Is There Any Better Movie Intro?
4-Feb-23 1:24pm
#1 bonham2
Raiders of the Lost Ark is as close to perfect as any action movie can be, but the intro might be the best intro in any movie ever.
We start with our hero cloaked in shadows, telling us he's not perfect, combined with a beautifully atmospheric and creepy score by the greatest movie composer ever (John Williams). One of his followers attempts to rob/attack him from behind, which is when we get the coolest intro to a main character ever. Indy disarms him with his whip and then he moves into the light. We hear how dangerous the cave is and learn pretty early that his competitor, who was real good, didn't make it out. We see how smart and cautious he is by avoiding multiple traps all while building tension. Then we get to see him improvise under pressure as the cave literally crumbles under him while he escapes. He gets double crossed by the excellent Alfred Molina (pre Doc Ok fame). As he escapes one of the most iconic scenes ever with the boulder, we learn about his main nemesis and learn that Indy wants to preserve the artifacts that he hunts instead of making a profit. There is another chase scene which the hero narrowly escapes only to finally hear the score reveal the main hero theme. Oh, and we learn that the guy had absolutely no fear at all...except for snakes.
If it's not the best intro to a movie, please tell me a better one.
#1 bonham2
Raiders of the Lost Ark is as close to perfect as any action movie can be, but the intro might be the best intro in any movie ever.
We start with our hero cloaked in shadows, telling us he's not perfect, combined with a beautifully atmospheric and creepy score by the greatest movie composer ever (John Williams). One of his followers attempts to rob/attack him from behind, which is when we get the coolest intro to a main character ever. Indy disarms him with his whip and then he moves into the light. We hear how dangerous the cave is and learn pretty early that his competitor, who was real good, didn't make it out. We see how smart and cautious he is by avoiding multiple traps all while building tension. Then we get to see him improvise under pressure as the cave literally crumbles under him while he escapes. He gets double crossed by the excellent Alfred Molina (pre Doc Ok fame). As he escapes one of the most iconic scenes ever with the boulder, we learn about his main nemesis and learn that Indy wants to preserve the artifacts that he hunts instead of making a profit. There is another chase scene which the hero narrowly escapes only to finally hear the score reveal the main hero theme. Oh, and we learn that the guy had absolutely no fear at all...except for snakes.
If it's not the best intro to a movie, please tell me a better one.
4-Feb-23 2:52pm
#3 bonham2
shadyfozzie wrote:
Saving private Ryan's beach scene Baby driver opening car chase
Ooh, Saving Private Ryan is a really good one. I didn't think about that. My two other thoughts were Star Wars A New Hope and Pulp Fiction. Obviously, Pulp Fiction's intro doesn't rise to the level of the others, but I do love the conversation between the two Diner robbers ending with "Any of you fudging pigs move, and I'll execute every fudging last one of you." Classic intro. The first Star Wars intro is fantastic, introducing Vader, Leia and the droids with a big space battle. It's pretty great. The only thing keeping it from Raiders level awesomeness is the fact that we really don't get introduced to the main protagonist until after this scene.
#3 bonham2
shadyfozzie wrote:
Saving private Ryan's beach scene Baby driver opening car chase
Ooh, Saving Private Ryan is a really good one. I didn't think about that. My two other thoughts were Star Wars A New Hope and Pulp Fiction. Obviously, Pulp Fiction's intro doesn't rise to the level of the others, but I do love the conversation between the two Diner robbers ending with "Any of you fudging pigs move, and I'll execute every fudging last one of you." Classic intro. The first Star Wars intro is fantastic, introducing Vader, Leia and the droids with a big space battle. It's pretty great. The only thing keeping it from Raiders level awesomeness is the fact that we really don't get introduced to the main protagonist until after this scene.
4-Feb-23 7:35pm
#5 BlueJava
Friday when the Jehovah witness came to the door and woke Craig up is the best intro ever.
#5 BlueJava
Friday when the Jehovah witness came to the door and woke Craig up is the best intro ever.
4-Feb-23 7:36pm
#6 Renaissance2K
Not quite up there with some of these suggestions, but the bank heist that kicks off The Dark Knight is pretty great.
#6 Renaissance2K
Not quite up there with some of these suggestions, but the bank heist that kicks off The Dark Knight is pretty great.
4-Feb-23 10:39pm
#8 egg
Can't think of any. In my experience movies usually start off really boring. Although come to think of it, I liked the clock tower story at the start of Benjamin Button more than the main plot. The scene with the mom on her death bed also made me cry. But I ended up quitting the movie in the first hour.
I saw the Baby Driver opening on yt once, and it was pretty cool.
The intro to the original Star Wars is pretty famous. Comes in swinging, that's for sure.
#8 egg
Can't think of any. In my experience movies usually start off really boring. Although come to think of it, I liked the clock tower story at the start of Benjamin Button more than the main plot. The scene with the mom on her death bed also made me cry. But I ended up quitting the movie in the first hour.
I saw the Baby Driver opening on yt once, and it was pretty cool.
The intro to the original Star Wars is pretty famous. Comes in swinging, that's for sure.
4-Feb-23 10:53pm
#9 shadyfozzie
A few more:
Inglorious Bastards (so much tension)
OG Scream w/ Drew Barrymore (mostly cause she dies in like the 1st 10 minutes)
Deadpool
Avengers: Infinity War
UP aka the saddest opening of all time
#9 shadyfozzie
A few more:
Inglorious Bastards (so much tension)
OG Scream w/ Drew Barrymore (mostly cause she dies in like the 1st 10 minutes)
Deadpool
Avengers: Infinity War
UP aka the saddest opening of all time
5-Feb-23 1:07am
#10 Orlandu
The Lion King is pretty classic. Pretty much tells you all you need to know without a single word.
Fellowship of the Ring was really well done, too. Really gave the sense that you were about to watch something epic.
The Transformers (animated) movie did a great job of showing the horror of Unicron and had an absolutely dogin' intro theme.
The GI Joe (animated) movie also opened with a great theme song and a jetpack battle around the Statue of Liberty. I honestly don't know how they could have opened that movie any better.
#10 Orlandu
The Lion King is pretty classic. Pretty much tells you all you need to know without a single word.
Fellowship of the Ring was really well done, too. Really gave the sense that you were about to watch something epic.
The Transformers (animated) movie did a great job of showing the horror of Unicron and had an absolutely dogin' intro theme.
The GI Joe (animated) movie also opened with a great theme song and a jetpack battle around the Statue of Liberty. I honestly don't know how they could have opened that movie any better.
5-Feb-23 8:19am
#12 bonham2
Scream with Drew Barrymore is great. It absolutely set the tone and it was unheard of to kill the movies biggest star that early on.
Inglorious Basterds is shutter great one. Like Raiders, if it's on TV, I HAVE to watch the entire intro. Christoph Waltz does such an amazing job in this scene. He is outwardly polite and gracious, while being menacing the whole time.
And for The Lion King, I teach a General Music class in my school, and I always use that opening to discuss music in the movies. It's such a great intro without even saying a word.
#12 bonham2
Scream with Drew Barrymore is great. It absolutely set the tone and it was unheard of to kill the movies biggest star that early on.
Inglorious Basterds is shutter great one. Like Raiders, if it's on TV, I HAVE to watch the entire intro. Christoph Waltz does such an amazing job in this scene. He is outwardly polite and gracious, while being menacing the whole time.
And for The Lion King, I teach a General Music class in my school, and I always use that opening to discuss music in the movies. It's such a great intro without even saying a word.
5-Feb-23 8:54am
#13 picklenickel
I’ve always been partial to The Big Lebowski’s intro. The sweet, dulcet tone of San Elliot’s monologue backed by gentle country crooning that drops into that long pan in on the Dude, which is all shortly followed up by his return home, where he’s ambushed and lets out one of my favorite screams in any movie I’ve ever seen.
And one of my all-time favorite lines ever as well, while Wu is about or piss on the Dude’s rug.
“Ever thus to deadbeats, Lebowski.”
And THEN dropping into Dylan’s “Man in Me.”
Dang. I need to go watch The Big Lebowski again now.
#13 picklenickel
I’ve always been partial to The Big Lebowski’s intro. The sweet, dulcet tone of San Elliot’s monologue backed by gentle country crooning that drops into that long pan in on the Dude, which is all shortly followed up by his return home, where he’s ambushed and lets out one of my favorite screams in any movie I’ve ever seen.
And one of my all-time favorite lines ever as well, while Wu is about or piss on the Dude’s rug.
“Ever thus to deadbeats, Lebowski.”
And THEN dropping into Dylan’s “Man in Me.”
Dang. I need to go watch The Big Lebowski again now.
5-Feb-23 4:34pm
#14 KCPenguins
Some great ones mentioned, Saving Private Ryan is probably my favorite of those listed.
One of my favorites is Once Upon a Time in the West. Classic Sergio Leone. Would have been even more epic had Clint Eastwood been available to film the intro. Really love Shane's intro as well showing my western bias.
I also want to list a zombie movie as so many have great intros. 28 Days Later stuck out from memory (The Walking Dead), but I forgot about the infection explanation intro. 28 Weeks Later was also phenomenal. From movies, I'd go 28 Weeks Later, but I really like what The Walking Dead intro did with the 28 Days Later plot.
Jaws also had a great intro, and 2001: A Space Odyssey had the Dawn of Man scene.
#14 KCPenguins
Some great ones mentioned, Saving Private Ryan is probably my favorite of those listed.
One of my favorites is Once Upon a Time in the West. Classic Sergio Leone. Would have been even more epic had Clint Eastwood been available to film the intro. Really love Shane's intro as well showing my western bias.
I also want to list a zombie movie as so many have great intros. 28 Days Later stuck out from memory (The Walking Dead), but I forgot about the infection explanation intro. 28 Weeks Later was also phenomenal. From movies, I'd go 28 Weeks Later, but I really like what The Walking Dead intro did with the 28 Days Later plot.
Jaws also had a great intro, and 2001: A Space Odyssey had the Dawn of Man scene.
6-Feb-23 8:27am
#17 Best1989
The Lion King has one of the best ones for sure.
Also, this:
https://www.youtube....
#17 Best1989
The Lion King has one of the best ones for sure.
Also, this:
https://www.youtube....
6-Feb-23 12:03pm
#18 Finn
Baby Driver was pretty cool and I have to agree with Saving Private Ryan... I don't think anything comes remotely close to it.
#18 Finn
Baby Driver was pretty cool and I have to agree with Saving Private Ryan... I don't think anything comes remotely close to it.
6-Feb-23 2:49pm
#19 bonham2
Everyone mentioning Baby Driver. Never saw it. I guess I'll have to check that one out.
#19 bonham2
Everyone mentioning Baby Driver. Never saw it. I guess I'll have to check that one out.
7-Feb-23 6:44am
#20 bill
While not even close to the same league as other movies people have suggested here, the first movie that came to mind for me is Happiness (1998). The opening scene has a couple at a restaurant. There's this instant sense that something is wrong and as they continue to talk very awkwardly, you come to realize that she has just broken up with him. It's sublime, in its own horrible way and sets the tone for the rest of the movie.
#20 bill
While not even close to the same league as other movies people have suggested here, the first movie that came to mind for me is Happiness (1998). The opening scene has a couple at a restaurant. There's this instant sense that something is wrong and as they continue to talk very awkwardly, you come to realize that she has just broken up with him. It's sublime, in its own horrible way and sets the tone for the rest of the movie.
Is There Any Better Movie Intro?