Buzz
Movies have a unique way of uniting people, whether through joy or frustration. I find that one of the best aspects of cinema is its ability to transport you to different worlds. A great film can make you laugh, cry, and even shift your perspective. While many movies on this list might provoke tears or laughter, it’s often for all the wrong reasons. For countless moviegoers, fight scenes are among the most thrilling parts of a film. However, not all fight scenes are made equal.
This article will explore ten films that feature the worst fight scenes. These scenes are memorable not for their intensity but for their sheer lack of quality, ranging from poorly executed choreography and lack of talent to laughable or absurd fight premises. Get ready for a look at some of the most cringeworthy battle moments in film history.
10. Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare (1987)
The title says it all. 'Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare' is a mixture of heavy metal and an outright disaster. This film is the brainchild of Jon Mikl Thor, who not only stars in the movie but also wrote it. In it, Thor plays a hero who faces off against enemies while sporting an iconic ’80s metal hairstyle. While much of the film makes little sense, it culminates in a bizarre moment where the hero delivers a monologue directly to the camera. It’s revealed that he’s speaking to an alien puppet of sorts.
After the bizarre conversation, the most peculiar battle unfolds, accompanied by an unforgettable rock ballad. As you can probably guess, the song was also written and performed by Thor. The alien puppet, rather than being frightening, is more curious, since its face remains immobile. It genuinely appears as though the scene was filmed in a single take. The acting, effects, and the overall concept are all incredibly poor. Watch it yourself, and you'll agree that this is undoubtedly one of the worst fight scenes ever put to film.
9. Pit Fighter (2005)
The movie *Pit Fighter* earns the unfortunate title of being the most recent film to land on this list. Released in 2005, *Pit Fighter* stars Dominique Vandenberg as Jack Severino. At the start of the movie, Severino has no recollection of his past; the only thing he remembers is his involvement in pit fighting. As the film progresses, he unravels the mystery of his past. Eventually, he encounters a critical conflict when he recalls vital information. This pivotal moment leads to one of the most dreadful fight scenes I have ever witnessed on screen.
While it's technically more of a gunfight than a traditional brawl, that didn't seem to make the choreography any better. The scene is a continuous barrage, with gunshots echoing for an extended period. Eventually, Severino runs out of ammo after gunning down what seems like dozens (if not hundreds) of enemies. But no worries—he simply grabs a sword and starts attacking henchmen. In the end, he’s overpowered by a multitude of armed men, smiles for some inexplicable reason, and is ultimately shot full of bullets.
Clearly, the filmmakers had no trouble finding extras, as the ground is littered with bodies several times throughout the scene. This may very well be the most unrealistic fight scene I’ve ever watched.
8. Mr. No Legs (1979)
The next scene is the oldest one on our list, coming from a film made in 1979. It's safe to say a movie like this would never be made in today's world due to its extremely poor taste. The film stars wrestler Ron Slinker as a mob enforcer. As the title suggests, Slinker plays a character who has no legs. In real life, however, Slinker had no significant disabilities (except perhaps a questionable sense of judgment).
Slinker's character, known as Mr. No Legs, carries out his mob duties from a wheelchair. Or sometimes from the ground. Or even in a pool. The fight scene showcases Slinker eliminating an enemy from his wheelchair. Later, he dismounts and defeats an attacker using ninja stars that are hidden in the wheels of his chair. While the entire movie is a ridiculous affair, this particular scene stands out as one of the worst fight scenes ever captured on film.
7. Ninja: Silent Assassin (1987)
Godfrey Ho, the director behind *Ninja: Silent Assassin*, is well-known for his ninja films. With over 120 films to his name, not all of them are winners. In this case, the acting is horrendous, and the overall tone is utterly unbelievable. The fight scene that earned this movie a spot on the list is the climactic battle. First, you'll notice that none of the characters seem to resemble ninjas. Then, when they agree to meet for a ‘fight to the death,’ they all show up wearing ridiculously exaggerated outfits.
They trash talk and agree again that their battle will be “to the death,” and madness ensues. Complete with over-the-top drama, excessive cursing, wild outfits, and unnecessary and inappropriate sound effects, it is clear that this is one of the worst fight scenes on film. Also, the ninjas in this movie are far from silent. Perhaps Godfrey Ho ran out of logical names for his ninja movies.
6. Rambu: The Intruder (1986)
Yes, you read that right. Not John Rambo, the character made famous by Sylvester Stallone, but rather Rambu. Incredibly, this movie is not a parody. Apparently, the “star” of Rambu was spotted at an airport in Jakarta and mistaken for the star of the Rambo and Rocky films. I guess a passing resemblance to a movie star was enough to inspire this Indonesian rip-off. The star of Rambu, Peter O’Brian, went on to have a career as an action star. This movie overall is a bit of a disaster, but the scene linked above epitomizes the absurdity.
This particular fight scene includes Rambu easily beating up multiple henchmen. The bad guys were apparently angry that a lady had gotten in the way. Rambu quickly comes to the poor woman’s aid and easily dispatches the thugs. After, he throws out a couple of cheesy lines and finishes by saying, “the name is Rambu.” This is only the intro to a quite bizarre movie, and it just devolves from there.
5. They Live (1988)
The 1980s were a wild time in the film world, and another iconic '80s movie that makes this list is *They Live*, a delightfully cheesy film. The scene begins innocently enough, but things take a turn when the two characters start throwing punches. One of the best lines during the fight is when one of them says, 'I’m giving you a choice. Either put on the glasses or start eating that trash can.' The two continue to exchange blows for several minutes while both of them insist they don’t want to fight.
The fight drags on for far too long, teetering on the edge of ridiculousness. One character keeps demanding the other to wear the glasses, but the other refuses. Eventually, the glasses are forced onto the reluctant individual’s face. The best way to experience this scene is probably without glasses. Or, even better, with your eyes completely covered.
4. Gymkata (1985)
In 1985, movie producers made the bold choice to cast Olympic gold medalist Kurt Thomas as the lead in a film. Thomas was renowned for his gymnastics skills and his magnificent mullet, but he was not exactly known for his acting prowess. The movie *Gymkata* was completely centered around the Olympic champion.
The plot of the movie is simple: Thomas plays a gymnastics ninja. Given the ridiculous concept, there are several fight scenes in the film that are, to put it kindly, pretty terrible. In one notable scene, Kurt Thomas takes down several villains using all sorts of wildly impractical techniques. At one point, it seems like he lands from a backflip and knocks over multiple enemies. This scene from *Gymkata* is worth watching just for its absurdity alone, and it definitely earns its place on our list.
3. Undefeatable (1993)
The final fight scene on our list comes from yet another 'masterpiece' by director Godfrey Ho. This film, *Undefeatable*, was released in 1993. If you spend any time on YouTube, you’ve likely encountered this fight. It went viral, and the video linked above (ironically titled 'Best fight scene of all time') has amassed over 10 million views. The scene kicks off with a character licking a knife.
The fighters grunt repeatedly before and during the battle, eventually removing their shirts. When a woman in a sling appears and starts kicking, one of the men is sent hurtling into the wall, face-first. What makes this worse is that the wall has a knife sticking out of it, which impales his eye. But it doesn’t end there—his other eye is also impaled. Quite the rough day for him. If you’re in the mood for a ridiculously cheesy, over-the-top fight scene that makes little sense, this one will be hard to forget.
2. Exit Wounds (2001)
A list like this wouldn’t be complete without the king of over-the-top action films, Steven Seagal. *Exit Wounds*, released in 2001, also features another well-known actor, Anthony Anderson, and the two of them star in one of the worst fight scenes, as seen above. The scene begins when Seagal walks up to Anderson at a club and immediately starts beating him up.
Anderson attempts to resist but is effortlessly overwhelmed. In response, he calls in his security detail, triggering total chaos. Who could have anticipated the abundance of chains and fragile glass scattered throughout the club? The choreography is already absurd, yet even more ridiculous is how the club's patrons remain unfazed, staying put during a full-on ninja battle. This scene stands out as one of the most iconic and undeniably ludicrous moments on our list.
1. Night of the Kickfighters (1988)
Another '80s film that failed in its attempt to cast a sports figure as an action star is *Night of the Kickfighters*. The movie stars Andy Bauman, a kickboxing champion. You might be wondering: what exactly is a 'kickfighter'? Well, it's just another term for a kickboxer! I can’t quite fathom why they chose such an odd name for the film.
The fight scene above is just one example of the many throughout the movie. It features an agonizingly slow-paced brawl, almost like something you would expect to see in a stage performance. Eventually, the lead character is thrown out of a window. With excessive sound effects and grunting, this scene highlights exactly why there are no major films featuring kickboxers (or 'kickfighters,' for that matter). It's sluggish, awkward, and utterly cheesy.
