A great chase scene can elevate an action movie to classic status, with action movie fans ing certain chases for decades. Movies like Bullitt and The French Connection were already destined to be critical and commercial hits, but it's hard to imagine them without their iconic chase scenes.

Most cinematic chase scenes take place in cars, but this isn't always the case. In fact, the most memorable chases are often the ones that break the mold. Over the years, action movies have delivered unforgettable chases using boats, helicopters, bikes or simply characters pursuing each other on foot.

11 Utah Chases Bodhi

Point Break (1991)

Point Break stars Keanu Reeves as an undercover FBI agent who infiltrates a gang of bank robbers united by their love of surfing. Despite this seemingly ludicrous premise, Point Break has a surprisingly compelling philosophical battle at its core, driven by Reeves' chemistry with Patrick Swayze. Their chase scene is one of the most exciting action set pieces Point Break has to offer.

Kathryn Bigelow proves in the chase scene that handheld shaky cam footage can sometimes be the perfect choice for action.

After a robbery, Utah chases Bodhi on foot through a residential neighborhood. The pair tear through people's homes and cause chaos in the streets, but they're laser-focused on each other. Kathryn Bigelow proves in the chase scene that handheld shaky cam footage can sometimes be the perfect choice for action, despite its detractors. This technique captures the frantic energy of a chase scene in which Utah bursts through a window and Bodhi throws a snarling dog at him.

10 The Italian Job's Getaway

The Italian Job (1969)

The getaway is the most iconic sequence of The Italian Job, and it's the moment that the entire heist narrative builds to. Unlike other chase scenes, the Mini Cooper getaway in The Italian Job isn't designed to be too tense and stressful. Instead, it has a joyous quality to it, as if the thieves are gleefully teasing the police.

As the music kicks in, there are elements of the Mini Cooper chase which feel almost like a dance, especially as they start riding up the sides of the sewer tunnels or jumping between rooftops in perfect synchronization. The triumphant feeling of the getaway also serves as the perfect set-up for The Italian Job's ambiguous ending.

9 Dom Drags The Bank Vault Through Rio

Fast Five (2011)

Naturally, the Fast and Furious franchise has plenty of memorable chase sequences, but not many compete with the finale of Fast Five. The franchise's fifth movie was a turning point, introducing Dwayne Johnson, shifting more attention toward heists and espionage, and diversifying the kind of action that it was offering. While there are some thrilling fights and a rooftop chase, the climax of the movie delivers the car-based action that fans come to see.

The chase with Brian and Dom dragging a massive bank vault through the streets of Rio de Janeiro is the most unbelievable scene of the movie by far, but a surprising amount of it was achieved using practical effects. The scene is often filmed from the perspective of civilian bystanders, which highlights the reckless destruction of the stunt.

8 Baby's First Getaway

Baby Driver (2017)

Baby Driver was based on an idea that Edgar Wright first explored in a low-budget music video. When he get the chance to transform this initial concept into a full movie with a big budget, the result demonstrated his unique, stylistic taste for action, starting with the opening chase that introduces Baby.

Baby Driver's opening chase strings together some of the most outrageous car stunts ever filmed, all choreographed to "Bellbottoms" by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. The Baby Driver is vital to both the style and the story of Wright's action comedy, so it's important that the opening scene feels like a party.

7 The Boat Chase

Face/Off (1997)

Face/Off delivers some of the most daring over-the-top action of the '90s, which makes sense considering its premise is completely absurd. Nicolas Cage and John Travolta play a terrorist and an FBI agent in face-swapping dual between good and evil, which culminates in a thrilling speed boat chase.

Face/Off's boat chase showcases John Woo at his best. It's a creative action sequence that feels much harder to predict than a car chase would have been. Sean's leap onto Castor's boat is just one of many highlights, but Woo continually finds new and unexpected twists.

6 Bullitt's San Francisco Chase

Bullitt (1968)

Bullitt is one of Steve McQueen's best movies, and it has contributed to his lasting reputation as the King of Cool. The iconic car chase sequence perfectly demonstrates this, as his steely-eyed reserve lends extra energy to a thrilling action scene.

The car chase starts in the dense streets of San Francisco, as Bullitt turns the tables on two men trailing him. After some anxiety-inducing near-misses around the city's tight corners and steep hills, the chase leaves San Francisco behind, and Bullitt tries to reel in his target on the highway. The use of music ramps up the tension before the chase breaks out into a sprint, but its cut short by a tire squeal that sets the tone for a sequence that uses sound rather than music to make an impact.

5 The T-1000 Pursues John Connor On The Highway

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day takes things up a notch, with Arnold Schwarzenegger playing the role of hero for a change. Opposite the T-800 is the terrifying T-1000 Terminator, a more advanced model engineered from liquid metal. The highway chase scene is a great introduction to this new villain's true powers.

Terminator 2's first big chase sequence takes place after the T-1000 spots John Connor at a shopping mall. Initially, John manages to get away on his bike, but he needs the T-800 to come to his rescue. While the chase delivers the kind of explosive spectacle that James Cameron is known for, it's also a great piece of storytelling that sets up the central conflict of the movie in style.

4 Popeye Chases The Sniper

The French Connection (1971)

The one silver lining to Gene Hackman's ing is that people have been revisiting his best movies, including The French Connection. William Friedkin's detective thriller holds up well, especially its iconic car chase sequence, which shows that some old-school practical effects never grow old.

The French Connection's chase scene features Popeye Doyle commandeering a car and trying to chase down his would-be assassin on a runaway train. Friedkin's use of a camera attached to the hood of the car creates a breathless, immersive feeling to the chase. Every collision feels kinetic and weighty.

3 James Bond's Parkour Chase

Casino Royale (2006)

The James Bond franchise has often set the agenda for the action genre, and Casino Royale brought it back to the top again. The opening chase scene is something that was quickly imitated by plenty more action movies in the 2000s and 2010s, but nobody did it as well as Bond.

The parkour chase is one way that Casino Royale pushes the franchise into its new era, introducing Craig's version of 007 in the best way possible. He's more about raw power than finesse, but he still has some cunning moves as he pursues the bomb maker. It's a great example of action developing character.

2 Ethan's Helicopter Chase

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

The Mission: Impossible franchise has several of the most exciting chase sequences ever filmed, as Tom Cruise seems to engage in a competition with himself to deliver the most daring stunts possible. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning already promises a lot, but it might be hard to top the helicopter sequence from Fallout.

It takes a lot for Ethan Hunt to even get into the helicopter in the first place, but his near-death experience is merely the prelude to an exhilarating chase. He finds himself outmanned and outgunned, first the chaser and then the one being chased, as the sequence evolves into a thrilling dogfight.