For some reason, The rescue scene from The Poseidon Adventure where Shelley Winters saves Gene Hackman popped in my head this morning and got me thinking... what are YOUR favorite movie rescues?
Robo comes upon an assault-in-progress, aims his gun low and fires bullets through the woman's skirt and hits the punk in the balls. "Madam, you have suffered an emotional shock. I will notify a rape-crisis center".
To save a dying man, members of a medical team and a submarine were shrunken to microscopic size. Injected into the man's bloodstream, they work against the clock to get to the root of the problem.
Where Eagles Dare
Allied soldiers sent to rescue a captured American General in one of the most entertaining war films from the sixties.
The Wild Geese
A group of British mercenaries betrayed by the man who recruited them to free a deposed African president. Few of them made it.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service ... JB007 with his father-in-law to be and heavies ... raid of Piz Gloria to rescue Tracy from Blofeld/SPECTRE.
Great fun, with a wonderful, measured build-up, superb cinematography and music developing the excitement.
Mitch
I find Tracy's rescue of Bond more uplifting. He's out of options and sits there cowering in almost a fetal position literally awaiting his fate when all of a sudden not only is he given a second lease on life but it's given by his new life herself. One of my favourite scenes of the entire Bond franchise.
The look on Reni Santoni's face as Eastwood is going up on the cherry picker is priceless. If you think about it, some of the most famous movie rescues in history were performed by Harry Callahan. "Every dirty job that comes along".
Firstly, Indy's attempted rescue of Henry Jones Snr in the castle and then actual rescue of Henry from the tank. "You call this archeology?".
Next up, in Lethal Weapon when bad guy McAllister day "there aren't any heroes left in the world" and Riggs bursts in to save the day.
But my top movie rescue has to be in True Lies, with Arnie hanging from the skid of a chopper while Jamie Lee Curtis' limo speeds out of control towards a smashed bridge. The timing of the rescue itself is just fantastic and one of the best moments in action cinema.
My favorite rescue was mentioned. Love it when Ripley goes all Rambo to save Newt.
Don’t forget the animals. Old Yeller saved the little boy from the bear. Hooch saved Turner from being shot.
The whole town saved the soccer team from returning to the prison camp in Victory.
Lancelot saved Guinevere in several movies.
Two sad rescues: Ryan did get saved in Saving Private Ryan but at great cost. Those seven men in The Magnificent Seven saved a village at also great cost.
Paul Newman and Steve McQeen saved a lot of people and a poorly made tower in The Towering Inferno.
James Coburn was saved by the French Resistance in The Great Escape. (One of the few to really escape.)
One of my all time favorites is when Boo Radley saved Jem and Scout!
On Her Majesty's Secret Service ... JB007 with his father-in-law to be and heavies ... raid of Piz Gloria to rescue Tracy from Blofeld/SPECTRE.
Great fun, with a wonderful, measured build-up, superb cinematography and music developing the excitement.
Mitch
I find Tracy's rescue of Bond more uplifting. He's out of options and sits there cowering in almost a fetal position literally awaiting his fate when all of a sudden not only is he given a second lease on life but it's given by his new life herself. One of my favourite scenes of the entire Bond franchise.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service ... JB007 with his father-in-law to be and heavies ... raid of Piz Gloria to rescue Tracy from Blofeld/SPECTRE.
Great fun, with a wonderful, measured build-up, superb cinematography and music developing the excitement.
Mitch
I find Tracy's rescue of Bond more uplifting. He's out of options and sits there cowering in almost a fetal position literally awaiting his fate when all of a sudden not only is he given a second lease on life but it's given by his new life herself. One of my favourite scenes of the entire Bond franchise.
D.S.
I was thinking the same thing.
Each to their own, of course, but whilst I enjoy that scene ... as with the whole film - very much, the "Rescue" is purely by happenstance. Others suggested above - as with my suggestion - are where a character(s) sets out to rescue another character(s). That doesn't disqualify this alternate scene but I do query your interpretation of Bond's fate ... hiding away, cowering ... certainly ... but this was the pre-Craig era: Bond never gave up.
Rocketeer to the rescue during the flying circus, and saving Jenny on the blimp. Raiders of the Lost Ark convoy chase. (Rescuing a thing instead of a person of course) Rescuing Luke at the end of Empire Strikes Back.
The best one I can think of is the rescue of Esmeralda in the 1939 Hunchback Of Notre Dame (now available on Blu-ray). Another great one is the storming of the castle to rescue the princess from King Aella at the end of The Vikings. Kirk Douglas crashing through the stained glass window, & it ending in that great sword fight between Douglas & Curtis.
