22 Movies with Chase Scenes Through Unexpected Locations

Action movies frequently use fast-paced chases to create thrills. While chases often happen on highways or city streets, some filmmakers get creative with the locations to make things more challenging for their heroes. These unusual settings force characters to think on their feet and use their environment in clever ways. Here are some films with chase scenes that take place in unexpected and unforgettable places.

‘The Blues Brothers’ (1980)

Elwood and Jake Blues lead police on a wild chase through the Dixie Square Mall, driving their old police car right through the building. As they tear through the mall, smashing stores and scattering shoppers, they act as if they’re just casually window shopping. Filming this scene was incredibly elaborate – the production team had to rent an empty mall and fill it with items just to be destroyed during the chase.

‘Casino Royale’ (2006)

In Madagascar, James Bond chases a bomb expert named Mollaka across a building site. The pursuit involves impressive parkour as they climb cranes and jump between the steel frames of unfinished buildings. Bond uses his strength to break through walls, while Mollaka relies on his speed and agility to move around. This action sequence highlights how tough and physically capable Bond is in this film.

‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ (1984)

Indiana Jones, Short Round, and Willie Scott narrowly escape the Thuggee cult by jumping into a runaway mine cart. They race along dangerous, winding tracks above molten lava, battling guards in other carts as they go. The thrilling chase includes jumping over gaps in the track and desperately trying to control the cart to prevent it from crashing. The movie used a combination of models and real stunts to create the exciting and treacherous underground setting.

‘Monsters, Inc.’ (2001)

Okay, so picture this: Sulley and Mike are barreling through this unbelievably huge door storage facility, swinging from door to door! It’s not just back and forth, though – they’re jumping between doors that actually lead to different kids’ rooms, making the chase totally three-dimensional. Randall’s being a real jerk, trying to stop them by messing with the doors while they’re hanging way up high. And the detail? Insane. The animators made millions of doors to really show just how massive this whole ‘door factory’ system is. It’s visually stunning, honestly.

‘Point Break’ (1991)

In a thrilling chase, Johnny Utah pursues the leader of the Ex-Presidents, who is disguised with a Ronald Reagan mask, through the streets and backyards of Los Angeles. The pursuit is chaotic, with Utah crashing through fences and even into people’s homes. He has to dodge angry dogs and bewildered neighbors all while trying to keep the suspect from escaping. The shaky camera work really captures how tired and determined Utah is during the chase.

‘The Italian Job’ (1969)

Okay, so picture this: a wild heist movie where these guys are trying to get away with a ton of gold, and they’re doing it in Mini Coopers! It’s not your typical car chase – these guys are weaving through the streets of Turin, going down church steps, even blasting through a shopping mall! The really clever part is they end up in the sewers, then pop out onto the roof of the Fiat factory for an insane, high-speed getaway on their test track. What makes it so cool is the filmmakers were able to film in places you’d never see a normal car chase happen because of how small those Minis are. It’s a brilliantly inventive and visually exciting ride!

‘GoldenEye’ (1995)

In a thrilling chase through St. Petersburg, James Bond steals a Russian military tank to pursue a kidnapper. The tank barrels through the city, smashing into statues and buildings while expertly drifting around corners. Police cars trying to stop him are quickly destroyed. The filmmakers created this incredible sequence by combining real tank driving with detailed miniature work to realistically depict the destruction of historic landmarks.

‘Toy Story 2’ (1999)

Buzz Lightyear and his friends race through a busy airport baggage system to save Woody. They have to avoid falling suitcases and machines that could crush them or send them to the wrong destination. Inside a suitcase, Stinky Pete causes trouble as the conveyor belts rush towards the airplane loading area. Creating this scene was particularly difficult for the animators, who had to work hard on the lighting and visuals.

‘District B13’ (2004)

Leïto escapes a group of armed attackers by expertly climbing both inside and outside a tall apartment building. He uses parkour – skillful movements like jumping and sliding – to navigate the building, effortlessly moving over staircases and through tight spaces. His attackers can’t keep up with his agile escapes, including daring leaps between balconies without any safety gear. The movie highlights the incredible physical skill of parkour athletes, all achieved without relying on wires or special effects.

‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ (2000)

Jen Yu and Li Mu Bai fight amongst the bamboo trees in a stunning, almost floating battle. They move gracefully across the swaying branches, focusing on skill and control rather than brute force, a style inspired by classic wuxia stories. Special wire work helped the actors create the illusion of weightlessness during the fight.

‘The Wrong Trousers’ (1993)

Gromit chases a mischievous penguin, Feathers McGraw, around a model train set inside their home. As the train speeds through the kitchen and living room, Gromit quickly lays down track pieces to avoid a collision, while the penguin shoots at him with a pistol. The animators carefully moved the clay figures bit by bit to create the illusion of fast-paced action.

‘Hot Fuzz’ (2007)

Sergeant Angel and Danny Butterman have a gunfight and chase each other through a detailed miniature town. Because of the scale of the set, the characters look enormous as they run through and damage the tiny buildings and streets. This scene is reminiscent of old monster movies where giant creatures wreck cities. Director Edgar Wright used fast editing and real-world effects to emphasize how much bigger the actors appear compared to the miniature world.

‘The Fugitive’ (1993)

Dr. Richard Kimble uses the crowded St. Patrick’s Day parade in Chicago to escape the US Marshals. He disguises himself with a borrowed hat and mixes in with the marchers while Gerard and his team search the massive crowd. The lively, chaotic atmosphere helps Kimble disappear right before the authorities can catch him. The filmmakers filmed this scene during the real parade, using handheld cameras to capture genuine reactions from the crowd.

‘North by Northwest’ (1959)

Okay, so there’s this incredible scene in North by Northwest where Roger Thornhill and Eve Kendall are literally running for their lives across Mount Rushmore. It’s so tense! They’re dodging bad guys while climbing down the faces of Washington, Lincoln, and the others – it’s a seriously steep drop! They’re hanging onto ledges, helping each other, and it’s just a nail-biter. What’s really cool is that Hitchcock didn’t actually film on Mount Rushmore. He built a huge set and used these amazing matte paintings to make it look like they were! It’s a classic piece of filmmaking.

‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ (1986)

Ferris is in a hurry to get home before his parents, dashing through neighborhood backyards filled with people and play equipment. This frantic run shows how surprisingly challenging it can be to cross a neighborhood directly. The music intensifies the suspense as he jumps over fences and avoids being seen, all to keep up the pretense of being at school.

‘Minority Report’ (2002)

As a total cinema fan, I was completely gripped by this scene! It features John Anderton in an incredible chase, battling federal agents while jumping between these super-fast trains on a highway that runs up the sides of buildings. It’s a really tense sequence because everything is slick and the characters are constantly trying not to fall. What’s amazing is Anderton knows the train system inside and out, letting him escape even when the lanes suddenly change. The visual effects team really outdid themselves creating this futuristic city where traffic can flow in all directions – it felt so real!

‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (1991)

John Connor tries to escape the T-1000, who is chasing him in a large tow truck, by speeding away on a dirt bike through a dry riverbed. The T-1000 doesn’t give up, driving the truck off a bridge and continuing the pursuit in the riverbed. Soon after, the T-800 joins the chase on a motorcycle, even performing a jump to try and stop the T-1000. The filmmakers used the unique concrete structures of the Los Angeles river system to create these exciting vehicle stunts.

‘Police Story’ (1985)

Ka-Kui chases a criminal boss through a crowded shopping mall, causing widespread destruction. The pursuit ends with Ka-Kui sliding down a tall, illuminated pole to the ground floor. The fight breaks out across multiple floors of shops, shattering glass and sending shoppers running. Jackie Chan bravely performed the risky pole slide himself, resulting in second-degree burns due to the intense friction.

‘The Living Daylights’ (1987)

James Bond and Kara Milovy make a daring escape from Soviet soldiers by sliding down a snowy mountain – inside a cello case! They turned the case into a makeshift sled to get across the border into Austria. Bond steered while Kara carefully held onto her valuable Stradivarius cello, protecting it from damage. The scene is both thrilling and comical, as they rely on such an unusual way to speed downhill.

‘Raising Arizona’ (1987)

After robbing a convenience store for diapers, H.I. McDunnough leads police on a wild chase. The pursuit takes them through a house and a supermarket, with a determined pack of neighborhood dogs joining in. McDunnough desperately grabs a package of diapers while narrowly avoiding bullets and leaping over fences. The scene is filmed with shaky, energetic camera work to emphasize the character’s frantic state.

‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

Batman escapes the police in his armored vehicle, the Tumbler, by driving across the rooftops of Gotham. He jumps over gaps between buildings and even crashes through parts of structures to avoid being caught on the streets. Finally, he activates a stealth mode to vanish into the darkness on the highway. The filmmakers used real-world effects for the jumps to make the Tumbler feel heavy and powerful.

‘Fast Five’ (2011)

As a huge cinema fan, I remember being completely blown away by the Rio chase scene in Fast Five. Dom and Brian literally drag a giant bank vault through the city with their cars! It’s absolute mayhem – the vault acts like a wrecking ball, smashing police cars and everything in its path. Honestly, the physics are completely off the charts – the way that huge vault drifts around corners and demolishes bus stops is just wild! What I later learned is they didn’t rely too much on CGI; they actually built a real vault on a special truck chassis and filmed all that destruction practically. It made the scene even more incredible!

Tell us which unique chase scene is your favorite in the comments.

2025-11-26 16:47