The category is usually competitive but things got taken to another level this year with at least three or four chases here that easily could have won this thing any other year. People sure seemed to be in the mood for high speed mayhem this year. As always chases of any kind will be eligible here including foot chases, car chases, and whatever the hell the Mad Max chases would be classified as.
- Left Behind- ’71: ’71 is a movie about getting caught behind enemy lines and this is the scene where our protagonist finds himself in that position. Shortly after seeing his colleague executed on a city street this intense footchase breaks out in which an unarmed British soldier is chased through narrow Belfast alleys by young IRA types shooting at him with handguns. The scene has a real Paul Greengrass feel and while it isn’t nearly as elaborate as some of the scenes here it is just as intense and really brings you into this guy’s plight.
- Caucasus Chase- Furious 7: As crazy as the “Fast and Furious” franchise has gotten it must be said that they’ve never completely lost track of the vehicular carnage they were built upon. This particular chase is probably their masterpiece of automotive ridiculousness what with it beginning with cars parachuting out of a plane and culminates in Paul Walker running across a bus that’s teetering on a cliff, and I haven’t even gotten into the craziness in the middle.
- Finale- Mad Max: Fury Road: George Miller’s epic return to the Mad Max fold has a handful of inventive chase sequences in it, but it somehow manages to top itself with its final action scene in which our heroes take on Immortan Joe’s war party in the series’ trademark vehicular combat. This one is kind of a funny beast because the actual driving is often something of an afterthought compared to the fighting that’s going on as people move from car to car but it’s a pretty damn elaborate chase just the same.
- Motorcycle Chase- Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation: I’m no fan of the much maligned Mission Impossible II, but I am fond of the standout motorcycle sequence that takes up much of that film’s last quarter. I’m pretty sure Tom Crusie feels the same way and wanted to make another awesome motorcycle chase and put it into a movie that would be more worthy of it. That isn’t to say this is a complete re-do, in fact the vibe is quite different with Ethan Hunt being more of a smooth operating daredevil than a leather clad avenger.
- Millennium Falcon Escape- Star Wars: The Force Awakens: This category usually focuses on land vehicles and foot chases but every once in a while I find room for air chases and this is a pretty good one. It starts on land with Finn and Rey running to find a way off the planet and (through quite the cosmic coincidence) they find themselves on board the legendary Millennium Falcon. What follows is a fun chase where our heroes need to outrun and fight off a group of Tie Fighters seeking to end the movie before it begins.
The Movie Vampire 