COF Presents: The Top 10 Fight Scenes on a Bus

When it comes to public transport in action movies, I’ve always felt like the humble bus tends to get shortchanged in favour of the train. I mean even a movie like Speed, that has its whole premise set around a bus, decides to end things with an action finale set on a train. I get it, trains offer plenty of scope for action scenes to play out in, but if done correctly, buses offer up the same potential (if not more) – you’ve got minibuses, double decker buses, open top buses, articulated buses, the list goes on.

So before we miss the stop, here at City on Fire we’ve decided to shine the spotlight on 11 movies that got it right when it comes to bus fights, giving them the attention they’ve so far lacked in mainstream media. Or at the very least, on a niche site that specialise in Asian action cinema.

We’ll be listing them in chronological order based on year of release from newest to oldest (with a special Hollywood bonus!), and as usual the criteria is based only on movies.  Check them out, let us know if you agree, and definitely let us know if we’ve missed one!

The Roundup (2022) – Ironically the Best Bathroom Fights feature we posted in 2019 kicked off with the predecessor to The Roundup, 2018’s The Outlaws, so it’s with pleasure that we also get to induct Ma Dong-seok’s bus set scrap against Son Sukku that closes out its sequel. Still the best Dong-seok has ever looked onscreen power wise, seeing his hulking frame in the confined setting of a stationery bus leads to the expected amount of collateral damage, rounded off (pun intended) with a satisfying “wow” moment.

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) – Part of the Marvel Universe’s Phase 4, with SCatLotTR not only did we get a break from the mass city destruction Marvel flicks had become known for at this point, but we also got our first Asian lead in the form of Simu Liu. Here busting out the moves against a bunch of Ten Rings lackeys after his pendant on an articulated bus, the scene offered one of the first glimpses of Jackie Chan Stunt Team Member Andy Cheng’s choreography, and Liu pulled it off with aplomb.

Nobody (2021) – Apparently 2021 was a good year for fights on buses, with Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody coming to the end of his tether when a bunch of drunken Russians (amongst them the Kickboxer reboot lead Alain Moussi) disrupt his bus ride home. Prefaced by Odenkirk’s legendary line of “I’m gonna f*ck you up”, what makes the scene unique is the protagonist’s position of secretly hoping the disruptive deviants continue to cause trouble so he has an excuse to unleash, and thankfully for the audience, they duly oblige.

The Villainess (2017) – The sophomore feature of director Jung Byung-gil (not including his excellent 2008 documentary Action Boys), in The Villainess Kim Ok-vin get to show her action chops, no more so than in the bus set finale that sees her out to kill Shin Ha-kyun and his lackeys. Displaying Byung-gi’s typical flair for making the camera work as much a part of the action as the performances in front of it, the scene is suitably kinetic and ambitious in its scope, throwing in a healthy dose of blood splatter for good measure.

The Transporter (2002) – The movie that introduced Jason Statham as an action star. The movie that introduced western audiences to Shu Qi. Both equally important achievements! Made during that distinctive era in the early 2000’s when many Hong Kong choreographers were trying their hand at working overseas, The Transporter offers Statham the opportunity to let loose under the choreography of Corey Yuen, and he’s looked no better than during this bus depot beatdown against a small army of attackers!

China Strike Force (2000) – Marking the first time for Stanley Tong to return to the director’s chair since 1996’s First Strike, China Strike Force has its fair share of detractors, but I’ve always found it to be a guilty pleasure! One such detractor is Korean super kicker Won Jin, who (to his dismay) was brought in for this open top bus fight scene against Aaron Kwok and little else, but he still makes a worthy impression (and check out the outtakes at the end to see how they really did jump a motorbike onto the top of the bus!).

Tiger Cage II (1990) – In an alternate universe Yuen Wo-Ping and Donnie Yen would have done far more contemporary actioners as director and star than just In the Line of Duty 4 and Tiger Cage II, but alas it wasn’t to be. Out of the pair it’s the latter that offers up some bus action, with Yen protecting Rosamund Kwan from a group of lackeys in pursuit. The fight that follows on the upper deck of an open top bus is a classic, containing one of my favorite stunt falls of the era, you’ll know it when you see it!

Tiger on the Beat 2 (1990) – How do you top off an original featuring a finale with the legendary Gordon Liu and infamous Conan Lee going at it with duelling chainsaws!? For the 1990 sequel director Lau Kar-Leung’s answer was to have them go at it on a double decker bus, with the bus depot set action that takes place immediately prior clearly serving as inspiration for a similar scene in The Transporter 12 years later. Featuring hand rails standing in for the traditional pole weapon, the result was a worthy re-match!

Police Story (1985) – Ok, so technically this one isn’t really a fight, but also, let’s be honest – would any discerning Hong Kong cinema fan consider this list complete if Police Story wasn’t on it!? Still one of the most adrenaline pumping action sequences of all time, Chan hanging onto the bus with nothing more than an umbrella while attempting to apprehend the devious Chor Yuen remains a stone-cold classic. Plus, those stuntmen who hit the unforgiving road in the final moments? They were supposed to hit the car.

The Gold Connection (aka The Iron Dragon Strikes Back) (1979) – Bruce Li’s best movie? I’d argue yes, but one thing that isn’t up for debate is that it’s definitely his grittiest, no doubt thanks to Kuei Chih-Hung being in the director’s chair. In this scene an attempt by Li and his buddies to trick the gangsters whose gold they’ve come to be in possession of goes horribly wrong, leading to a frenzied escape attempt in a minibus (finally one makes an appearance!) that’s filmed in such a way it makes you feel you’re right there with them.

Hollywood Bonus:

The Specialist (1994) – How do you follow-up starring turns in 90’s action classics like Cliffhanger and Demolition Man? In 1994 Sylvester Stallone thought he had the answer by taking on the role of a bomb expert who teams up with Sharon Stone in The Specialist.  Most would likely agree it probably wasn’t the right answer, but it did give us the opportunity to witness Stallone dealing with a bunch of wayward youths on a bus, all in the name of ensuring the elderly can have a seat.