There’s nothing quite like action scenes which do it for real, and aren’t computer-generated

With ‘Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning’ set to explode into cinemas this summer – perhaps marking the climax of the long-running franchise – action movie fans are already looking forward to yet more mind-boggling practical stunts performed by Tom Cruise.

Tom Cruise keeps raising the bar on movie stunt action

So, in the spirit of stunts which keep it real, here’s our pick of the Top 5 practical film stunts of all time.

1. Buster Keaton’s tower tumble in ‘The Three Ages’

In this classic 1923 film, daredevil actor and stuntman Buster Keaton attempts to springboard himself from rooftop to rooftop, only to crash into a wall, fall through the building’s awnings, before swinging from a collapsing drainpipe into a window, then onto a fireman’s pole and finally onto the back of the fire engine.

This short series of events, taking place in just around a minute, is a marvel for the times and clearly shows excellent practical skills.