Which film do you think has the best opening scene? Let us know below, and be sure to also check out our video of the Top 10 Movie Scenes That We'll Never Forget: ua-cam.com/video/nPSfS6OLaSo/v-deo.html
Other Considerations: 1) When A Stranger Calls 2) The Sixth Sense 3) John Carpenter’s Halloween 4) Donnie Darko 5) Spike Lee’s The Inside Job 6) Memento 7) Undercover Brother 8) The Fugitive 9) 10 Things I Hate About U 10) It’s A Wonderful Life
Rear Window. Not one word spoken and we learn everything we need to know about the protagonist, his predicament and introduces us to all his neighbours in 3 and a half minutes. Brilliant.
The openings of Jaws, A New Hope, and Raiders Of The Lost Ark still hold up. Those must have been really special to see in theaters when they originally came out
They were! (Although I didn't see "Jaws" in the theater. I was 6 and we lived in a beach town, so my parents nixed the idea. The only respite they got during summer break was taking the kids swimming in the ocean, and they weren't going to risk that, lol!)
@@alyzu4755 I never got to see them in the theaters when they originally came out although a few months ago, my local theater showed Star Wars a new hope in the theaters and I couldn’t believe how awesome it actually was
In June of 1977, my brother and I took the train into Boston to one of the largest movie theaters in town and stood in line to buy our tickets to "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope". I will never forget that jaw dropping entrance of the star destroyer as it enters the screen from the top, our seats vibrating and not blinking for the entirety of its entrance=showcasing the mighty size of the spaceship. We looked wide eyed at each other in the dark theater realizing we had just witnessed something theatrically life changing. It's more than 45 years since then, and I am still in awe of it to this day and the film is as good as that June day in 1977!
yup I too saw it in 1977 and thought it was one of the best opening scenes ever, funny though I remember it titled as Star Wars, and I will forever call it that, sorry, but I'm not going to apologize.
I remember a "Police Squad" movie in the 1990s (this was before Star Wars was re-released) showed a comedy cut of the squad car diving into the Death Star trench. For just a few seconds, all of us were transported back to 1977. The theater erupted in cheers and applause--to see it again on the big screen!
I remember watching "Trainspotting" for my film studies class, and being completely blown away by how the opening scene captures your attention, along with Iggy Pop playing over it. The first time, Renton is clearly being sarcastic, but the second, he sincerely believes the words, and urges the viewers to as well.
I just replied that (Sept 8th). I can't believe no honorable mention even?! Leone at his best. Can you hear the creaking windmill? The water drips. Woody Strode and Jack Elam. I gotta watch it now. DvD time.
Great list!! I must be honest. The older movies had depth, originality, and amazing characters. Today, there is no originality. Remakes and 5,000 comic book movies made over and over again. The 80's and earlier were the best with a few exceptions. Thank you my friend.😊
The opening of Raiders is iconic, from the initial fade from the Paramount logo to Kalalea Mountain (Kauai, HI) to the camera blocking, almost like a side-scrolling video game, as we follow the party through the jungle, to the iconic silhouette of Indy and his trademark hat, to the final reveal as he turns and brandishes his whip, that was a master class in filmmaking. Then the tense trek into the temple, the frantic escape and the triumphal music of the getaway... all just to introduce the main character's primary attributes and skills before we even get started with the main story. Spielberg at his best.
Can't argue. Raiders was a great movie theatre experience, too. Right there with Jaws, Star Wars ... and I'm gonna mention Alien although the intro is the crew waking up which admittedly is all character development and slow mood science fiction development which finally evolves into the face hugger jumping onto John Hurt's space mask ... yes I digress but Alien was a great movie threatre experience. Just not classic opening scene. The early intro sets up THE iconic Chest bursting alien. It doesn't get much more memorable than that.
Touch of Evil has, imo, the best opening sequence. Written and directed by Orson Wells, its first three minutes and twenty seconds is a single continuous shot, breathtakingly suspenseful.
Exactly! It's definitely top 10 of opening scenes. That it culminated in a bomb going off sets up the movie brilliantly. It's my favorite Welles film, even better than Citizen Kane.
I was going to post this one - thank you. It would have been an insult to rate this low but it wasn't even mentioned. THAT is a travesty and at this point I seriously question the smarts of Mojo's research team. PS: I think most people find the opening sequence (not scene - these are mostly sequences) of 2001: A Space Odyssey a major bore. Could have taken that out, put Touch Of Evil in, then ranked ToE within top 2.
I actually got the privilege of meeting Janet Leigh when a local theater hosted a festival of her films. That day featured this film and "The Manchurian Candidate."
Because of this movies I won’t never go to swim in the sea. After this movie vie I studied everythings about shark. And whatever I did it, I’m still afraid about to swim in the sea. And plus, in the movie, the captain’s boat who wants to capture the shark, told a true story of a sailor whose boat was sunk during the Second World War and remained in the sea waiting for rescue for a long time and were almost all devoured by sharks. in the morning only a few survivors remained.
I loved that movie, but the last time I saw it I felt it was flat, empty, pretty ridiculous - something about Nolan's movies that never finds depth. Except for Interstellar, otherwise he's a pretty shallow director.
'Once upon a Time in the West' has the best opening - something totally different from anything you've seen before. Charles Bronson stars in this spaghetti Western - totally worth checking out.
That iconic opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark is why I always recommend newcomers start with that film first. I don’t care if Temple of Doom takes place chronologically before Raiders, Raiders does an excellent job of introducing Indiana Jones as a character that the other films can’t pull off as effectively.
When a film opens with a character narrating from beyond the grave, a la "Sin City", "Sunset Boulevard" or "American Beauty", you know that you're in for an enthralling ride.
HECK YEAH!! 🤠 The Boulder Temple Escape from 'Raiders Of The Ark's has always been my most favorite epic opening scene to start the adventures of Indiana Jones!
This may be a weird one, but I remember watching Cliffhanger when I was young, and that opening scene has stayed with me all these years! Not the best or most known movie, but man, that's a memorable scene!
Cliffhanger and Eye for an Eye are the two best openings in film. I just watched EFAE again (it’s on UA-cam) just to be sure it’s the opening scene & the sequence that I’m talking about starts with the Director credits so there might be one scene before it while the cast credits are listed but I wouldn’t count that. This is the 1st FULL scene & Sally Field crushes it. Same with Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger. 👏👏👏
Opening scene from Star Wars, A New Hope was groundbreaking and monumental. Clearly the best opening scene of all time. If you were lucky enough to see it in a theatre when released in the summer of 1977, you understand just how awesome and impressive it really was. It changed the entire industry after that opening scene.
Should have been in the top 5 at least. Large leap for special effects at that time! The laser bolts were all hand drawn. Just an amazing ride to get things rolling.
They clearly didn't see it in a movie theatre. For those that did, the movie industry was forever changed after that opening scene. It was awesome and inspiring.
"Children of Men" is such a brilliant, disturbing film. There's an interview with Alfred Molina in which he talks about filming the opening scene of "Raiders". It was his first film, he'd never been on a set, and he didn't understand what Spielberg meant by "hit your mark". After a couple of takes (in which he completely missed his mark), Spielberg came over, complimented him, and, very quietly, asked if he knew what a mark was. When he confessed he didn't, Spielberg, again, very quietly and low-key, explained it to him. Molina says that Spielberg is always very kind and respectful to the people on his sets.
You must be younger than me. NOTHING beats that Star Wars opening. Oh maybe not now, when we are used to such visuals, but in 1977 when we had just been ooing and ahhing that little starship zipping into view, and then that star destroyer barreled in, filling the entire screen space with a vessel like nothing we'd ever seen before, the theater I was in went wild. As good as "Raiders" opening is, it is not groundbreaking in the way that "Star Wars" achieved. And because I was born in the 40s I knew just what "Rosebud" was the first time it was mentioned.
It was not intense like many of these, but the opening to Back to The Future was fun and it hooked me right away with Marty going to Doc's place and you're wondering if he's starting up the time machine (you knew this movie was about time travel) when he's actually just hooking up to a bigass amplifier and going to play guitar (attempt to play).
Several people in the comments have mentioned Once Upon a Time in the West, but I really like the opening of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The introduction of the 3 main characters
Those of us who are old enough to have seen Indiana Jones when he first appeared on movie screens in 1981 in Raiders of the lost ark knew we would never see a better opening scene in a movie, ever. Nothing has come close to the excitement that scene generated. It was absolutely amazing to see it in a theater with hundreds of others, having no idea what we were about to witness. That was when movies were events, and not just entertainment. It was a different time.
My family went to see it, because my parents wanted to see Sean Connery's "Outland" but it was rated "R" so we all went to Raiders with no expectations whatsoever.
The Openings of New Hope, Jurassic Park, Raiders of The Lost Ark, The Sound of Music, The Dark Knight and Jaws are classic and fantastic beginnings to the most amazing movies ever 😊❤️❤️
Spielberg's movies have the most gripping opening scenes of most movies . Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, Raiders, West Side Story Even Schindler's List, with the disappearing flame, sucks you into the fun, the exhilaration,and even the horror to come. Master class.
Yeah, how can Saving Private Ryan not be here. It was half an hour of war at its realist (in cinema). Fascinating, enthralling, gripping ... and finally too much to, really, want to watch again. Another war movie that was so well done and so real that I asked myself: do I really want to watch that, again? Black Hawk Down. Although, I can't think how it begins ... just the recreation of a soldier dragged thru the street ... Too real because based on truth.
My favorite movie opening will always be The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. Not only is that one of my favorite movies ever but the opening is just…so perfect. The plot is perfectly set up, Cate Blanchett’s soothing, quiet voice is so lovely to listen to, you get the backstory of the Ring and all the people that are and will be affected by it….It’s such a perfect and awesome opening
The Opening of "From Dusk til Dawn" should absolutely be a part of this list. It perfectly sets the tone for the script, George Clooney's character, and also hits with a twist half-way through that foreshadows the huge twist half-way through the movie. One of my favorite scenes of all-time.
Absolutely Raiders of the Lost Ark. I never had more fun watching a movie. I also love Lord of the Rings - Gandalf and the Balrog, or any and all of this immaculate story. Tolkien created an extraordinary world and Jackson, cast and crew had immense respect for it.
I like when MsMojo (Rebecca) is the voice. She has a friendly, knowing smile (to her voice). Good video! Hard to argue about best movie intros mentioned. Although I was starting to wonder: Where is Once Upon a Time in the West. Sergio Leone. Train station, Wood planks. Windmill creaks, water drips. No dialogue until Bronson (and that harmonica): "You have 2 horses too many." classic. Not even an honorable mention? For Once Upon a Time in the West? Ok I'll say it: That is almost a crime! otherwise great video WatchMojo, er, MsMojo
The opening to all 3 Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and all 3 Deadpool movies, Avengers Endgame and Spiderman No way home were some of my favorite movie openings that weren’t on this list
A lot of people really don’t realize how much James Bond influenced Indiana Jones. They all begin at the end of the last (untold) adventure. Or in Goldeneye or Last Crusade, an adventure in the past that connects the story.
How can Gladiator not be on this list? The only spell seen one of my favorite openings and is iconic. For action enthusiasts, the opening scene in Dwayne Johnson’s The rundown is awesome.
As much as I love Raiders, Inglourious Basterds deserves the top spot. I don’t think I took a breath during the entire first scene the first time I saw it.
Speaking of the Cohen brothers, I love the VERY long opening sequence in Raising Arizona. “Her womb was a barren and rocky place where my seed could find no purchase". 😂
The opening sets up the entire plot and main characters in rapid fashion with incredible black humor, and the pace really doesn't ever let up. The "Huggies" chase scene is almost as good as the intro but not quite. This is one of my favorite movies ever.
I like the Cohen Bros but for some reason I always felt Raising Arizona was a bit overrated. The Big Lebowski too. I need to watch those 2 again. And Millers Crossing. I truly like Blood Simple; and The Husducker Proxy is just as entertaining the third time as the first (probly cuz its easier to understand the dialogue). Anyways glad you mentioned Raising Arizona. Need to see No Country for Old Men again, too.
Right. And I am going to resist (sayin) why I think some of Tarantino' movies are overblown and overrated. Still, I don't dislike his movies. even the ones I am tempted to complain about. I actually liked Once Upon a time in Hollywood as one of his best. Pulp Fiction and Resevoir Dogs👍
My top pick are: 3. lord of the rings: fellowship of the ring "War of the Last Alliance", 2. Titanic: searching for the Heart of the Ocean and found Jack Dawson's Drawing, 1. It's a Wonderful Life: Everyone in Town says a prayer to God to save George Bayle
Many great opening scenes, but the best one for me-the one that forced me to watch even though I was shaking and scared silly-was Jaws!!!! I still watch that movie over and over…
"Desperado (Buscem "Hand cannon exposition) *Baby Driver (has two great openings-chase & credits) *28 Days Later *The Thing (husky and music score) "Reservoir Dogs (round table discussion into blood) *Hardcore Henry (live action 1st person shooter disorienting) *Demolition Man (straight to the action, only 5 minutes in the past) *Due Date( RDJ shows his character's anxiety) *300 (life of a Spartan) *From Dusk Till Dawn (didn't see it coming) *Lord of War (birth of a bullet)
The shining is simple, but the eerie music set to something as mundane as driving down the road on a sunny day sets the tone for the whole movie and puts the watcher on edge
I think it depends on what you mean by "opening scene". The opening in the cemetery is poignant, and does set up the film coming full circle - nice, but not really "all-time great". If you do include the entirety of the next 30 minutes on D-Day, then it must be the greatest opening scene in history, and no film is close.
The stunt woman also suffered some broken ribs...they had two boats pulling on her...they both pulled in opposite directions at the same time. Her pain was real!
I have seen most of these but being there in the Theater at 13 years old living on the gulf coast with the beach right down the road nothing and i mean nothing topped Jaws..That was a scary summer...
For an amazing opening, I love the music and cut from black to a blown out sandstorm in 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' - editing, cinematography and music all coming together.
This list Since should have had THE THING (1982). The Norwegian's in the helicopter trying to shoot the fleeing Husky dog before being blown up and shot was great. The audience is aghast at them trying to kill an innocent dog until later they find out the dog is not really a dog.
Which film do you think has the best opening scene? Let us know below, and be sure to also check out our video of the Top 10 Movie Scenes That We'll Never Forget: ua-cam.com/video/nPSfS6OLaSo/v-deo.html
Saving Private Ryan
Other Considerations:
1) When A Stranger Calls
2) The Sixth Sense
3) John Carpenter’s Halloween
4) Donnie Darko
5) Spike Lee’s The Inside Job
6) Memento
7) Undercover Brother
8) The Fugitive
9) 10 Things I Hate About U
10) It’s A Wonderful Life
I won't lie, I'm really disappointed that the Librarian scene from Ghostbusters wasn't featured here.
Vertical Limit was intense.
Equalibrium ... always the best
Saving Private Ryan has one of if not the most intense openings of any movie I have ever seen but it is a ridiculously well made scene for sure
I thought it would have been number one.
@@Famezonen Me too
The Normandy beach invasion was the 2nd scene in Saving Private Ryan. The actual opening scene was the old man in the cemetery.
@@nrkgalt That’s true
@@nrkgalt You are totally right. I forgot about it 🤦🏾♀️
Rear Window. Not one word spoken and we learn everything we need to know about the protagonist, his predicament and introduces us to all his neighbours in 3 and a half minutes. Brilliant.
Ahhhh Miss Lonely Hearts.....
The openings of Jaws, A New Hope, and Raiders Of The Lost Ark still hold up. Those must have been really special to see in theaters when they originally came out
They were!
(Although I didn't see "Jaws" in the theater. I was 6 and we lived in a beach town, so my parents nixed the idea. The only respite they got during summer break was taking the kids swimming in the ocean, and they weren't going to risk that, lol!)
They were! Saw them all in the theater, and they’re still in my Top 10 list of favorite movies 😁
They were!! 😊
@@alyzu4755 I never got to see them in the theaters when they originally came out although a few months ago, my local theater showed Star Wars a new hope in the theaters and I couldn’t believe how awesome it actually was
They were :)
In June of 1977, my brother and I took the train into Boston to one of the largest movie theaters in town and stood in line to buy our tickets to "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope". I will never forget that jaw dropping entrance of the star destroyer as it enters the screen from the top, our seats vibrating and not blinking for the entirety of its entrance=showcasing the mighty size of the spaceship. We looked wide eyed at each other in the dark theater realizing we had just witnessed something theatrically life changing. It's more than 45 years since then, and I am still in awe of it to this day and the film is as good as that June day in 1977!
My best summer fluc ever. I think I saw that movie 10 times on my days off during my summer job in Montreal.
yup I too saw it in 1977 and thought it was one of the best opening scenes ever, funny though I remember it titled as Star Wars, and I will forever call it that, sorry, but I'm not going to apologize.
At the time we just called it "Star Wars".
I remember a "Police Squad" movie in the 1990s (this was before Star Wars was re-released) showed a comedy cut of the squad car diving into the Death Star trench. For just a few seconds, all of us were transported back to 1977. The theater erupted in cheers and applause--to see it again on the big screen!
Once Upon a Time in the West (1969) is a masterclass in how to open a movie. It's better than many of the films on this list.
I remember watching "Trainspotting" for my film studies class, and being completely blown away by how the opening scene captures your attention, along with Iggy Pop playing over it. The first time, Renton is clearly being sarcastic, but the second, he sincerely believes the words, and urges the viewers to as well.
Ghost Ship will always be a movie I think of with a great opening scene
Yep, that was my comment- not even listed
Totally. The scene with the wire was unbelievable.
So good…
100%, though a supernatural movie, nothing was more real than the wire scene.
When I think of great opening scenes, the first thing that come to my mind is "Once Upon a Time in the West"
I just replied that (Sept 8th). I can't believe no honorable mention even?! Leone at his best. Can you hear the creaking windmill? The water drips. Woody Strode and Jack Elam. I gotta watch it now. DvD time.
Beat me to it!! 🤠
Great list!! I must be honest. The older movies had depth, originality, and amazing characters. Today, there is no originality. Remakes and 5,000 comic book movies made over and over again. The 80's and earlier were the best with a few exceptions. Thank you my friend.😊
The opening for Once Upon a Time in the West really deserves a spot on this list, or at least an honorable mention.
My favorite opening scene ever.
Star Trek (2009) is a criminally underrated opening sequence
Yes!1 That is so true!
The opening of Raiders is iconic, from the initial fade from the Paramount logo to Kalalea Mountain (Kauai, HI) to the camera blocking, almost like a side-scrolling video game, as we follow the party through the jungle, to the iconic silhouette of Indy and his trademark hat, to the final reveal as he turns and brandishes his whip, that was a master class in filmmaking. Then the tense trek into the temple, the frantic escape and the triumphal music of the getaway... all just to introduce the main character's primary attributes and skills before we even get started with the main story. Spielberg at his best.
Can't argue. Raiders was a great movie theatre experience, too. Right there with Jaws, Star Wars ... and I'm gonna mention Alien although the intro is the crew waking up which admittedly is all character development and slow mood science fiction development which finally evolves into the face hugger jumping onto John Hurt's space mask ... yes I digress but Alien was a great movie threatre experience. Just not classic opening scene. The early intro sets up THE iconic Chest bursting alien. It doesn't get much more memorable than that.
Touch of Evil has, imo, the best opening sequence. Written and directed by Orson Wells, its first three minutes and twenty seconds is a single continuous shot, breathtakingly suspenseful.
Exactly! It's definitely top 10 of opening scenes. That it culminated in a bomb going off sets up the movie brilliantly. It's my favorite Welles film, even better than Citizen Kane.
@@MichaelMoorePDX Oh, I'll have to watch the film. Thank you for your reviews!
I was going to post this one - thank you.
It would have been an insult to rate this low but it wasn't even mentioned. THAT is a travesty and at this point I seriously question the smarts of Mojo's research team.
PS: I think most people find the opening sequence (not scene - these are mostly sequences) of 2001: A Space Odyssey a major bore. Could have taken that out, put Touch Of Evil in, then ranked ToE within top 2.
I actually got the privilege of meeting Janet Leigh when a local theater hosted a festival of her films. That day featured this film and "The Manchurian Candidate."
@@MarkRMnich Wow! How nice! She was also in one of my favorite "COLUMBO" episodes. What a beauty she always was, too!
Jaws is number 1 for me. 50 years later and I still can't go into water at night.
Absolutely!
I don't enjoy swimming in the ocean for many reasons, but yeah, gotta agree w/you on that!
Because of this movies I won’t never go to swim in the sea.
After this movie vie I studied everythings about shark. And whatever I did it, I’m still afraid about to swim in the sea.
And plus, in the movie, the captain’s boat who wants to capture the shark, told a true story of a sailor whose boat was sunk during the Second World War and remained in the sea waiting for rescue for a long time and were almost all devoured by sharks. in the morning only a few survivors remained.
The robbing bank scene in The Dark Knight is so good and cleaver, especially when The Joker reveals his face
the way he says "stranger" is chilling
was it really that clever? we all knew it was gonna be the joker under the mask, no?
I loved that movie, but the last time I saw it I felt it was flat, empty, pretty ridiculous - something about Nolan's movies that never finds depth. Except for Interstellar, otherwise he's a pretty shallow director.
YES!! Or the free-airplane-job freeing Bane. Both very cool
"Cleaver" or "machete"?
'Once upon a Time in the West' has the best opening - something totally different from anything you've seen before. Charles Bronson stars in this spaghetti Western - totally worth checking out.
That iconic opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark is why I always recommend newcomers start with that film first. I don’t care if Temple of Doom takes place chronologically before Raiders, Raiders does an excellent job of introducing Indiana Jones as a character that the other films can’t pull off as effectively.
When a film opens with a character narrating from beyond the grave, a la "Sin City", "Sunset Boulevard" or "American Beauty", you know that you're in for an enthralling ride.
Once upon a time in the West, although a bit long by todays standards perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the movie.
HECK YEAH!! 🤠 The Boulder Temple Escape from 'Raiders Of The Ark's has always been my most favorite epic opening scene to start the adventures of Indiana Jones!
This may be a weird one, but I remember watching Cliffhanger when I was young, and that opening scene has stayed with me all these years! Not the best or most known movie, but man, that's a memorable scene!
Yes, great opening especially that 'fall' !
Beat me to it. That came to mind to me as well. Quite shocking and the horror of it. Really intense.
Cliffhanger and Eye for an Eye are the two best openings in film. I just watched EFAE again (it’s on UA-cam) just to be sure it’s the opening scene & the sequence that I’m talking about starts with the Director credits so there might be one scene before it while the cast credits are listed but I wouldn’t count that. This is the 1st FULL scene & Sally Field crushes it. Same with Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger. 👏👏👏
Opening scene from Star Wars, A New Hope was groundbreaking and monumental. Clearly the best opening scene of all time. If you were lucky enough to see it in a theatre when released in the summer of 1977, you understand just how awesome and impressive it really was. It changed the entire industry after that opening scene.
X-Men 2 had one of the best openings in a movie introducing us to Nightcrawler.
It's cool and fun but not powerful or moving
@bobbyblazini it's better than scream.
@@cmorris9494 no way Scream is a classic only the begging of Saws was scary the rest was quite boring
@@cmorris9494 what did scream have to do with this? Lol
@@bobbyblazini it was the first movie in the video. Perhaps you should watch the whole video before commenting.
The opening to A New Hope immediately came to mind I like how it immediately jumps to action after the opening credits
Agreed! Revenge of the Sith too.
Should have been in the top 5 at least. Large leap for special effects at that time! The laser bolts were all hand drawn. Just an amazing ride to get things rolling.
Saving Private Ryan.. first 20 minutes were amazing!
Thank you for including Inglorious Basterds! What a great opening. It's a great villain introduction and a masterclass in building tension.
Star Trek 2009 and the birth of Kirk amongst the mayhem. A masterpiece.
When I first saw "Raiders", I thought about the opening scene: "How can they top this?!?" And I was happy they did!!!
When the Paramount logo melts into the actual mountain, you know you're in for one heck of a ride!
Uh, "When a Stranger Calls"? "We traced the call. It's coming from inside the house!" The most terrifying dialogue I ever experienced in a movie.
That is not a bad call ( yes, call pun intended)😉😗
Scared the crap out of me!!
Great list. However, the opening to Cliffhanger deserves a spot.
Great picks! I love the older movies, they're so amazing! Jaws is my favorite.
May 25, 1977. Star Wars. Cinema changed forever, and the biggest impact was the opening scroll and ships fly over. Number one, no question.
Again? You put the opening of A New Hope in honorable mentions? To me, this is how you open an entire SERIES.
It has a phenomenal opening
They clearly didn't see it in a movie theatre. For those that did, the movie industry was forever changed after that opening scene. It was awesome and inspiring.
@@dwaynecoy1871 For me this was my 2nd filem as age of 12 and it defined for my whole life how cinema has to be.
"Children of Men" is such a brilliant, disturbing film.
There's an interview with Alfred Molina in which he talks about filming the opening scene of "Raiders". It was his first film, he'd never been on a set, and he didn't understand what Spielberg meant by "hit your mark". After a couple of takes (in which he completely missed his mark), Spielberg came over, complimented him, and, very quietly, asked if he knew what a mark was. When he confessed he didn't, Spielberg, again, very quietly and low-key, explained it to him. Molina says that Spielberg is always very kind and respectful to the people on his sets.
Yah, Alred was so young in this movie.
OMG - that is a lovely story! I always knew it was Molina. He's just amazing in every thing he does
You must be younger than me. NOTHING beats that Star Wars opening. Oh maybe not now, when we are used to such visuals, but in 1977 when we had just been ooing and ahhing that little starship zipping into view, and then that star destroyer barreled in, filling the entire screen space with a vessel like nothing we'd ever seen before, the theater I was in went wild. As good as "Raiders" opening is, it is not groundbreaking in the way that "Star Wars" achieved.
And because I was born in the 40s I knew just what "Rosebud" was the first time it was mentioned.
Agree, Star Wars was the best.
ANH has the best opening out of any movie ever imo and I’m pretty young so
SUPER TROOPERS!
Greatest opening scene of all time!
YOU BOYS EVER BEEN TO MEXICO?!!!
LOL!
It was not intense like many of these, but the opening to Back to The Future was fun and it hooked me right away with Marty going to Doc's place and you're wondering if he's starting up the time machine (you knew this movie was about time travel) when he's actually just hooking up to a bigass amplifier and going to play guitar (attempt to play).
While it's not my favorite film, it's still very iconic and I can't really think of a better opening to grab your attention: Pulp Fiction.
Saving Private Ryan should have been in this list
At #1
Normandy happened after ryan went to the cemetery.
You want the cemetery scene included in these 20 opening scenes?
@@yaiaja7989 no the scene of the D-Day invasion
@@speed2437 that is not tge opening scene lol
Dawn Of The Dead (2004) is the only movie I've ever been to where the audience applauded at the opening sequence.
compare the 2004 version with the original, it explains the applause.
Guardians of the Galaxy where Peter dancing while listening to his Walkman
The opening is his mother dying.
So he's an idiot.
Yeah...
Several people in the comments have mentioned Once Upon a Time in the West, but I really like the opening of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The introduction of the 3 main characters
Those of us who are old enough to have seen Indiana Jones when he first appeared on movie screens in 1981 in Raiders of the lost ark knew we would never see a better opening scene in a movie, ever. Nothing has come close to the excitement that scene generated. It was absolutely amazing to see it in a theater with hundreds of others, having no idea what we were about to witness. That was when movies were events, and not just entertainment. It was a different time.
My family went to see it, because my parents wanted to see Sean Connery's "Outland" but it was rated "R" so we all went to Raiders with no expectations whatsoever.
Saving Private Ryan
Indeed. About a half hour long and too real to be able to sleep at night.
Epic!!
It’s not the first scene
Cannon Ball Run intro, with the Black Lamborghini running from the police is one of the most remembered!!!
The Openings of New Hope, Jurassic Park, Raiders of The Lost Ark, The Sound of Music, The Dark Knight and Jaws are classic and fantastic beginnings to the most amazing movies ever 😊❤️❤️
Spielberg's movies have the most gripping opening scenes of most movies . Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, Raiders, West Side Story Even Schindler's List, with the disappearing flame, sucks you into the fun, the exhilaration,and even the horror to come. Master class.
Yeah, how can Saving Private Ryan not be here. It was half an hour of war at its realist (in cinema). Fascinating, enthralling, gripping ... and finally too much to, really, want to watch again. Another war movie that was so well done and so real that I asked myself: do I really want to watch that, again? Black Hawk Down. Although, I can't think how it begins ... just the recreation of a soldier dragged thru the street ... Too real because based on truth.
>>>Even Schindler's List, with the disappearing flame, sucks you into the fun ... <
Wait, WHAT?
My favorite movie opening will always be The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. Not only is that one of my favorite movies ever but the opening is just…so perfect. The plot is perfectly set up, Cate Blanchett’s soothing, quiet voice is so lovely to listen to, you get the backstory of the Ring and all the people that are and will be affected by it….It’s such a perfect and awesome opening
The opening scene of The Two Towers is also phenomenal. Seeing Gandalf descending with that sword is damned thrilling!
@@Jimmersaunt Oh my gosh yes! All of those movies are incredibly awesome with incredible openings!
The Opening of "From Dusk til Dawn" should absolutely be a part of this list. It perfectly sets the tone for the script, George Clooney's character, and also hits with a twist half-way through that foreshadows the huge twist half-way through the movie. One of my favorite scenes of all-time.
It was a great opening.
Unfortunately the rest of the movie never even came close to matching it. All downhill from there. .
Absolutely Raiders of the Lost Ark. I never had more fun watching a movie. I also love Lord of the Rings - Gandalf and the Balrog, or any and all of this immaculate story. Tolkien created an extraordinary world and Jackson, cast and crew had immense respect for it.
i agree about the fun.
Poor Chrissy. She did not successfully jump the shark 😉
She just died, btw, irl.
You missed Cliffhanger. As one critic put it, "The opening scene is worth the price of admission."
Yes, fabulous especially that fall !
oh, yeah. best Stallone movie that no one really talks about. Michael Rooker very memorable, too.
The opening scene is horrible, I don’t know how they filmed it!
I like when MsMojo (Rebecca) is the voice. She has a friendly, knowing smile (to her voice). Good video! Hard to argue about best movie intros mentioned. Although I was starting to wonder: Where is Once Upon a Time in the West. Sergio Leone. Train station, Wood planks. Windmill creaks, water drips. No dialogue until Bronson (and that harmonica): "You have 2 horses too many." classic.
Not even an honorable mention? For Once Upon a Time in the West? Ok I'll say it: That is almost a crime! otherwise great video WatchMojo, er, MsMojo
The opening to all 3 Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and all 3 Deadpool movies, Avengers Endgame and Spiderman No way home were some of my favorite movie openings that weren’t on this list
Casino Royale. Not only was it epic...but introduced the world to Daniel Craig 's era as 007.
The Spy Who Loved me has the most amazing opening.......
The opening of X-MEN Origins was pretty cool
To me, the most iconic is Star Wars A New Hope. Sitting in the theater, near the front, it felt like the Destroyer was really passing over us.
And that without 3D !
I was there in 1980. A film critic wrote about Raiders, "It begins like most movies end!"
A lot of people really don’t realize how much James Bond influenced Indiana Jones. They all begin at the end of the last (untold) adventure. Or in Goldeneye or Last Crusade, an adventure in the past that connects the story.
The opening of The Spy Who Loved Me is so much more epic and memorable than that of Goldeneye.
I actually prefer Quantum of Solace's opening to most of the other Bond movies...though Thunderball was pretty fun as well.
Saw it in the cinema and the drop went on and on
For someone who couldn't wait for Pierce Brosnan to finally step into the role, that first scene made it SO worth the wait! Bond was BACK, baby!
How can Gladiator not be on this list? The only spell seen one of my favorite openings and is iconic. For action enthusiasts, the opening scene in Dwayne Johnson’s The rundown is awesome.
The opening scene in Heat is intense. Nothing like an armored car robbery to start a movie.
As much as I love Raiders, Inglourious Basterds deserves the top spot. I don’t think I took a breath during the entire first scene the first time I saw it.
Speaking of the Cohen brothers, I love the VERY long opening sequence in Raising Arizona. “Her womb was a barren and rocky place where my seed could find no purchase". 😂
Agreed, fantastic writing and delivery
The opening sets up the entire plot and main characters in rapid fashion with incredible black humor, and the pace really doesn't ever let up. The "Huggies" chase scene is almost as good as the intro but not quite. This is one of my favorite movies ever.
I like the Cohen Bros but for some reason I always felt Raising Arizona was a bit overrated. The Big Lebowski too. I need to watch those 2 again. And Millers Crossing. I truly like Blood Simple; and The Husducker Proxy is just as entertaining the third time as the first (probly cuz its easier to understand the dialogue). Anyways glad you mentioned Raising Arizona. Need to see No Country for Old Men again, too.
Not having Saving Private Ryan in your top 20 is just plain wrong.
If you read the comments, you’ll see that it’s not the opening scene. 🙄
good list, Inglorious Bastards does it for me, your honorable mentions is also really good too
I love the opening scene in A nightmare on elm st.
Kill Bill had a great opening scene-you just can’t even believe she survived it!
Right. And I am going to resist (sayin) why I think some of Tarantino' movies are overblown and overrated. Still, I don't dislike his movies. even the ones I am tempted to complain about. I actually liked Once Upon a time in Hollywood as one of his best. Pulp Fiction and Resevoir Dogs👍
My top pick are: 3. lord of the rings: fellowship of the ring "War of the Last Alliance", 2. Titanic: searching for the Heart of the Ocean and found Jack Dawson's Drawing, 1. It's a Wonderful Life: Everyone in Town says a prayer to God to save George Bayle
Many great opening scenes, but the best one for me-the one that forced me to watch even though I was shaking and scared silly-was Jaws!!!! I still watch that movie over and over…
Top Gun. First scene and build up music, pure gold! And when I saw Maverics bike. Man, I had the same bike parked outside.
Inglorious Bastard, The Dark Knight, Raiders of the lost Ark and the Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring are my favourites.
"Desperado (Buscem "Hand cannon exposition)
*Baby Driver (has two great openings-chase & credits)
*28 Days Later
*The Thing (husky and music score)
"Reservoir Dogs (round table discussion into blood)
*Hardcore Henry (live action 1st person shooter disorienting)
*Demolition Man (straight to the action, only 5 minutes in the past)
*Due Date( RDJ shows his character's anxiety)
*300 (life of a Spartan)
*From Dusk Till Dawn (didn't see it coming)
*Lord of War (birth of a bullet)
The shining is simple, but the eerie music set to something as mundane as driving down the road on a sunny day sets the tone for the whole movie and puts the watcher on edge
"The Good, the bad, & the Ugly" (1966)
It's a long opening, but we are introduced to each of the main characters & what they are all about.
Holy hell. Saving Private Ryan is BY FAR the greatest opening scene in history, and it didn't' even make your top 10. Do you even watch movies?
You are RIGHT
I think it depends on what you mean by "opening scene". The opening in the cemetery is poignant, and does set up the film coming full circle - nice, but not really "all-time great". If you do include the entirety of the next 30 minutes on D-Day, then it must be the greatest opening scene in history, and no film is close.
There have been some great openings in movies. Like great classics like Star Wars, Jaws, The Wizard of Oz and many others
When it comes to opening scenes in movies, some of my favorites are Deadpool & Wolverine, Last Night In Soho and Scarface.
Fun Fact But True:
Steve Spielberg did the first "pull down" of the actress in the, opening scene of Jaws 🦈
The stunt woman also suffered some broken ribs...they had two boats pulling on her...they both pulled in opposite directions at the same time. Her pain was real!
@@lfd_eng9219 It wasn't boats, it was two groups of guys on opposite beaches each pulling her with a rope.
I saw Deadpool & Wolverine its opening weekend. That was the most clever sequence of opening credits I’ve ever seen.
I think all three Deadpool movies had brilliant openings.
The original version of The Mechanic with Charles Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent. I believe it's something like 16 minutes before a word is spoken.
I have seen most of these but being there in the Theater at 13 years old living on the gulf coast with the beach right down the road nothing and i mean nothing topped Jaws..That was a scary summer...
For an amazing opening, I love the music and cut from black to a blown out sandstorm in 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' - editing, cinematography and music all coming together.
The Ring has a good opening that really captures your attention.
Such a solid list, so happy A Clockwork Orange was in there. As a boomer teen, I remember a fairly new SNL doing a hilarious parody of Jaws.
"Candygram!"
Great list great job guys really enjoyed it 👏👏👏
Dawn of the Dead remake's opening was one of my favorites. Ridiculously intense.
That scene disturbed me for weeks lol.
Great list. I'd give a shout out to the first 10-15 of Ghostbusters. Funny, actually a little scary, teases the song.
Unfortunate that A Touch of Evil isn’t included here. It’s not great action but is a wonderful sweeping open for an excellent film.
Opening to pirates of the Caribbean 1
Young Elizabeth singing about pirates
Chills every time
Also the joker bank heist in dark knight
Agent K Retires Agent D Men In Black (1997)
This list could have been a top 50
Happy tuesday afternoon, Rebecca, take care and God bless you. Greetings from Colombia to you as well
This list Since should have had THE THING (1982). The Norwegian's in the helicopter trying to shoot the fleeing Husky dog before being blown up and shot was great. The audience is aghast at them trying to kill an innocent dog until later they find out the dog is not really a dog.
I usually critisize you, but this video is awesome ❤ Makes me want to see some of these movies
Once Upon a Time in the West & Saving Private Ryan
Christoph Waltz as landa in Inglourious Basterds
20 minutes of tension.
And The Shining of course.
Some of these were grasping at straws. XMen 2's opening sequence is unmatched.
Great picks!
I’d like to add Natural Born Killers, Swordfish, and any of the Final Destination films🥰