Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to come up with their favorite answer to a movie-related prompt tied to a recent release. This week, with the release of The Bikeriders, we’re discussing some of our favorite movie bikes! Let us know your favorites @SiftPop!
From the moment the Batpod breaks free from the Tumbler in The Dark Knight, you know you’re in for one the hardest action sequences ever put to film. The design of Batman’s escape pod motorcycle contains some of the most unique features you will find in a vehicle, as its wheels abruptly shift gears to roll side to side when changing direction mid-drive. If the sounds of the bike alone are not enough to give you chills, seeing Batman weaving its cables underneath the semi-truck before the now-iconic truck flip will be sure to do it. The creativity of Nolan’s shot choices, coupled with seamless miniature integration and terrific stunt work, makes the Batman-Joker chase one of Nolan’s finest achievements as a director. (Foster Harlfinger)
E.T. the Extra Terrestrial has always been a magical movie to me, culminating in one of the most iconic cinema moments of Spielberg’s illustrious career, with Elliot and E.T. flying on a bike across the moon. It’s iconic to the point where Amblin Entertainment, founded by Spielberg himself, even uses it on his logo. The bike, and the scene it has become so iconic for, really makes you get and feel the joy of being a kid, and the sense of magic and the unknown that it brings. It’s how Elliot and his friends get to visit each other, to explore, and ultimately to allow for E.T. to return home. Just discussing it makes me want to see if I can dig out the old VHS player and watch it how I would have as a kid. (Joseph Davis)
The original Incredibles is undoubtedly one of Pixar’s best — and that’s saying quite a bit. I may be in the minority, but Incredibles 2 is also among my favorites. One of the reasons why is getting to see Elastigirl (Helen Hunt) step into the role in the Parr family as the one moonlighting as her super alter ego. The action choreography is so much fun (particularly given her set of powers), and adding a badass bike to her arsenal only takes that to a new level. If the Elasticycle just functioned as a normal motorcycle, it might be cool enough just based on its aesthetics to possibly make the list. Having it able to break apart as needed to be as flexible as its rider makes it a necessity on this list. It’s memorable, functional, and just plain cool, and its only flaw is we don’t get nearly enough of it. (Jake Bourgeois)
If you’re trying to escape a Nazi castle in the middle of the Austrian woods, there’s no better means of transportation than a stolen BMW R75 motorcycle. Sporting a sturdy metal frame, a highly maneuverable steering system, and a sidecar perfect for passengers, there really is no better option available for this scenario. Fortunately for Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and his father (Sean Connery), one such motorcycle is available for them when they have to flee from Nazi scientist, Elsa (Alison Doody), and her fascist outpost at Castle Brunwald in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. What follows is an iconic chase scene with Indy in the driver’s seat and his father sitting dignifiedly in the tiny sidecar, armed with his umbrella and briefcase as they are pursued by several Nazis riding their own motorcycles. Using a flagpole as a lance and the bike as his trusty steed, Indy is able to fend off the goons and escape, allowing him to continue on his adventure to find the Holy Grail and prevent it from falling into the Fuhrer’s hands. The R75 may not be the flashiest or highest-tech bike in movie history, but it (and its sidecar) play a key, memorable role in of the best adventure films of all time, earning them a rightful place on this list. (Jake Hjort)
The image of The Bride on that bright yellow bike with matching leather onesie is now an iconic screen image, worthy of any screensaver or teenager’s bedroom poster collection. Stunningly photographed by Robert Richardson on the bright and dazzling Shinjuku streets of Tokyo, the Bride and her ZZR 250 provide a feast for our eyes. The scene with the bike is a more subdued in the context of the rest of the film in pace and tone, mixing in the right amount of tension and foreplay, setting up a feast for our senses as The Bride seeks her revenge on O-Ren Ishi. I have always considered Kill Bill as mid-tier Tarantino, but having re-watched it fairly recently, it grew a lot on my previous estimations. Having now seen more Asian cinematic classics, the self-assured absurdness and hyperrealistic action are brilliantly fitting a film of this genre. While maybe not creating a true classic of cinema, Tarantino certainly made Kill Bill a worthy cult classic to fit into our regular rewatch rotation. (Adam Ritchie)
The Muppets have always built a bond with their audience through the ability to feel like they are truly part of the real world. They regularly interact with us by having jobs, appearing on talk shows, and walking the streets alongside us, but nothing has ever made a Muppet seem as real as the first time Kermit rode a bike down the street. Back in 1979, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop was able to pull off an impressive applications of practical effects when they gave our favorite amphibian friend, Kermit, the ability to ride freely down the street in full view. As a child, this blew my mind; I was used to either seeing barely visible strings or the ever-popular close-up to obscure puppeteers. Kermit freewheeling down the street was quite the accomplishment and unbelievably just the beginning for the muppets and their cycling adventure, as just two years later, they would up the ante and have the entire muppet cast riding in circles, figure eights, tandem cycles and even a standing up on the seat during the “Couldn’t We Ride” musical number in The Great Muppet Caper. (Patrice Downing)
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is the story of a rebel and his bike. The bike itself, the shiny object of everyone’s obsession in the film, is a Schwinn DX complete with both factory and customized elements, including scooped fenders, vented wheel guards, whitewall tires, rubber hand grips with streamer tassels, a lidded top cargo hold, electric rocket headlight, hypno-wheel tire hubs, a tank console with secret weapon buttons, rear rocket tail lights, a smoke chamber, CB intercom, tiger siren, rearview mirror, and a dorsal fin, with the entire frame painted in a glossy red and white with chrome accents. It was all that whimsical detail that left theatergoers awestruck by the majesty of its first reveal in the movie. After Pee-wee enters a complicated code on a hidden keypad and pulls an inconspicuous branch of a tree in his backyard, a large hedge slowly opens to reveal the dream two-wheeler. As the music swells, the light glistens off the finish, nearly blinding Pee-wee, who can hardly contain his own excitement. Tim Burton — in his directorial debut — instantly manipulates the minds and hearts of the audience, rendering them incapable of loving any other bike more than the one they’re seeing on screen. From that moment on, one man-child’s odyssey to the Alamo in Texas, his terrifying encounter with Large Marge, his high-heeled dance at a biker bar, all of it seems perfectly sane and justified in ultimate pursuit of the retrieval of that rebel’s prized possession: his bike. (Jonathan Fedee)
How bad is The Pope’s Exorcist really? It’s one of the worst horror films in recent memory. There are barely any effective scares, and many of the characters are just boring and dull. But what doesn’t suck about The Pope’s Exorcist? Father Amorth. Russell Crowe gives it his all in a top-notch acting performance, creating one of the most likable and enjoyable characters in film in 2023. There is no kidding at all in that statement. The Pope’s Exorcist did not deserve a protagonist like Father Amorth or a performance like Crowe’s. Any time he is on screen, he makes the movie that much more watchable. Even the transitional sequences where Amorth is traveling to and from Spain are thoroughly entertaining. What is odd is that we knew that from the second set photos came out. Watching Crowe decked out in a black ensemble with a black fedora and killer sunglasses would have been enough. But the choice to have him, a larger, dressed-up man, riding around on a small Vespa is one of the most enjoyable elements in the whole entire film. The Vespa is such an interesting choice for a priest, and it just makes his already lovable character even better. The movie sucks, but at least we have the visual of Father Amorth riding a Vespa to enjoy forever. (Shane Conto)
It’s not that often that many things get associated with one movie, just purely because of the “legendary” status of said movie. But if that one movie happens to be one of the best sequels/action films of all time, it’s much easier to see why people became obsessed with certain aspects of it. From the ‘90s fashion and Arnie’s leather esthetic to his cool bike, Terminator 2 is awesome. Not only did Arnold Schwarzenegger spend quite a big chunk of the film riding the chopper — it is also in one of the film’s most memorable action sequences: the bridge/underpass chase. In movie history, there have been some memorable bikes, some fictional, and others like this one you can actually buy and drive, and for that one fleeting moment, feel like you are Terminator, about to save humanity. And that must count for something. Harley Davidson’s “The Fat Boy” (the actual name of that bike) has become part of pop culture ever since Terminator 2 came out and features what is still one of the most recognizable bikes that have ever been made. (Luke Burian)
While the Lightcycle obviously existed in the original Tron, the less said about that film the better, to my way of thinking. Tron: Legacy turned a cute idea into an actual movie, and with the updated technical capabilities of the 21st century, Joseph Kosinski gave us a movie that was so far above and beyond what anyone who saw the original would expect from a sequel. It’s often said that Legacy is a great soundtrack that comes with a free movie, and there’s truth in that, but just taking one look at the games Sam is thrown into should be enough to know that there’s real effort that went into updating the concept. The Lightcycles specifically could have simply been a reference to the original, but instead, the movie updates the idea from a simple and kind of boring game reminiscent of Snake into an actual thrilling race with obstacles and skilled riders. The wall that’s left behind by each cycle was already an iconic visual in the 80s, but since 2010, it’s simply part of incredible visual design that fits its world tremendously well, and yet still stands out from it as an iconic piece of cinema history. (Chris Bakker)