by Christopher Chatterton

Created on: September 19, 2008   Last Updated: February 10, 2010

A movie chase scene is a quintessential part of any good action film. An action film without one is like a 'Rocky' film without a montage.

When one thinks of a chase scene, images of a porkpie-hat-wearing 'Popeye' Doyle, speeding through the streets of New York, automatically spring to mind. However, some spectacular chase scenes have occurred in a whole host of other modes of transport, including speedboats, juggernaut lorries and even tanks.

Here is my top ten list of what I regard as the best movie chase scenes of all time.

10. Face/off (1997) Directed by John Woo

John Woo is a director who can always be relied upon to think outside the box. This 1997 effort starring John Travolta as a straight-arrow F.B.I detective bent on revenge against Nicholas Cage, a murderous maniac who killed Travolta's son sees one of the few water-borne chase scenes in film history.

In the tumultuous climatic scenes, Travolta, who now has Cage's face, (and vice versa, due to an undercover mission gone awry; hence the title) flees in a super-powered speedboat, hotly pursued by Cage. John Woo utilises exciting slow-motion scenes to great effect in his trademark style, as if the boats are competing in a deadly ballet.

Put simply, this chase scene deserves a mention as it tries to break away from the clich-ridden car versus car battle we have all come to expect in films these days.

9. Golden Eye (1995) Directed by Martin Campbell

The first of the 'Bond's' starring Pierce Brosnan, and regarded by many as his best features an exhilarating chase scene using a practically unstoppable vehicle. Being Bond, an MI6 double 'O' agent, Brosnan can apparently turn his hand to anything and seemingly pilot any vehicle to hand. When Natayla Simonova (Izabella Scorupco) the obligatory Bond-girl is captured, Bond steals a stationary T-80 Russian main battle tank to give chase.

Cue mayhem and destruction as Bond cuts a devastating swathe through the crowded streets of St Petersburg, even ending up with a giant statue of Peter the Great on top of his tank at one point. It was rumoured that the Russian army lent their best stunt driver to film the scene, and this is certainly plausible as the tank makes 'handbrake' turns and 180 degree 'J'- turns with pin-point precision in this nail-biting chase scene.

8. Matrix Reloaded (2003) Directed by A. Wachowski & L. Wachowski.

Despite being a poor film overall, and a bit of a let down considering the ground-breaking original, Matrix Reloaded makes the

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