Some movie lines vanish the moment the credits roll. Others become part of everyday language. Some get impersonated badly on movie podcasts by hosts terrible at accents.
They’re quoted in pubs, turned into memes, parodied in TV shows and repeated endlessly by film fans who can still hear the actor’s voice the moment the words are spoken.
Following our Rewind episode on The Princess Bride, we decided to tackle a dangerous topic on Fast Forward: What are the greatest movie quotes of all time?
This isn’t meant to be the definitive list that some sites will claim. Far from it. This is a personal list for me as someone who grew up in the 80s and 90s era of movies. And the criteria was simple. A great quote is one that:
- Instantly takes you back to the scene
- Makes you hear the character’s voice when you read it
- Has become part of pop culture
- Or is simply something you find yourself quoting in everyday life
You can find out AJ’s list by listening to the full episode of the podcast above or wherever you listen.
Before we begin, though, one quote had to be placed in a category of its own.
Hall of Fame: The Princess Bride:
“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
It’s one of the most satisfying character payoffs ever written and the line that inspired this entire episode.
So rather than rank it, we’re placing it straight into the Rewind Classic Movies Hall of Fame.
LISTEN NEXT: THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987): Farm Boy, Fencing & A Big Flop
10. Taken
“I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”
For a few years after this film came out, this quote was everywhere.
It was parodied on television, quoted endlessly online and turned into memes across the internet. It’s almost bordering on self-parody now because it’s been repeated so often.
But the reason it works is simple: delivery.
Without Liam Neeson’s calm, controlled menace, it wouldn’t have become iconic.
The full speech – about his “very particular set of skills” – became one of the defining movie quotes of the 2000s.
9. Jurassic Park
“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could…”
This film is packed with great lines, thanks to the writing of Michael Crichton and David Koepp, and the genius of Steven Spielberg behind the camera.
Dr Ian Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum, gets several memorable lines, from “Life finds a way” to “God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates Man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs” (finished perfectly by Laura Dern).
But there’s also some corkers from Samuel L Jackson (“Hold on to your butts!”) and Bob Peck (“Clever girl”).
But the standout remains: “…they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
Three decades later, it still feels incredibly relevant.
NEXT: Jurassic Park (1993): 15 minutes of dinosaurs & CGI we actually like!
8. Oh, Mr Porter!
“Everything on this station is either too old or doesn’t work. And you’re both!”
This one might surprise people. The 1937 British comedy Oh, Mr Porter! follows a hapless station master assigned to a remote rural railway station. Think of it as the Clarkson, Hammond and May of the 1930s – the grumpy incompetent leader, the slow old one and the enthusiastic young assistant.
One of the best lines sums up the entire film’s unique humour:
“If I tap the wheel with this hammer and the wheel goes clang, I know the wheel’s there. If it doesn’t go clang … I know the train’s gone.”
It’s a film that shaped my sense of humour and one I still rewatch regularly.
7. Indiana Jones
“It’s not the years, honey. It’s the mileage.”
Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones is one of cinema’s greatest characters, and a lot of that comes down to Ford’s delivery. There are dozens of quotable lines across the series:
- “It belongs in a museum!”
- “Fly, yes. Land, no.”
- “Nazis… I hate these guys.”
and even Professor Henry Jones telling the Nazi’s: “Goose-stepping morons like yourself should try *reading* books instead of *burning* them!”
But it’s the mileage one at the top of this section perfectly captures the character.
6. Jaws
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Another Spielberg masterpiece, and another film packed with memorable dialogue. The famous line is often misquoted as “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
But the original, spoken by Chief Brody, uses “You’re” rather than “We’re”.
Other great moments include:
- “Smile, you son of a … !”
- Quint’s haunting USS Indianapolis speech
- The crew drunkenly singing Show Me the Way to Go Home
Few films combine tension, character and quotable dialogue quite like Jaws.
NEXT: Ghostbusters (1984) is not a comedy. No, really…
5. Ghostbusters
“Is it true? Yes, this man has no dick.”
What happens when you put four brilliant improvisational comedians into a supernatural comedy? You get one of the most quotable films ever made.
Some of the best lines include:
- “Back off, man. I’m a scientist.”
- “Ray, when someone asks if you’re a god, you say YES!”
- “We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!”
But perhaps the most memorable rant is:
“Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!”
4. Big Trouble in Little China
“It’s all in the reflexes.”
The combination of John Carpenter and Kurt Russell created one of the most endlessly quotable cult classics ever made. We certainly quote it endlessly on the show.
Jack Burton delivers line after line of absurd bravado:
- “You know what ol’ Jack Burton always says …”
- “Okay. You people sit tight, hold the fort and keep the home fires burning. And if we’re not back by dawn … call the President.”
- “This really pisses me off to no end!”
But the line that sums up the entire character is:
“I never drive faster than I can see. Besides that… it’s all in the reflexes.”
IF YOU LIKE THIS: 3 Big Trouble In Little China (1986) is a bonkers spoof?!
3. Star Wars
“So this is how liberty dies… with thunderous applause.”
The Star Wars saga might contain more iconic lines than any other film series. Just consider the classics:
- “I am your father.”
- “Do or do not. There is no try.”
- “May the Force be with you.”
- “It’s a trap!”
- “I love you.” / “I know.”
But the one that feels most powerful – and perhaps most relevant today – is spoken by Padmé Amidala.
2. James Bond
“The names Bond. James Bond.”
Few characters in cinema history have produced more iconic lines. Across more than sixty years of films, audiences have heard:
- “Shaken, not stirred.”
- “There’s no sense in going off half-cocked.”
- “Just keeping the British end up, sir.”
- and one of our favourites: “I thought Christmas only comes once a year.”
But the most recognisable line of all remains the simplest introduction in film history. A man saying his surname, followed by his full name.
1. Spinal Tap
“These go to eleven.”
This mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner is one of the funniest films ever made. It’s a film overflowing with unforgettable lines:
- “You can’t really dust for vomit.”
- “Shit sandwich.”
- “What day did the Lord create Spinal Tap, and couldn’t he have rested on that day too?”
- and perhaps the funniest scene and punchlines in movie history: “Lick My Love Pump.”
But the most famous moment comes when guitarist Nigel Tufnel proudly explains why his amplifier is special:
“These go to eleven.”
A single line that became a permanent part of pop (and rock) culture.
GO TO 11: This Is Spinal Tap (1984): Cock, Rock AND Roll!
And all the others we’ve missed and thought of since.
This list could easily have been 100 entries long. So now it’s over to you.
What movie quote would make your Top 10? Because if there’s one thing we learned while making this list…
Every film fan has their own answer.
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