Crash! Bang! Whollop! - 5 great Car Chases

Everybody loves a good car chase. Be it in an action movie, and animated movie (it does happen!) or even in a game, a good car chase sets the pulse racing. Here's my fav five.

5: The Self Preservation Society - The Italian Job (1969, Paramount)

What do you get when you cross Michael Caine, 3 Minis, a van-load of gold bullion, and a traffic-blocked Turin? You get one of the best car chases of the Twentieth Century. Over rooftops, through shopping malls, and even through the sewer, director Peter Collinson made the best heist movie ever conceived. And who can forget the immortal line: 'You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!'

4: Ford Mustang Vs. Dodge Charger - Bullitt (1968, MGM/UA)

Steve McQueen's seminal movie about a cop who has to protect a vital witness, Peter Yates directs this film with gusto. A solid performance from McQueen as Bullitt, with a rather good supporting role from Robert Vaughn, the films strong point is the nearly 24 minute long, and rather excellent,  epic chase between two epic supercars of the 1960's, with McQueen doing nearly all the driving, with the rear-view mirror giving away who was behind the wheel (up when it's McQueen, down when it's his stuntman, Bud Ekins).

3: Paris Rampage - Ronin (1998, MGM/UA)

This film should be classified as one long car chase, with the amount of vehicles destroyed. Starring Robert DeNiro, Jean Reno and Johnathan Price, Ronin is the story of several ex-special forces operatives, who have to steal a top secret, heavily guarded briefcase. With loads of backstabbing, gun fights and the brilliant car chases, it's one thrill ride that is definitely worth watching.

2: We're on a mission from God... - The Blues Brothers (1980, Universal)

John Belushi + Dan Aykroyd + one ex-police car = excessive car chases aplenty. Who'd have thought that a movie about an ex con, wanting to start their Blues band back up to save an orphanage from closure, could be a funny, exciting and brilliant cult movie. The chase in the shopping mall, crashing through Toys 'R Us and with a cop car skidding on its roof is a scene to watch over again.

1: I'm making this up as I go! - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1982, Paramount)

A chase that ends up with the original driver being run over? Quite novel. Indy really wanted that Ark of the Covenant. So much so, that he chases after the truck carrying it on horseback, jumps on the roof, beats seven shades out of the guards, gets quite a slapping from the driver, thrown out the front window, gets back in, beats HIM to a pulp, and runs him over. Oh, and he also manages to ram a Machine Gun Mounted 4X4 off a cliff. Who needs CGI  Special Effects, eh, George? I was going to put the chase from Last Crusade that involves the Meschersmit and the Citroen, mainly because of the comedy value, but this one just pips it.