Movies With the Best Opening Sequences
I'm sure there are many that I forgot, but here are some movies that just have amazing openings, that draw you in from the very get go. So, in no particular order...
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- DirectorPete DocterBob PetersonStarsEdward AsnerJordan NagaiJohn Ratzenberger78-year-old Carl Fredricksen travels to Paradise Falls in his house equipped with balloons, inadvertently taking a young stowaway.The story of Carl and his wife is so sweet, so touching, so romantic, so perfect ... the rest of the movie, good as it is, simply can't live up to the first 15 minutes.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherLuke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.The scrolling story, sets the background for the movie, but also sets the tone for the epic story that follows in breathtaking fashion.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKaren AllenPaul FreemanIn 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.For one of the greatest adventures ever put to film, what a better way to open than with the most classic action scene ever put to film: Indy running with the boulder behind him.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroRay LiottaJoe PesciThe story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.From the opening line, the whole concept of the mob and gangsters is romanticized, to the point where I may not agree with Henry's choices, but am sucked in to his glamorous lifestyle.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartJohn DallFarley GrangerTwo men try to convince themselves they've committed the perfect murder by hosting a dinner party after strangling a former classmate to death.I'm sure Rope isn't the only movie to open with a shot of someone being murdered, but for this movie, to open that way, and then keep the dead body front and center (if hidden) the rest of the way, makes for an intro that never leaves your mind.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsJulie AndrewsChristopher PlummerEleanor ParkerA young novice is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer.The fly over of Austria is beautiful, but when we finally get to the mountain with Maria spinning and then breaking out into song, you know immediately that you are going to love her.
- DirectorJerome RobbinsRobert WiseStarsNatalie WoodGeorge ChakirisRichard BeymerTwo youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy.The opening 10 or 15 minutes, wordless, meticulously choreographed, tell you everything you need to know. The Sharks. The Jets. And how both sides have antagonized one another enough that a tragic conclusion is almost inevitable before the first word of dialogue is spoken.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenOrlando BloomA meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.What makes Tolkien's epic great is not just the characters or story, but the incredible richness of the history of Middle-Earth. Trying to capture that in a movie should have been a great challenge, since exposition from books often disappears in films, but Peter Jackson manages by giving us a history lesson. We get the important background, wrapped up in exciting battle scenes, haunting narration by Cate Blanchett, and preserving the nostalgia for things lost in the past that permeates Tolkien's books.
- DirectorLes MayfieldStarsRichard AttenboroughElizabeth PerkinsDylan McDermottA lawyer and a little girl must prove that a man claiming to be Santa Claus is the real thing.The original is better than the remake in nearly every way (especially the ending), but the opening to this version is simply charming when Kris is recognized on the street as Santa, and the look of utter surprise by the child when he admits to it!
- DirectorJames FrawleyStarsJim HensonFrank OzJerry NelsonKermit and his newfound friends trek across America to find success in Hollywood, but a frog legs merchant is after Kermit.As we come down from the credits and into the swamp to meet Kermit, singing one of the most inspirational songs ever in a simple voice that suits the song better than a more stylized version ... and then meeting Dom Deluise ... we immediately get what has always made the Muppets great -- songs, silliness, and dreams.