Over at Buyagift.co.uk, we’ve just put together a category dedicated to driving experiences close to London. So, with a tip of the cap to all things fast and furious, we’ve put together a collection of our favourite movie chase scenes in and around our fair capital. From the slick to the silly, through street, river and train station, we’ve got a chase for everyone.
#1 Robbery (1967)
It doesn’t get much more classic than this. A cat and mouse car chase between the Metropolitan Police and a 1960s Jaguar Mark II, through the streets of South West London. Queue lots of tyre screeching, wailing sirens and classic shots of ‘60s London.
#2 The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Back in the ‘90s things were very different. The Millennium Dome- soon to become the O2 Arena- was an exhibition centre and not a indoor arena and evil villains were free to speed along the River Thames with machine guns attached to their boats. Oh how things have changed. But this classic James Bond boat chase lives on.
#3 National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
If this doesn’t sum up exactly how Hollywood sees our capital then nothing will. A mad car chase between Ed Harris and Nicholas Cage across central London that just so happens to contain a shot of the Houses of Parliament and London Bridge. And, of course, all in the pursuit of treasure. Just a typical day in London.
#4 The Mummy Returns (2001)
Compared to some of our other choices this is perhaps a little bit silly. I mean, battling decomposed mummies on a Number 12 Routemaster across Tower Bridge in the 1930s isn’t really something you’re likely to see very often. But with Rachel Weisz blowing a mummies head clean off and the loveable John Hannah showing off his bus driving skills, it’s definitely memorable.
#5 Fourth Protocol (1987)
Okay, not really a chase scene- unless you class Michael Caine chasing a train as a chase scene- BUT it does involve an 1980s Austin Rover tearing into a classic looking St Pancras Station before skidding to a halt on a platform. Try doing that these days!