Making a great war movie is no easy task, with many notable genre offerings receiving criticism for a number of different reasons. Besides bad reviews, there’s a myriad of factors as to why a war movie might not be successful, it happens to feature major historical accuracies or simply plays out in a manner that comes across more like military propaganda than an actual movie. In any case, the genre’s laundry list of offerings means that war movies that do not debut to both critical and commercial acclaim are far more likely to fade into cinematic obscurity.

With that being said, many outings of this ilk still happen to boast great battle scenes in what is otherwise a forgettable movie. Capturing an electrifying snapsH๏τ of the adrenaline-soaked aura ᴀssociated with armed combat, these memorable sequences range in scope and location from intimate shootouts to full-on military offensives. From classic war movies to more modern contemporaries, the genre is littered with films that never quite got off the ground for one reason or another, but still feature award-worthy depictions of battle.

10

Pearl Harbor (2001)

The Japanese Surprise Attack

Boasting an ensemble cast including big names like Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, and Kate Beckinsale, 2001’s Pearl Harbor is often regarded as one of cinema’s more prominent “what if?” war movie stories. Despite grossing nearly $450 million at the box office, Michael Bay’s WWII movie depicting the Japanese attack on the тιтular location was widely panned by critics, garnering a measly 24% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earning six Razzie nominations across various categories.

One of the most inaccurate war movies ever made, Pearl Harbor is laden down by wooden performances and contrived script writing, but the movie’s sole redemptive aspect is its stunning battle sequences. Michael Bay is decidedly not Martin Scorsese, but the man can direct a spectacular action sequence. The scene depicting the initial stages of the Japanese surprise aerial attack is particularly impressive, with Bay capturing the battle’s chaos, confusion, and appalling levels of destruction through his trademark adrenaline-soaked style of film making.

9

Flags Of Our Fathers (2006)

The Battle Of Iwo Jima

Bombing at the box office against a considerable budget of $90 million, Clint Eastwood’s WWII offering Flags of Our Fathers has faded into relative obscurity over the years; an unsurprising state of affairs when one considers the array of vastly superior movies that the director’s credits have to offer. Chronicling the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of American forces, the 2006 war film received generally favorable reviews from critics.

Much of this praise was directed towards the movie’s depiction of the brutal engagement, unflinchingly capturing the hellish conditions of the conflict in the Pacific in harrowingly authentic fashion. Eastwood’s efforts to bring the bloody chaos of Iwo Jima to life are entirely convincing. It’s an opinion that has been echoed by WWII historians, who have praised the accuracy of Flags of Our Fathers’ battle sequences.

8

Enemy At The Gates (2001)

The Doomed Soviet Charge

Chronicling a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly game of cat-and-mouse between two elite snipers during the Battle of Stalingrad, Enemy at the Gates received middling reviews; the movie only garnered a 54% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes upon release in 2001. However, Jean-Jacques Annaud’s picture still features some thoroughly captivating battle sequences, painting an intense and visceral picture of armed combat during WWII. Remarkably, the movie’s preeminent engagement takes place during the opening scenes, introducing Jude Law’s Vᴀssili Zaitsev with a bang.

Depicting the mayhem of an enormous doomed Soviet offensive that only has enough weapons for every other man, the scene sees the charging Russian soldiers gunned down in horrifying fashion; first by German machine guns, and then by their own counterparts for cowardice upon retreating. The only knock against this spectacular sequence is its ludicrous levels of historical inaccuracy. The Soviets needed every man they could get during the conflict, meaning that machine gunners were never given orders to shoot retreating soldiers.

7

Tears Of The Sun (2003)

A Desperate Race For Safety

Spearheaded by Die Hard star Bruce Willis, Antoine Fuqua’s Tears of the Sun follows a U.S. Navy SEAL team rescue mission against the backdrop of a modernized reimagining of the Nigerian civil war. While it’s arguably one of the better Navy SEAL movies out there, the 2003 outing was widely panned by critics for its over-reliance on played out action tropes, arguing that the movie never would have even gotten off the ground without the inimitable aura of action icon Willis.

Fortunately for battle scene aficionados, Tears of the Sun concludes with a riveting encounter to soften the blow ᴀssociated with some of its more prevalent shortcomings. A showdown that sees many of the film’s core characters bite the dust, the visceral firefight sees the heavily outnumbered SEALs hold off an enormous offensive, hoping to buy time for a group of refugees to cross the border to safety. It’s legitimately nail-biting stuff as the audience frantically waits for air support to arrive, easily serving as the forgettable film’s most memorable sequence.

6

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

The Raid Succeeds

Loosely drawn from a remarkable true story, Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare chronicles a heavily embellished account of Operation Postmaster. A plot to disable strategically vital Italian and German warships, the mission turns into a heist when it is discovered the vessels cannot be sunk. The movie received positive reviews but bombed at the box office, meaning that Ritchie’s riotous war action-comedy unfortunately appears destined for “forgettable” status.

This would be a crying shame, as the Henry Cavill-led movie features a number of electrifying action sequences. While these typically fall under the label of skirmishes rather than full-on battles, this cannot be said for the movie’s final engagement, depicting the eponymous group’s attempts to steal the ships from under the enemy’s nose. Ritchie channels his own unique brand of filmmaking into a spectacular smorgasbord of gunfire and explosions, producing a hair-raising battle sequence for the ages and a worthy sign-off for one of the genre’s recent hidden gems.

5

300: Rise Of An Empire (2014)

The First Naval Showdown

While Zack Snyder’s 300 decidedly isn’t for everybody, there’s no denying the cultural impact of the 2007 epic war film. However, while the original is generally regarded as one of the best sword-and-sandals movies out there, the same cannot be said for 2014’s forgettable sequel, 300: Rise of an Empire. Producing a fictionalized depiction of the Battle of Artemisium, the novelty of the movie’s naval showdowns and Eva Green’s superb lead performance swiftly fade, leaving a largely run-of-the-mill historical war effort.

With that being said, the movie’s initial naval engagement between the Athenian and Persian fleets makes for electrifying viewing. The battle sequence’s borderline gratuitous use of stylized gore and slow motion makes for arresting viewing, a state of affairs aided by the extremely satisfying tactics Themistocles uses to defeat his enemies. The sight of Green’s villain smirking wickedly at the formidable nature of her new adversary serves as the icing on the cake for a great scene in a bang-average movie.

4

The Wild Geese (1978)

The Mercenaries’ Race For Freedom

Boasting an all-star cast including Richard Burton, Roger Moore, and Richard Harris, 1978’s The Wild Geese concerns a daring mission to save a deposed leader of an unnamed African country from execution. While the movie received generally positive reviews, it was also extremely controversial. Filmed in South Africa during apartheid, Andrew V. McLagen’s picture was also dogged with accusations of racism; a likely contributor to its current obscure status.

However, while it’s not enough to entirely settle the conscience of many viewers, it can’t be argued that the movie boasts a thrilling showdown to round off the story. Set upon by all sides as they desperately attempt to get their escape plane operational, the vastly outnumbered mercenaries are forced into a visceral last stand that sees the majority of them bite the dust. However, electrifying though this scene may be, it’s difficult to escape the problematic nature ᴀssociated with the wider ensemble war outing.

3

Defiance (2008)

Zus Returns To Save The Day

Based on real events, 2008’s Defiance follows the Bielskis; four Polish Jewish brothers who saved and recruited Jews in Belarus against the fraught backdrop of WWII. For viewers willing to look past a particularly disastrous attempt at an Eastern European accent from Daniel Craig, there’s an excellent viewing experience to be had here; Defiance is arguably one of the 2000s’ most criminally underrated war movies.

Edward Zwick’s picture also features a notably memorable skirmish towards the movie’s conclusion, as the Bielski-led refugees find themselves under attack from a German platoon supported by a tank. A rousing score, immersive run-and-gun cinematography, and a terrifyingly authentic atmosphere of danger combine to produce a thrilling underdog scene for the ages. The moment’s crowning triumph even comes along with some feel-good aura, as Liv Schreiber’s Zus arrives with reinforcements to save the day at the last second.

2

Anthropoid (2016)

Jan Goes Down Swinging

A taut and gripping war movie based on a true story, 2016’s Anthropoid chronicles the daring ᴀssᴀssination of high-ranking SS officer Reinhard Heydrich by a pair of exiled Czechoslovak soldiers, Josef Gabčik and Jan Kumiš, during WWII. It was an effort that would ultimately cost the duo their lives, with both men eventually committing suicide to avoid capture by German forces after they are betrayed and cornered in Prague’s Saint Cyrils and Methodious Cathedral.

Anthropoid brings this epic last stand to life in stirring style, with Jamie Dornan’s Kumiš going out in appropriately defiant fashion as Cillian Murphy’s Gabčik listens helplessly from the basement. Hopelessly outnumbered by German forces, the defenders give a heroic account of themselves in a brutal firefight nonetheless, before a mortally wounded Kumiš commits suicide. Anthropoid arguably never received the attention it was due, a state of affairs that is perfectly exemplified by this thrilling battle.

1

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

The Insurgents’ First Attack

As a director who arguably places an emphasis on spectacular action sequences over quality filmmaking, it comes as little surprise that Michael Bay has a penchant for producing less-than-memorable war movies. There is perhaps no greater example of this status quo than 2016’s 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, inspired by the true story of the 2012 militant attacks on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. Bay is actually considerably more restrained than usual, but still produces a largely forgettable war film that’s heavy on riveting action scenes, and not much else.

The action scenes in question are still some of the more impressive offerings that the war genre has to offer. The movie’s crown jewel is widely regarded as the main conflict’s opening salvo, depicting the outbreak of a firefight between the six soldiers and a horde of militants. The explosive sequence captures the aura of confusion ᴀssociated with the battlefield in a manner that is equal parts blockbuster and authentic. It’s such a great scene that it’s even inspired video games, with first-person shooter outing Call of Duty using the set piece as inspiration for its campaign mission, The Embᴀssy.