For decades, movie audiences have been enamored with adrenaline-packed, high-speed car chases in action movies. We have a need for speed. In no particular order, except maybe Bullitt, which many people agree might be the best car chase of all time, here are 10 reader-favorites for best movie car chases.
Bullitt (1968)
An all guts, no glory San Francisco cop becomes determined to find the underworld kingpin that killed the witness in his protection. Starring: Steve McQueen, Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Vaughn. PG; 1:54; action, crime, mystery.
The French Connection (1971)
A pair of NYC cops in the narcotics bureau stumble onto a drug smuggling job with a French connection. Starring: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider and Fernando Rey. R; 1:44; action, crime, drama.
The Italian Job (1969)
Comic caper movie about a plan to steal a gold shipment from the streets of Turin by creating a traffic jam. Starring: Michael Caine, Noël Coward and Benny Hill. G; 1:39; action, comedy, crime.
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
The Bandit is hired on to run a tractor trailer full of beer over county lines in hot pursuit by a pesky sheriff. Starring: Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jerry Reed. PG; 1:36; action, comedy.
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Jake Blues, just out from prison, puts together his old band to save the Catholic home where he and brother Elwood were raised. Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Cab Calloway. R; 2:13; action, comedy, crime.
Death Proof (2007)
Two separate sets of voluptuous women are stalked at different times by a scarred stuntman who uses his “death proof” cars to execute his murderous plans. Starring: Kurt Russell, Zoë Bell and Rosario Dawson. Not rated; 1:53; thriller.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her teenage son, John Connor, from a more advanced cyborg. Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong. R; 2:17; action, sci-fi.
The Cannonball Run (1981)
A wide variety of eccentric competitors participate in a wild and illegal cross-country road race. However, the eccentric entrants will do anything to win the road race, including low-down, dirty tricks. Starring: Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore and Farrah Fawcett. PG; 1:35; action, comedy, sport.
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
A former policeman now living in the post-apocalyptic Australian outback as a warrior agrees to help a community of survivors living in a gasoline refinery to defend them and their gasoline supplies from evil barbarian warriors. Starring: Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence and Michael Preston. R; 1:34; action, adventure, sci-fi.
Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Hobbs has Dominic and Brian reassemble their crew to take down a team of mercenaries: Dominic unexpectedly gets convoluted also facing his presumed deceased girlfriend, Letty. Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson. PG-13; 2:10; action, crime, thriller.
—Listings courtesy of IMDb; compiled by Christy Hinko
