What is the best opening scene/ sequence of any movie? And why is it the animated Lion King?

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    4211 months ago

    For the time? A New Hope. Opens with easily the most impressive spaceship battle ever filmed, moves to an exciting battle, introduces an awesome menacing bad guy ("If this is a diplomatic ship, then where is thr ambassador? breaks neck with one hand and throws away the body) and kickstarts the plot.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      711 months ago

      I am really, really glad that someone else had said this before I got here.

      The opening of ANH is a really great demonstration of minimalist storytelling. Not a moment of design - starship, character, action, nothing - is wasted; every interaction conveys something be it emotion or plot points. And after forcing the audience to sit through the opening crawl, I think that deluge of information is needed - anything less would have lost the audience.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      911 months ago

      The opening scene blew everyone’s minds in the theater! Nobody had ever seen anything like it before.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      211 months ago

      Their lead up to release campaign was also great. Just “what is the matrix?” in a bunch of places. Way better than trailers that make watching the movie unnecessary because they include the best jokes and action scenes. Especially since with the Matrix, the whole premise of the plot was the twist, so they couldn’t really give you anything.

    • TheRoarer
      link
      fedilink
      5
      edit-2
      11 months ago

      I liked the intro to 28 weeks later more than the rest of the movie. Even though it makes little sense how the kid led the infected to them, when they can outrun most people.

  • jp
    link
    fedilink
    2411 months ago

    Children of Men (2006) sets the scene perfectly: the future is filthy, the youngest person on the planet has just died, and our protagonist just narrowly survived a terrorist act. Marvellous film.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      211 months ago

      Weirdly, this is the first movie that came to mind even though I can’t even remember the opening scene. Just the way done of those long shots are filmed, I was like, I bet that had a great opening

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    2411 months ago

    Zombieland is overall underrated, but the intro is impeccable. Perfectly sets up the rules and the humor the rest of the movie follows.

    also, just thinking about the start of cool hand luke makes me giggle uncontrollably.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      011 months ago

      On Space Odyssey, I would agree that it’s cool to look at, but it’s terrible at conveying the meaning. You’d know if you read the book.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        111 months ago

        The book was based on early drafts of the movie, so the movie is not beholden to the novel’s interpretation.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    1711 months ago

    Pretty hard to beat the opening sequence of The Dark Knight. Really sets the tone for the whole movie.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    1611 months ago

    Saving Private Ryan is my pick but just to add something new to the conversation I’ll add Catch Me if You Can for one of the best illustrated opening credits.