Some movies go larger-than-life with intense battle sequences that sprawl far past the normal confines of the average fight scene, eating up well over 30 minutes of screen time. For the most part, the best movie action sequences are тιԍнтly-edited works of art, lean moments of high impact that leave a lasting impression with their striking visuals.

However, many films go above and beyond when it comes to action, crafting elaborate battle sequences featuring entire armies that consume mᴀssive portions of their runtime and budget. Usually featured in historical epics and fantasy films, these kinds of over-half-an-hour-long action setpieces are awe-inspiring because of the sheer scale and scope of the conflict.

The Maelstrom Sequence – Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End

The Pirates of the Caribbean movies feature some of the most creative action sequences ever filmed, and the showstopping finale of Gore Verbinski’s trilogy bears special mention as a mᴀssive naval battle. For 30 to 40 minutes, the Black Pearl, Flying Dutchman, and the HMS Endeavor duke it out in a battle over the edge of a ferocious whirlpool.

There are so many memorable beats in this final battle that sees Calypso’s wrath unleashed on everyone, from Jack and Davy Jones’ duel precariously balanced on the edge of a sail to Barbossa marrying Will and Elizabeth while fighting off fish-men. It all ends splendidly with Lord Beckett calmly descending the deck of his ship as she’s blasted to smithereens.

The Battle At The House Of Blue Leaves – Kill Bill Vol. 1

Despite how violent Quentin Tarantino’s films are known for being, it’s rare that the divisive director actually allows a fight scene to go for especially long. A mᴀssive, glaring exception exists in the finale of Kill Bill Vol. 1, where The Bride takes on the entire Crazy 88 Gang and their leader, O-ren Ishii, at the House of Blue Leaves.

It’s impressive enough to watch Beatrix Kiddo chew through hordes of Yakuza gangsters with her sword, but her struggles with Gogo’s meteor hammer add some genuine tension and stakes. The last one-on-one duel with O-ren herself in the stunning scenery of the gently falling snow in the courtyard provides a perfectly calm, yet bloody conclusion.

The Chicago Battle – Transformers: Dark Of The Moon

The live-action Transformers films are nothing if not chaotic, infamous for Michael Bay’s penchant for explosives and spectacle. For all their faults, the movies do contain some terrific extended action sequences between the stunningly-animated Cybertronian warriors, especially the Chicago battle in Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

What starts as a daring dash through the streets of the Midwest metropolis turns into a haunting three-way fight on a bridge between Megatron, Optimus, and Sentinel Prime. Cold and callous from the betrayal, Michael Bay indulges in some of Optimus’ most brutal kills yet as he executes his former leader and turns on Megatron for the last time.

The Battle Of Thermopylae – 300

Within Zack Snyder’s stylish filmography, 300 is probably the film that benefits from his sensibilities the most, as evidenced by the jaw-dropping final battle. A fictionalized version of the real-life historic Battle of Thermopylae in Ancient Greece, the sequence fulfills the promise of the movie’s тιтle, seeing a mere force of 300 Spartan Warriors hold off an entire Persian army.

This battle starts around the film’s 45-minute mark and doesn’t relent until credits roll, with various lulls in the action to keep up the pace. Zack Snyder plays with time as the Spartans zip in and out of slow motion, fending off monstrous infantry and even war elephants within the gorgeous cinematography evoking the original work of Frank Miller’s comic.

The Battle Of Earth – Avengers: Endgame

For a long time, the vast Marvel Cinematic Universe had been leading up to a single battle, the Battle of Earth, which sees the franchise’s heroes organize and stand up to Thanos and his army. Specifically, a past version of Thanos who has been alerted to the heroes’ time heist meddling in his plans, forcing him to improvise.

The Battle of Earth features one of the most iconic movie events of all time, where magical portals open to reveal the return of all the characters who had been snapped away by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. An impressive culmination of hype years in the making, this ensemble showstopper keeps up the fan service for well over 35 minutes.

The Battle Of Endor – Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi

Being such a transcendent giant of entertainment, the Star Wars series has put forth some of the most beloved battle sequences in movie history. In terms of sheer length, however, none of them best Return of the Jedi‘s Battle of Endor, where the rebels team up with the fuzzy Ewoks to fend off the Empire’s invasion.

The forest setting makes for a unique location in the typically desolate Star Wars universe, and seeing the Ewoks take down sophisticated Imperial forces with little more than clever wooden traps is great fun. The action is even more thrilling off-planet, as Lando races to destroy a new Death Star and Luke confronts his father and The Emperor for good.

The Battle Of Helm’s Deep – The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers

One of the many records broken by The Lord of the Rings series can be owed to the second film, which remains a favorite for the audacious Battle of Helm’s Deep. The Two Towers held on to the record for the longest battle scene in film for a long time with this spectacular battle sequence, running for over 35 minutes.

At first, all hope seems lost as Saruman’s host advances against the vulnerable human kingdom, but the elves’ appearance reinvigorates the fight with new hope. This sense of waxing and waning morale keeps the battle interesting as it continues, with Gandalf cinematically arriving alongside the rising sun with the Rohirrim to turn the tide once more.

The Battle Of Pelennor Fields – The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King

Far be it from Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings series to feature only one sprawling battle that shatters expectations, the Battle of Pelennor Fields that tops off Return of the King eats up a whopping 45 minutes of runtime. The festivities begin as the Rohirrim rallies alongside King Théoden’s armies to face the dark hordes of Sauron.

Despite lasting for so long, the pace the Battle of Pelennor Fields manages to keep up is simply jaw-dropping. From the defeat of the first wave of Orcs to the Nazgul King’s near-victory to Aragorn’s triumphant return with a ghostly army in tow, the Battle of Pelennor Fields could be studied for hours and still turn up new, exciting beats.

The Château Fight Into The Highway Chase – The Matrix Reloaded

The Matrix: Reloaded might not capture the same perfect heroes’ journey or lean, philosophical storytelling as the original film, but the enhanced action sequences more than make up for it. The second film ups the ante on the Matrix series’ exhibition of thrilling combat and chases with two non-stop fight scenes that flow into one another for one mᴀssive sequence.

It begins with the château fight that sees Neo single-handedly fight off a group of ᴀssailant programs armed to the teeth with guns and medieval melee weapons with nothing but his bare hands. This smoothly transitions into an adrenaline-fueled highway chase as both sides race for custody of the Keymaker.

The Fight For The Village – Beach Of The War Gods

Of the many spiritual remakes of Seven Samurai, the ’70s wuxia re-interpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s original classic, Beach of the War Gods, is by far the most criminally underseen. In this incarnation of the tried-and-true story, a Chinese village is protected by vicious Japanese invaders by an eclectic group of warriors.

The familiar premise culminates in a show-stopping battle for the village’s future, playing out for over half an hour. The epic battle is a masterpiece of choreography that transcends the martial arts genre. It’s no wonder Quentin Tarantino’s appreciation for the battle shone through in his own bloody martial arts movie.