Freely I admit that explosions in movies are a favorite of mine. A film with a great explosion is likely to get my $15 so that I can enjoy it on the big screen with surround sound. Of course for the explosion to truly qualify as ‘epic’ there are some points that have to be present.
For one, the explosion should be relevant and proportional to the movie. Explosions for explosions-sake is pretty but lacks the emotional omph I look for (I’m looking at you Tropic Thunder). The explosion should make sense in the movie and be used to advance the plot or generate an awesome emotion.
A great explosion should also look like one. Watching an bomb go off with fireworks shooting out the top and sides is generally disapointing. It’s not 1992 anymore. Give me mushroom clouds! Give me liquid fire! That’s what I’m looking for.
Lastly an explosion should not happen in a bubble. If I don’t see the effects of an explosion to me it doesn’t hit me the same way. I want to see faces peeling and melting, or debris hurling through the air. I want bodies charred to a crisp and secondary damage done to buildings and cars. Don’t leave me hanging explosion: show me the money!
So with that said and without further ado, here are my top six memorable explosions from least to greats in order of magnificence:
V for Vendetta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBM7B3NwBtw
I loved this explosion because I never thought I’d actually see parliament blowing up. Aside from seeing a beautiful bald Natalie Portman send off a dead Hugo Weaving on a train filled with bombs and flowers, that chain explosion that ripped through the capital building after a build up lasting the entire movie was just golden. That was an explosion with a statement. That was an explosion to change a generation.
Sherlock Holmes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j8a5tr7hyg
Next up is the slow motion exploding bombs in Sherlock Holmes. I actually didn’t even see this coming in this movie. I was so caught up with Robert Downey Jr. and Rachel McAdams just nearly getting sawed in half that I was caught completely off guard when the first explosion blasted Jude Law sideways.
Of course that’s just the beginning. Watch the explosion again. Watson trips the trap, realizes what’s happened and yells “Holmes!” without any thought to himself wanting only the protection of his friend. Then, after Holmes does get knocked down and gets back up he looks up and in a split second takes in the pattern of the explosions. So he picks up board, covers his right side, and absorbs the next blast that surely would have disfigured him. Excellent. Now there’s an boom that fits the story.
Swordfish
Ah! Swordfish. A 360 degree explosion that really hits home. The movie starts in medias res so you get to enjoy the explosion twice. Once at the beginning in exquisite detail and once at the end at regular speed to tie everything nicely together. Coupled with the riveting John Travolta as the villain and you have an explosion you just can’t wait to rewind.
Armageddon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pILXoPluHtw
Alright so Armageddon has many tasty explosions. But without a doubt the last scene where Bruce Willis takes that monster rock down is beyond powerful. Keep in mind that everything is going horribly wrong on the mission to save the planet. Success is being pulled from the jaws of failure time and time again. Yet even in this final moment when all Harry has to do is press the GD button things don’t go smoothly. The returning rocket ship, the command centre, Harry’s daughter, and the entire planet are waiting as seconds are left before their end is assured.
Should the returning heroes give up on Harry and turn back? Why hasn’t he pressed the button yet? Come on, Harry, do it! One minute left. Tick, tock, tick, tock. Harry, all alone on a massive asteroid, claws his way back to his way back to his post. His death is assured but he keeps on going. Come on, Harry, press that button! I’m asking you to give him one – more – minute. Tick. Tock. Press the button! Tick. Tock. Harry’ll do it, I know it. He doesn’t know how to fail. (My favorite Ben Affleck line ever, by the way). Tick. 8 seconds. Tock. 7 seconds. Harry grabs the detonator. We win, Gracie. Press it! Click. Boooooom….
Totally. Epic.
Independence Day
Of course to this day, few explosion scenes have rivalled the utter devastation of the world destruction in Independence Day. Fifteen years ago and still it’s a chart-topper of an explosion. It has everything you can ever want. Aliens come down to earth and do basically the worst thing imaginable: lay waste to everything. There’s no going back to the way things were. From here on out it’s all about limiting damage. Pure survival mode.
The explosion is also crucial to the story. Up until the very moment they exterminate the major cities no one has any clue as to their intentions. (Well, nearly no one. Jeff Goldblum is again the know-it-all.) We get multiple shots of people reacting to what is probably one of the longest blast waves we’ve ever seen. It’s like some high-tech nuclear explosion. It would have been fantastic if it were one explosion. Instead there were several we were privy to. There’s no beating the amazingness of this scene and I dare anyone to say otherwise.
There are indeed other great movie explosions out there. Yet none are as satisfying as these from my point of view. However if you think you have an explosion that should be added to this list please feel free to post it on our Facebook page. We’d love to see it!
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