Jeremiah 29:11

I would have loved to seen the Dodge Challenger in the latest Bourne movie.

SMASH HITS!

Friday, August 10, 2007
GRANT BUTLER
The Oregonian
Thank goodness that Jason Bourne is one heck of a driver.

This one-man killing machine, who is figuring out his secret identity in the crackerjack big-screen thriller "The Bourne Ultimatum," regularly finds himself behind the wheel, racing through the streets and alleys of some of the world's most-exotic locales, assassins and police in hot pursuit. With barely a facial tick, he careens through traffic at impossible speeds, escaping death and calamity at every turn.

His pursuers are never so lucky.

Riveting car chases are essential elements to all three "Bourne" movies, and there's one person we ultimately can thank for them. No, not star Matt Damon. Not directors Paul Greengrass or Doug Liman. Not even creator Robert Ludlum.

Thank Steve McQueen.

Back in 1968, his action-packed "Bullitt" gave birth to the modern era of movie car chases. The breathtaking 10-minute sequence through the mean streets of San Francisco was unlike any car chase before, and it proved so influential that you can see its deep wheel ruts in every chase that's been filmed since.

And there have been plenty, particularly during the 1970s, when every other film seemed to have a souped-up Dodge Challenger laying down some serious rubber. Not all off these movie car chases are pulse-pounders, of course. For all their terrific action scenes, most of the car chases in James Bond films fall flat, relying on gadgets and lame innuendo. And those "Fast/Furious" travesties of the past few years put the capital "D" in "Dumb."

Fortunately, we've sorted out all the lemons. These are the 20 best car chases in movie history. Fire up any of these babies in your DVD player and you're certain to experience a rush.

Just don't forget to fasten your seat belt.

1. "Bullitt" (1968): The greatest movie car chase of all time begins quietly enough, with McQueen in a Ford Mustang being trailed by a pair of bad guys in a black Dodge Charger. It's a low-speed game of cat and mouse, but when McQueen changes roles and follows the villains, it's unclear who's really stalking whom. Then things get truly kicking with both cars rocketing over hills at high speeds, putting their suspension systems to the test. Hubcaps fly as sharp corners are barely maneuvered. When the cars pull up side-by-side, rifle blasts add to the danger, before a fiery finale. Everything here is utter perfection, from the quintessential American muscle cars, to the iconic setting, to the camerawork and stunt coordination -- all the more remarkable when you consider that it was conceived and executed in the pre-computerized-effects age.

2. "The French Connection" (1971): It's not often that you see a car chasing a train, but in director William Friedkin's potboiler about cops busting a drug ring, Gene Hackman must race to stop a suspect who's getting away. As he passes slower cars underneath the elevated train tracks, he risks multiple head-on wrecks with trucks and avoids hitting a baby carriage -- a car chase signature that now borders on cliche. The camera zooms in on Hackman's loafers stomping repeatedly on the brakes, and a shot through the windshield of his silent scream while he beats the steering wheel captures his desperation.

3. "The Bourne Identity" (2002): The first Jason Bourne movie brilliantly sets up its car chase through Paris. Matt Damon scans a city map while asking the girl who owns the Austin Mini if the car has any peculiarities. The tires are a bit squishy and it pulls a little to the right. It's good to know, as the chase erupts down a pedestrian stairway, and ends up going the wrong way down a highway by the Seine, with motorcycle police units taking plenty of spills to avoid overtur