25 best movie stunts ever

Rumble in the Bronx (1995)

Our nether regions retracted slightly when watching Jackie Chan leap from a parking lot roof over onto a fire escape on the opposite side of a road. Refusing wires and only being able to see the landing spot until the jump itself, Chan nailed the stunt first time without injury, though he broke his ankle jumping onto a hovercraft later on. Who cares about the cheesy slow-mo multi-angle replays? In this case they're totally justified.

Police Story III: Supercop (1992)

Driving a dirt bike alongside a train before leaping off a ramp directly onto its roof then rolling off as it crashes into the dust below? No big deal. At least for Michelle Yeoh it's not. Not bad for an actress who – allegedly – hadn't ridden a motorbike before appearing in the film.

Ong-Bak (2003)

Tony Jaa's legs must be infused with industrial strength elastic. There's no other explanation we can offer up as to how on earth he's able to vault over the roof of moving cars (or split sliding under them for that matter), as well as back and front flipping his way through hordes of enemies and jumping through hoops of barbed wire. Thanks Tony, now we feel utterly inadequate.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Forget CGI. The unforgettable semi-truck flip in the Dark Knight was completely real, driver and all. A driver-operated canon-like contraption on the trailer blasted a two-tonne steel battering ram against the pavement to flip the truck, resulting in an awe-inspiring cacophony of crushed steel and twisted metal. The stunt was actually practiced on an airstrip to ensure that the truck flipped straight, lest the buildings on either side be decimated with an off centre crash.

GoldenEye (1996)

The eye-watering plummet off the neck-strainingly high dam at the beginning of Golden Eye is definitely not suitable for those with a fear of heights. Shot at the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland, the 220m (750ft) bungee jump is regarded as one of the best movie stunts of al time and set a record for the highest bungee jump off a fixed structure. If you're adventurous (read, utterly insane) you too can have a brush with death at the very same dam. Good luck with the travel insurance.