Top 5 Vehicular Combat Movies You Should Watch

From the iconic Fast & Furious franchise to the cult classic Bullitt, these movies deliver the goods when it comes to car combat. Director George Miller’s pitch-black dystopian vision mixes with highly stylized filmmaking and mind-blowing, real-life car stunts. The most recent entry, Mad Max: Fury Road, takes all those elements to the next level.

1. Bad Boys 2

The first Bad Boys was a perfectly serviceable action movie, but this second sequel is more of a big, loud hinge that the modern-day action genre swung on. Director Michael Bay shed any pretense of restraint, deploying saturated, sickly color grading, a relentless use of slow motion and more butt shots than you’ll find in the average Fast and Furious flick.

The plot centers on Miami narcotics detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett tracking down $100 million worth of stolen drugs. They’re aided by their partner, a big-breasted female police informant. This provides plenty of opportunity for crass humor and corn-dog sentimentality. And, of course, lots and lots of gunfire, explosions and car chases. This is Michael Bay in all his trashy glory. The film stars Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Jordi Molla, Gabrielle Union, Peter Stormare and Theresa Randle.

2. Cars

Cars, the 2006 Pixar film, features a world where everything is made out of cars. This flixtor movie takes the typical trajectory of liberation that macho road movies follow and twists it into an anthropomorphic story of self-discovery for cars.

The film follows hotshot rookie race car Lightning McQueen, voiced by Owen Wilson, who discovers the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. There he meets the eccentric citizens, including Doc Hudson (Paul Newman) and Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), and learns that life is more than just racing.

The film’s sequel, Cars 2, sees Lightning teach a new generation of race cars. In the process, we are treated to an international tour that includes stops in Japan, Italy, Paris and even Hollywood. This film is about more than just racing, though: It’s about friendship, hard work and a bit of light romance.

3. RUSH

Rush is an excellent film that captures the spirit of competition. It features two fascinating racing drivers and a gripping story. The movie does a good job of showing how a rivalry can be both noble and ignoble. It also does a good job of showing how important it is to be able to accept defeat and learn from your mistakes.

The movie stars Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt and Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda. It was written by Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon). It follows the 1976 Formula One season and a fierce rivalry between the British driver and the Austrian champion.

The movie does a good job of capturing the feel of Formula 1 racing. It features lots of fast-paced action and great cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle. It also does a good job of avoiding some of the pitfalls that many films fall into during racing sequences. For example, there are no songs thrown in over the engine sounds to add dramatic effect.

4. The Road Warrior

A classic of post-apocalyptic, car-combat cinema. While the series has since expanded beyond the original, it’s clear that this movie set the standard for what is still a thrilling concept: a scant civilization struggling to hold on in a world of hellish violence.

George Miller’s pitch black vision of post-nuclear dystopia is still as compelling as ever, albeit with a more grand sense of scale. Buoyed by Brian May’s colossal doom laden score and a resolutely rugged performance from Mel Gibson, the film is both bleak and awe inspiring.

Gibson’s remarkable transformation from swaggering heartthrob to grizzled drifter is an astonishing one. His ability to convey a character driven by nothing more than self-preservation is what makes this film truly special.

5. Mad Max: Fury Road

One of the most memorable chase movies of all time, Mad Max: Fury Road continues the post-apocalyptic dystopia set by Mel Gibson in the first Mad Max. In a world where cars spew flames and are adorned with spikes, this high-octane story pits two rebels against an army of souped-up vehicles.

Tom Hardy plays Max Rockatansky, a man of action but few words who becomes swept up with a band of women on a war rig to escape a Citadel ruled by the Warlord Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). He’s a prisoner of the sex slaves at first, but Furiosa and her rig show him that survival is not just about self-preservation.

George Miller upends expectations about what a blockbuster can be, delivering a stripped-down there-and-back chase film with spectacular practical effects. More than 2000 VFX shots went into this film, including fleets of vehicles careening through the landscape and actors flying between them on poles and elastic ropes.