Great movies have great quotes. They become a part of the film’s marketing campaign or have a lasting impact long after release. The best lines from a movie are the ones we’re able to recite in our lives, too.
Sometimes, movie fans love to quote a movie more than they enjoy watching it. These iconic lines from our favorite pieces of film have become a part of our cultural lexicon.
1. “Why So Serious?”
What’s a more iconic phrase than the undying trademark of the clown prince of crime? The Dark Knight trilogy is one of Hollywood’s best, and Heath Ledger’s Joker was a driving force behind it.
2. “With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility.”
This phrase, of course, was originally uttered from the mouth of Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben in the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy. However, in the recent Tom Holland series, Aunt Mae says the comic book original line, “With great power, there must also come great responsibility.” It is exactly how Stan Lee first phrased it in Amazing Fantasy issue 15 in 1962.
3. “Run, Forrest, Run!”
“Mama always said stupid is as stupid does,” and you can’t dispute that. You could almost hear Jenny’s voice and see Tom Hanks’s outstanding portrayal of Forrest Gump.
4. “May The Force Be With You.”
Did you know that May 4th is actually Star Wars Day? There’s some fun trivia for you. “May the 4th be with you.”
5. “I’m The King Of The World!”
With looks like that, Leonardo could be King of whatever he wants. The Titanic combo of DiCaprio and Winslet set the world of cinema ablaze. In all honesty, we’ll always have space for Jack on our driftwood.
6. “Come With Me If You Want To Live.”
“Come with me if you want to live,” and Sarah Connor definitely did. The Terminator movies had us crying, laughing, and wondering if AI would ever take over the world.
7. “Say Hello To My Little Friend!”
Being introduced to someone’s friend is usually an excellent ice-breaker that sets the ball rolling. But you might want to reconsider your friendship when the person introducing is Al Pacino in Scarface, and his ‘little friend’ is a literal machine gun.
8. “Shaken, Not Stirred.”
The king of dapper himself has the most iconic drink order in history. A martini, shaken, not stirred. From Dr. No to No Time To Die, James Bond keeps the bartenders on their toes every single time.
9. “To Infinity…And Beyond!”
With a cool last name like Lightyear, you’re bound to have an eternal catchphrase. Buzz Lightyear definitely has one of the best. From 1992 until 2022, the Toy Story franchise has kept us wondering what our dear friends are up to when we are not looking.
10. “Houston, We Have A Problem.”
Apollo 13 is a 1995 space flick that borrows one of the most famous lines in history and cranks it up a notch. Tom Hanks, playing John Swigert, called back to mission control to report the malfunctioning of the Apollo 13 spacecraft; the rest is history.
11. “Keep Your Friends Close, But Your Enemies Closer.”
The cult classic The Godfather offers a handful of iconic one-liners, legendary actors who changed the shape of filmography, and a quote that would help in everyday life when used right. Thanks, Don Corleone.
12. “Here’s Johnny!”
Jack Nicholson’s acting in The Shining is blindingly stellar. Coupled with Kubrick’s brilliance, the improvised scene, a reference to the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, ended up as the gold standard for psychological thrillers.
13. “I Feel The Need…The Need For Speed.”
No, it’s not a Fast and Furious reference; it’s Tom Cruise in 1986’s Top Gun. With high-octane action, fighter jets, and a 24-year-old Tom Cruise in a pilot’s seat, Top Gun remains a piece of cinematic art and a Hollywood staple.
14. “I’m Funny How? I Mean, Funny Like I’m A Clown?”
When Henry tells Tommy DeVito that he’s a funny guy, the reaction from Joe Pesci is so stunning, confusing, and hilarious at the same time.
15. “Do I Feel Lucky? Well, Do Ya, Punk?”
Harry Callahan is a cop with no regard for the law. Not sure if he had fired off five or six shots from his .44 magnum, Dirty Harry asks the one question Google often asks us, with much less drama. I wouldn’t test lady luck with a gun that powerful to my head.
16. “You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat.”
An onset joke by Chief Brody, with a cigarette hanging between his lips, turned into one of the most significant lines in Hollywood. Roy Scheider’s quip stayed in the final cut of Jaws and really drove home the point with wit, swagger, and the desperate need for a much larger boat.
17. “I’m Gonna Make Him An Offer He Can’t Refuse.”
A winning horse at 85% off would be an offer a lot of people can’t refuse, but The Godfather takes it to heart a bit too literally. It gets Johnny Fontane what he wants and scares the studio executive, who wakes up with a surprise in bed.
18. “You Complete Me.”
I love yous are sweet and all, but having Tom Cruise staring at you with glistening, tearful eyes, saying “You complete me,” with so much conviction and emotion, hits hard, and to be honest, Jerry Maguire has all of our hearts.
19. “Elementary, My Dear Watson.”
The greatest detective in the world (until Batman) easily finesses his assistant while quickly deducing the sequence in which an event occurred by simply observing. 1939’s The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes was a very different time. Still, the immortal words of Basil Rathbone are echoed up to this day.
20. “Oh, No, It Wasn’t The Airplanes. It Was Beauty Who Killed The Beast.”
Planet of the Apes would have totally gone a different way if King Kong had fought off the charge of Ann Darrow. Nonetheless, this classic quote comes from 1933’s King Kong.
21. “My Precious.”
It’s hard to unsee Andy Serkis as Gollum, and the brilliant love-hate relationship the Hobbit had with the ring is an absolute pleasure to follow.
22. “Welcome To Jurassic Park!”
Kicking off a tirade of dinosaur films, the Jurassic Park franchise is a mix of so much, and to the dino-nerds, it’s pop culture made for us. The iconic scene, with the T-Rex roaring as the banner, falls from above. Just beautiful.
23. “This Is Sparta!”
Everything was possible when King Leonidas led his 300 soldiers against the Persians. Taking down Xerxes, winning the war, and Zack Snyder movies being made as he wanted them. Gerald Butler kicking enemy couriers into a bottomless well will forever haunt or remind us never to mess with those 300.
24. “I Am Iron Man.”
You want to kick off a multibillion-dollar franchise and need a leading man to carry it for a decade? You call Robert Downey Jr. and ask for an American cheeseburger, a press conference, and an exceptional performance that solidifies him as one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
25. “Here’s Looking At You, Kid.”
One of the greatest movie quotes of all time has got to be “Here’s looking at you, kid” from the classic film Casablanca. It’s simple yet powerful, perfectly capturing the bittersweet romance between the characters Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
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Jake Valentine
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