Top 10 Cheer-Worthy Moments in Film

As storytellers, we all strive for that moment. It could be the ultimate climax of the story or even a moment of heroic growth leading up to the climax, but whenever it occurs, it brings out the audience’s natural instinct to cheer. It’s the seminal representation of the audience becoming one with the story and its characters, no longer seeing them as fictional beings, but as friends they’re rooting for. We all try to capture the magic of that moment. Many of us, myself included, fall short. But certain moments capture that magic so perfectly that they become historic.

In 2022, the Academy Awards listed their Most Cheer-worthy Moments in film, but the revealed list was a disappointment, to say the least. I mean, seriously, the Flash entering the Speed Force during a mediocre film as the top pick? Absolutely ridiculous. Today, I decided to pick the real most cheer-worthy moments in film. Bear in mind, of course, that this is only my opinion. As ranking these moments is inherently subjective, I tried to consider several factors. Those include how iconic the film or the moment itself is, the impact of the moment in the story, and the amount of satisfaction it delivers for the audience. Also, I try to keep to one moment per franchise, as well as looking at films from different genres and time periods. Without further ado, let’s do this!

Number Ten: The Wizard of Oz (1939) – Dorothy melts the Wicked Witch

One of the longest-enduring classic films of them all, The Wizard of Oz gave us a character who really became film’s first true supervillain. The Wicked Witch of the West is powerful, evil, and downright scary from her very first appearance. She might seem goofy and cartoony by today’s standards, but in 1939, she was terrifying! Not only does she frighten and attack Dorothy and her friends with magic throughout the film but she also commands an army of soldiers and flying monkeys. After all the antagonism she brings over the course of the story, it takes one of the simplest things imaginable to finally bring her down: a bucket of water. It was a truly fantastical ending for one of film’s greatest villains, and it brought audiences to their feet in applause.

Number Nine: Jaws (1975) – Smile, ya SOB!

Similar to the Wicked Witch, the shark in Jaws managed to be a terrifying antagonist for the entirety of the film, but this time, the villain’s appearance remained a mystery until the film’s glorious climax. It’s not until Sheriff Brody, Captain Quint, and Hooper sail out to kill it that we finally see the shark itself. In a classic man vs. wild showdown, the shark toys with the three men for hours, gradually escalating in ferocity with each attack. Eventually, after nearly killing Hooper and devouring Quint alive, the shark causes the ship to begin to sink. In desperation, Brody tosses a SCUBA tank into the shark’s mouth and grabs a rifle. The monstrous shark spies Brody on the sinking mast of the ship and charges, forcing Brody to take several inaccurate shots. Finally, just as the shark is about to overtake him, Brody hits the SCUBA tank, killing the beast in a bloody explosion. A truly satisfying conclusion to a pulse-pounding sequence.

Number Eight: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – Elliott and E.T. take flight

This moment is actually a pair of incredible moments. First, at the midpoint of this classic film, Elliott and his alien friend, E.T., sneak into the woods one night to try and contact E.T.’s people so he can return to his home planet. Along their journey, E.T. rides in the basket of Elliott’s bike. With his telekinetic abilities, E.T. levitates the bike to allow the pair to fly through the night sky. It’s a simple moment of awe and wonder, and Elliott’s bike silhouetted against the full moon remains one of the single most iconic shots in all of cinema.

The second moment, arguably the more cheer-worthy of the two, occurs at the film’s climax. The government has moved in and wishes to take custody of E.T., leading Elliott to go on the run. The climactic chase involving Elliott on his bike, escorted by his former bullies on their bikes, ultimately leads to a roadblock of police cruisers. But as was foreshadowed in the previous scene, E.T. levitates the five boys into the sky allowing them to escape the government agents and return E.T. to his ship. This scene has everything. Tense story elements, incredible reactions from the young actors, and the music. Oh, god, the music is peak John Williams. Nothing more to say.

Number Seven: Goldfinger (1964) – James Bond fries Oddjob

I knew I wanted to include a James Bond moment in this list, and it was between this moment and the train fight against Donald “Red” Grant in From Russia with Love. I almost went with Grant, but it occurred to me what makes the Oddjob fight so incredibly special. Grant is the opposite side of the coin to Bond, his negative, his dark side, his equal. Oddjob is not Bond’s equal. This is the first time in the film series that Bond had to face a truly superior opponent in single combat. It’s tense and nerve-wracking, made even more so by the lack of background music, save for the nearby bomb ticking away. Oddjob has already gotten the better of Bond twice in the film and dominates much of this fight, gleefully toying with Bond while smiling all the while. Here, Bond cements his legacy as the greatest secret agent in film by using his brain to lure Oddjob into a trap, electrocuting the brute. It’s an exciting moment that isn’t even the final resolution to the film’s climax, making it all the sweeter as the audience wonders what else is to come in the story.

Number Six: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) – Han Solo saves Luke

Han Solo is often thought of as one of the greatest film heroes of all time, and deservedly so. He did not, however, begin as a heroic character. When we first meet Han in Mos Eisley, he’s a smuggler and a mercenary hired to transport our heroes on his spaceship, the Millennium Falcon. Throughout the film, Han is cynical and sarcastic, only looking out for himself and his best friend, Chewbacca. Even as he starts to act more like a hero as the story progresses, we are duped into thinking Han hasn’t changed a bit when he cuts and runs just before the final attack on the Death Star. This, however, makes our elation all the more powerful at his eventual return. Luke is the last remaining pilot with any chance of destroying the battle station and has mere seconds before the Rebel base is destroyed. Just as Darth Vader is about to shoot him down, Han swoops in, killing Vader’s wingmen and sending the Sith Lord hurtling off into space. From the sight of the Millennium Falcon divebombing Vader to the sound Han’s excited cry, this is the moment Han Solo officially became a hero. It’s easily the most cheer-worthy moment in all of Star Wars, hands down.

Number Five: Rocky II (1979) – Rocky Balboa defeats Apollo Creed

While the first Rocky may be the superior film, the sequel gave us one of the greatest cheers in film history. Where Apollo underestimated Rocky in their first fight, he now takes the Italian Stallion seriously. The two titans of the ring are the very definition of evenly matched, neither ceding anything to the other through this bout. While not the most realistic as far as choreography, the sheer emotion of this fight is what makes Rocky’s victory all the better. Before, he won a personal victory by taking Apollo all 15 rounds before losing on points. Now, he gives everything he has and wins the title of Heavyweight Champion of the World. But even better, he wins a friend in Apollo Creed, as the rest of the franchise shows. What else can be said? “Yo, Adrian! I did it!”

Number Four: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. II (2011) – Neville Longbottom and the Sword of Gryffindor

The Harry Potter films made a lot of compromises from the books, but there are several moments they got so spectacularly right. Chief among them is this moment, which takes place right before the final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort. With Harry Potter seemingly dead and Voldemort believing his victory is assured, one young man steps forward to oppose him. Neville Longbottom, the supposed coward, gives perhaps the best monologue in the entire franchise before taking the Sorting Hat and drawing the mythical Sword of Gryffindor – a sword which can only be wielded by a Gryffindor of true courage. Several action-packed minutes later, he uses the sword to slay Voldemort’s snake, Nagini, but it is his initial draw that is so incredible. It symbolizes the completion of one of the best character arcs in the entire series, both in the books and in film. This is how a bumbler comes into his own.

Number Three: The Ten Commandments (1956) – Moses parts the Red Sea

What an iconic moment from arguably the greatest film in an utterly stacked category: historical epics. Imagine going to see this film back in 1956. You’re obviously familiar with the Bible story of Moses and the Ten Commandments, but you wonder – how in the world is Charlton Heston supposed to part the Red Sea? I mean, aside from just being Charlton Heston. In a bit of revolutionary camerawork and editing, director Cecile B. DeMille engineered this spectacular scene by combining three different shots of the land, sea, and sky. The sea was particularly tricky, requiring him to build a giant tank of water with a U-shaped trough, combined with clips of crashing waves running in reverse. Though the final product might look silly to modern moviegoers, it truly changed how special effects were done in the film industry back in 1956. And that’s not even mentioning the powerful impact this scene has on the story. From orphan to prince, prince to outcast, outcast to prophet, Moses has seen and done it all, and he’s done it in the face of the almighty Pharaoh, Ramses, while the Israelites just griped and complained. This isn’t the ultimate climax of the movie, but it sets the stage for Moses’ leadership as God’s people grapple with their newfound freedom in the final act.

Number Two: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – Merry and Éowyn slay the Witch-king

The Witch-king, leader of the Nazgûl, really was one of the most persistent foes the forces of good faced throughout Peter Jackson’s trilogy. He nearly ended Frodo when his journey had barely begun and was only stopped in that instance by the timely arrival of the elves. Even so, he continued doing the bidding of Sauron with deadly efficiency, leading his forces in taking Minas Tirith’s garrison in the next film and laying siege to Minas Tirith itself in the final film. During this siege, he fatefully proclaims that no man can kill him. And, perhaps, he was right. It was a tiny Hobbit, Merry, stabbing the Witch-king in the back that allowed the shieldmaiden, Éowyn, to at last end Sauron’s second-in-command for good. Best of all was her immortal retort that she is no man. Though there were still more battles to be fought before this story could reach its amazing conclusion, this moment truly stands out among all others.

Before we get to the top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

The Matrix (1999) – Neo dodges bullets for the first time

The Dark Knight (2008) – Jim Gordon fakes his death to capture the Joker

The Karate Kid (1984) – Daniel Larusso’s final Crake Kick

The Avengers (2012) – The six Avengers unite in the Battle of New York

Finally, the most cheer-worthy moment in all of cinema is…

Number One: Avengers: Endgame (2019) – Captain America takes up Mjölnir and assembles the entire Avengers

I distinctly remember sitting in the theater for this one. This entire five-minute sequence was one long string of cheers and gasps. Long foreshadowed since Age of Ultron, Steve Rogers finally proves he’s worthy to rule Asgard and takes up the legendary hammer Mjölnir against Thanos. Their battle is epic and crowd-pleasing, but even Steve’s worthiness isn’t enough to stop the Titan, and he is soon bloodied and his shattered vibranium shield nearly useless. With both Thor and Iron Man out of commission, Steve is the only one left standing as Thanos’ army amasses to take the Infinity Stones for good. That’s when Steve hears that famous line.

“On your left.”

Steve stands breathless as mystic portals begin to open around him, revealing every hero of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even those who had been Snapped out of existence during Infinity War. Black Panther, Falcon, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, everyone is here. Steve’s steadfast refusal to be moved is finally rewarded in the most epic fashion imaginable, and he at last calls out that legendary battle cry fans had been waiting nearly a decade to hear.

“Avengers… assemble!”

This moment, though it’s still very recent, is one I believe will go down as one of the greatest and most important in film history, as well as the history of storytelling. It is an amazing culmination, not of a movie or even a trilogy of movies, but of… wait for it… TWENTY-TWO FILMS! Nearly two-dozen movies, all telling interconnected stories, converge on this incredible moment. Though the final battle with Thanos and his forces still awaits, this sequence makes the audience feel like they are part of this team-up as the epic conclusion unfolds.

Conclusion

That’s going to do it for this ranking. I don’t fancy myself perfect, but I feel like I did a far better job picking and ranking these moments than the Academy did. But I’d like to hear from you guys. Do you agree? Did I get the order wrong? Were there other moments you feel I should have included? Please let me know in the comments.

I hope you enjoyed this entry. Let me know if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. If you did enjoy it, please leave a like or a comment and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!