10 Best Battle Scenes in the Worst War Movies, Ranked

One of the main things war movies try to show is a real-life battle or siege to spruce things up a bit and keep audiences invested in them. It’s a common tactic amongst both good and bad films, as these climactic fights are generally the number one reason fans go to see the movies in the first place. When it comes to this crucial moment in the film, bad movies generally beget bad battle sequences, as one would expect. But every so often, a bad movie might absolutely nail it.

Taking place across a wide variety of periods, places, and conflicts, these battles help boost their respective movies’ ratings from the low point they have reached and turn dramatic slogs briefly exciting thanks to these moments of excitement. These are the best battle sequences in bad or average war movies, which have become the most notorious parts of their films, even if their films were entirely forgettable.

10

The Great Siege of 1216

‘Robin Hood’ (2010)

There are way too many Robin Hood movies to count, but Ridley Scott‘s 2010 take on the classic legend is arguably one of the worst. The film attempts to blend the folklore with the very real First Barons’ War and is loaded with historical inaccuracies. Russell Crowe as Robin Hood also felt like a weird choice, but it’s far from the only area where it fails. During the film, the French and Scottish armies lay siege to a castle near the Cliffs of Dover in England, which was a real event known as the Great Siege of 1216.

This battle scene is completely ridiculous, with the French and Scottish coming ashore in wooden landing craft resembling the Higgins boats used on D-Day in World War II, which is honestly kind of hilarious. Yet, it makes the battle so much more entertaining, with the up close and personal fighting also being really thrilling. No other movie based on Robin Hood has a moment like this, which is what sort of saved the 2010 version from being a whole lot worse and what set it apart from the dozens of other movie adaptations.

9

The Battle of Saipan

‘Windtalkers’ (2002)

Windtalkers starred Nicolas Cage in a film that was trying to jump on the bandwagon of Saving Private Ryan, taking place during the Battle of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands rather than the D-Day beach landings. It is well and truly terrible, directed by John Woo, who is not exactly known for his realism. Many of his action films are super over-the-top and lack in the drama department, and Windtalkers is no exception.

Luckily, it isn’t too over-the-top, and while everything else is awful, the battle of Saipan is kind of unique and awesome. Many audiences felt the shooting style was brilliant, with the camera giving a vast, dynamic overview of the entire engagement rather than centering solely on a few minor focal points, making it look almost like a real-time strategy video game rather than a movie. Had the movie done anything else right, it would have been pretty good. Unfortunately, the battle is just about the only thing it did right, which is by far the most exciting part of what is otherwise a snoozefest.

8

The Siege of Orléans

‘The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc’ (1999)

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc trampled all over the real story of Saint Joan of Arc (Milla Jovovich). The main problem is that Joan of Arc was known for never once fighting or killing in battle but for leading the French to victory in the Hundred Years’ War with only a banner. It’s a pretty big part of why she is so famous. This movie, inexplicably, had her fight with a sword on multiple occasions, which speaks to the level of accuracy of the rest of the film.

However, the pivotal Siege of Orléans is actually very well done, utilizing big setpieces like siege engines and ditches to make things more exciting. The combat is fast and visceral, portraying the brutality that was medieval combat and the chaos of war. The entire sequence is like something out of an epic fantasy film (which, considering its inaccuracies, it may as well be), and basically salvaged the disaster that was the rest of the movie, helping it achieve a reputation that, while bad, was nowhere near as awful as it could have been.

7

Attack on Pearl Harbor

‘Pearl Harbor’ (2001)

Pearl Harbor is set during the Pacific Theater of World War II, during the Japanese Empire’s preemptive strike against the United States, which was the catalyst in prompting the US to declare war on the Axis. The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor is one of the most infamous moments of the war due to how unexpected, fast, and brutal it was; a film exploring it sounds like it should be promising. Unfortunately, director Michael Bay, who is better known for his action movies, decided to capitalize on the success of James Cameron‘s recent disaster romance film Titanic and turned Pearl Harbor into a nonsensical love story that really didn’t fit in.

While the romance is entirely underwhelming, and there are some really cringe-inducing moments, the actual action is surprisingly adept, save for a few minor hiccups here and there. The visual spectacle captures the shock and awe America experienced during the attack, even with its many historical inaccuracies. There are better movies about Pearl Harbor, but it at least nailed the titular battle scene.

6

The Siege of Jerusalem

‘Kingdom of Heaven’ (2005)

Set during the Crusades, the epic war film Kingdom of Heaven is another Ridley Scott flick, only this one is even worse than Robin Hood. The director’s cut of the film is monumentally better, but the theatrical cut is just a big disappointment that was a critical and commercial flop. It isn’t all bad, though, as the Siege of Jerusalem portrayed near the end is actually super thrilling and plays out like a battle from The Lord of the Rings (which is actually a fitting comparison since both movies star Orlando Bloom).

Like any Hollywood war movie, there are some glaring flaws and major historical inaccuracies that come with large-scale battle scenes based on true events. However, it got a general thumbs-up from fans who witnessed it in all of its glory. It may not be the most true to life, but it is the most pulse-pounding part of the movie, a battle that is sure to get the attention of history and fantasy fans alike.

5

The Battle of Gaugamela

‘Alexander’ (2004)

Oliver Stone‘s Alexander is among the worst movies ever made, heavily criticized for the overuse of narration and how off-the-rails it went in portraying the life of famed Macedon ruler Alexander the Great (Colin Farrell). Most of the movie is inane, boring, ridiculous, and oftentimes downright wrong, to the point where even Farrell regrets it. Still, there is one area where fans are spared from its awfulness, even if only for a brief moment.

The Battle of Gaugamela took place in what is likely present-day Iraq. Historian Roel Konijnendijk, in an interview with Insider, actually commended this particular battle for being one of the most accurate reconstructions of how it actually happened, despite some minor flaws. Overall, he was really impressed by it, as were many moviegoers who found this bloody standoff exciting and a rare moment of salvation in an otherwise horrible film.

4

The Kaiserschlacht

‘The Red Baron’ (2008)

The Kaiserschlacht (literally, “the Kaiser’s Battle”), also known as the German Spring Offensive, was the German Empire’s massive attack during the final months of the First World War. It was a last-ditch effort to defeat the Allied Powers before the Americans had the chance to arrive on the shores of Europe. This massive series of attacks marked the desperation of the Central Powers in the waning days of the war and proved to be an instrumental victory for the Allies.

The 2008 German-British film The Red Baron is a biopic about the renowned German ace pilot Manfred von Richthofen, nicknamed “The Red Baron” due to the crimson color he painted his plane. In this film, he is played by Matthias Schweighöfer, who does bring a good performance; however, everything else is pretty terrible. One of its shining points is the portrayal of the Kaiserschlacht at the end. The aerial combat is actually really unique and portrays something that many World War I films fail to: reconnaissance balloons and how difficult it actually was to take them down. While the movie is pretty much garbage, the final battle of The Red Baron is a rare moment of brilliance.

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3

The Fall of Mazar-i-Sharif

’12 Strong’ (2018)

12 Strong takes place during the early days of the War in Afghanistan. It stars Chris Hemsworth as a US Special Forces Officer sent into Afghanistan to support the Northern Alliance, a group of anti-Taliban insurgent fighters in taking down the Taliban stronghold of Mazar-i-Sharif. The Northern Alliance commonly uses horses for mobility and combat, which means the US forces must learn to ride them.

Many of the criticisms from 12 Strong came from its lack of substantial depth or character development and how it was painfully disappointing in many other areas. Still, it received praise for its exhilarating final battle. Audiences can’t help but root for the Americans and the Northern Alliance as they mount a cavalry charge against the tyrannical Taliban, blending modern weapons with ancient means of mobility for a spectacular action sequence that isn’t just unique but truly special. The final battle sequence makes the bitter disappointment that is the rest of 12 Strong well worth it.

2

2012 Benghazi Attack

’13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi’ (2016)

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is another movie by Michael Bay, this time, thankfully, without the painful romantic aspects. It’s not a fantastic movie, but it’s probably one of the “okayest” war movies ever made and is extremely average in nearly every department. It follows the events of a small group of American special forces operators as they defend the American embassy from a massive attack orchestrated by a group of insurgents in Benghazi, Libya.

13 Hours‘ true story could have been handled better, but the actual combat scenes do a pretty darn good job portraying the chaos of a firefight and the desperation and isolation experienced by the meager time of American forces. 13 Hours became renowned for its battle sequences, which were actually praised as the best part of the movie by critics and audiences alike. Everything else, though, is entirely generic and rather unremarkable.

1

The Battle of Passchendaele

‘Passchendaele’ (2008)

The Battle of Passchendaele was one of the most infamous engagements of the First World War, largely because of the squalid conditions soldiers fought in. The village of Passchendaele, Belgium, a small farming community, became subject to non-stop artillery bombardment over two weeks prior to the main phase of the battle. This bombardment destroyed many of the farms’ irrigation channels. A string of extremely rainy days followed, turning the entire landscape into a reeking quagmire, an endless plain of mud and muck that proved just as hazardous as the bombs and bullets.

The 2008 Canadian war movie Passchendaele was much like Pearl Harbor in that it was primarily a romance that would have done a lot better if it wasn’t trying to capitalize on the success of Titanic. The last twenty or so minutes of the movie finally feature the titular battle, and this is undoubtedly the best part. The muck hinders the soldiers’ advances; the combat goes from gunplay to fast and brutal hand-to-hand fights with whatever weapons one can find. It’s actually a fairly good depiction of the battle and perfectly fits the spirit of the First World War. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the scene is better than the battles in some actually good World War I movies, which is what makes this one the best of its kind, hands down.

NEXT: 10 Worst War Movies of the Last 25 Years, Ranked