool action and neat special effects. And this movie is loaded with both. I remember thinking then that it was my favorite movie of all time. Now fast forward 15 years, and having recently re-watched it (come on people, it was the 4^th of July!) I was still impressed as the effects held up quite well over time. I’ve now watched enough movies in the interim to appreciate a good think-piece or even (shudder) a documentary. So I do have some taste, however little it may be.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS – It happens at the climax of the battle of Helm’s deep when Gandalf arrives with the Riders of Rohan. It was the sweeping motion of the camera over the riders coming to the rescue coupled with the ethereal score of Howard Shore, and the almost Christian theme of a hero dressed in white leading an army of good against an army of evil. I remember I got chills as I watched it the first time. It was such an emotional payoff for me because of what took place immediately prior, where the heroes on the verge of defeat were going to meet their almost certain death with valiant bravery (boy do I sound like a nerd!). I sat in the theater simply in awe at how majestic it looked (not really helping my case for nerdiness here). It was just… incredible. This scene is moviemaking at its best.

THE MATRIX RELOADED – One of the greatest action sequences I’ve ever seen in any movie has got to be the freeway chase. Wow. I remember almost holding my breath watching it the first time because I had no idea how it would end. It still gets my blood pumping whenever I watch it. Car chases have been done almost to death in the movies and there are a lot of really good ones for comparison (Ronin, The Italian Job, Bullitt), but this movie mixed it up by adding a science fiction element to it of the Agents being able to control anyone inside the Matrix (except the good guys of course). Consequently there are lots of people on the freeway for them to assume control over. Lots of crashes and lots of exciting close calls really set this apart from most other car chases. What is it about slow-motion that can make a pretty cool action sequence look freakin' awesome? And let’s not forget Morpheus and an Agent to engaging in MMA on top of a moving semi-truck. Only when it ends with the Operator throwing his arms up in triumph while shouting “YES!” can you begin to relax a little.

Mark -  I chose to go the route of choosing the films as much as individual moments in film that were jaw dropping for me.  These are 5 of my favorite films and I didn't go into a lot of detail about the surprises and jaw dropping moments in them, simply because I don't want to give anything away if someone hasn't seen the film.

1) INCEPTION - I have to admit that the closer this movie came to being released, the more and more I wanted to see it. When I saw the first teaser for this movie, 6 months before it was actually released, I thought it looked cool but didn’t feel like it was something I would have to see right away. By the time Inception was released I knew I had to see it opening weekend. I saw it the second day it was out and was lucky enough to not know any more about it than what was shown on the previews. Many people feel that The Matrix was revolutionary in what it did, and for me Inception surpasses the steps they took and takes movies somewhere they have never been before.

2) THE USUAL SUSPECTS - How often is the saying, "the person you least expect" really a true statement? Nothing is better than watching a movie like The Usual Suspects and not know what to expect. The plot and story is compelling and captivating, and then to finally realize who Keyser Soze is at the end. This movie deserves to own the rights to, "the person you least expect."

3) A BEAUTIFUL MIND - I’m so happy that the trailer for this movie gave away so little about the film. I was so convinced that everything Russell Crowe’s character was seeing was real, and it was everyone else that was being deceived. Obviously the writers of this film took a lot of liberties in the adaptation and based on real life story of Dr. Nash, but this was definitely one of those movies where I left wondering how many of these events really happened.

4) THE DARK KNIGHT - Obviously the death of Heath Ledger played a huge role in creating hype about this movie, but did this movie, and Ledger in particular, ever live up to the hype. I can’t think of any movie where I have ever been so intrigued by a villain, to the point of where you almost find yourself rooting for The Joker rather than Batman. It is amazing to see a character who doesn’t care about anything or anyone, including himself.

5) ROAD TO PERDITION - This movie is probably a little shocking to see on this list, but there are so many things I loved about this film, and that just made me say, wow! There are simple shots like Tom Hanks walking in towards the camera as it zooms out, that was just breathtaking for me to watch. There are also more complex shots as the one where you see Jude Law’s character fire at Tom Hanks character and his son while they speed away from the diner. If you watch that shot in slow motion it is incredible to see the detail of the bullet and shattering glass of the car windshield. Those single shots were jaw dropping alone, but the movie doesn’t stop as it delivers a powerful double surprise ending.

My Random Thought/Honorable Mention:  There are two films that I will also remember for very specific reasons which will relate to none of you specifically, but hopefully you will have the same experience.
1) JUNO - There is a scene where Juno is sitting in the kitchen talking with her parents and it shows the kitchen clock in the background.  You're probably thinking so what?  Well...the clock in the background is a mushroom clock and it is the same clock that was in my kitchen growing up and into my late twenties, and only recently have my parents actually taken it down from their kitchen.
2) A SERIOUS MAN - Similar to the above mentioned film, in this film there is a scene where the family is sitting down to eat, and their brown and white plates with the flower pattern are the same plates that I grew up with also. 
While I realize that it is not that uncommon to see something in a movie that you actually own yourself, its the weird items that you grow up with and have never seen anyone else with that you find shocking to see in a film of all places.

Feel free to chime in here with disagreements, or maybe your own jaw dropping moments/movies.