# Films whose first 15 minutes are utterly magnificent. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 27, 2016, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258 "2016-04-27T15:39:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/41 "2016-04-27T20:47:18Z")
Finding Nemo. Early heartbreak when Nemo’s mother dies followed by the beauty and wonder of the coral reef when Nemo swims through it for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Last_Glacial_Maximum)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/42 "2016-04-27T20:55:07Z")
This will sound crazy, but the first 15 minutes of one of the “Night Of The living Dead” remakes was great {can’t remember it’s name}. The first 15 minutes is of a suburban neighborhood slowly realizing that Zombies are on the loose. Eventually, the movie becomes nearly unwatchable as the survivors hide out in a mall. But, those first 15 minutes were scary as heck ! . ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/43 "2016-04-27T21:07:20Z")
Deadpool. (Starting from the opening credit sequence.) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/44 "2016-04-27T21:12:38Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Although the rest of the movie wasn’t the very best Bond film, the opening Day of the Dead sequence in _Spectre_ was awesome. That’s what I was thinking. That spectacular pre-title sequence was much better than the main movie…except… I wanted it to end with Bond returning to the hotel room and the waiting girl as if nothing much had happened. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/45 "2016-04-27T21:15:32Z")
Tomorrow Never Dies [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/k6y3lwwokg4/hqdefault.jpg "Tomorrow Never Dies rescore - White Knight") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6y3lwwokg4) ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/46 "2016-04-27T21:24:59Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > The _Firefly_ movie _Serenity_ had a nice opening. Really nice action, snappy dialogue, etc. Then after they crash landed … umm, did somebody stop writing this thing? An entirely different movie from then on. And not in a good way. Obviously everybody has their own opinion, but I’m wondering if you actually mean _Serenity_. There wasn’t a crash-landing in the first 15 minutes, unless you’re referencing the “barn swallow” maneuver to get the Mule back on Serenity. Even if that’s the case, though, I’m not sure how you’d consider the rest of the movie to be a significant drop-off. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/47 "2016-04-27T21:34:04Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark both have great opening sequences Here’s how I once heard a speaker at an SF convention panel describe the opening of _SW:ANH:_ We see a spaceship come into view . . . and every fan says, “Now **that’s** a spaceship! That’s perfect! That’s exactly what a spaceship should be!” And then . . . we see an even bigger one chasing it! ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/48 "2016-04-27T21:42:11Z")
_My Favorite Wife_. _To Be or Not to Be_. In fact, the first five minutes of\* To Be or Not to Be \*are a brilliant start to a brilliant film (I mean the 1942 version, of course). _Return of the Secaucus 7_. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/49 "2016-04-27T21:55:19Z")
> [@Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](#): > > This will sound crazy, but the first 15 minutes of one of the “Night Of The living Dead” remakes was great {can’t remember it’s name}. The first 15 minutes is of a suburban neighborhood slowly realizing that Zombies are on the loose. > > Eventually, the movie becomes nearly unwatchable as the survivors hide out in a mall. > > But, those first 15 minutes were scary as heck ! > . That is the 2004 re-make of _[Dawn of the Dead](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363547/?ref_=nv_sr_5)_. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/50 "2016-04-27T22:07:53Z")
The long pre-credits sequence of _Raising Arizona_, completely encompassing the unlikely romance between Hi and Ed, their inability to have kids and then them embarking on the kidnapping. Any other film would have spent half the entire runtime just on that. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/51 "2016-04-27T22:19:27Z")
**1776**. “I can just…imagine.” And then “Sit down, John!” Also, **The Sound of Music**. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/52 "2016-04-27T22:19:54Z")
**Cliffhanger**. It went from fun outing to “I don’t want to die” (maybe in less than 15 minutes). I wasn’t scared of heights until after watching that sequence. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/53 "2016-04-27T22:23:21Z")
I’ve got to put in a plug for my favorite movie [Silverado](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a66-seQXVhk). The total silence straight into an awesome gun fight. Then the score picks up to one of the most awesome scenery shots for the opening credits. I’m not sure where the 15 min mark is, the linked video doesn’t get there but the move is awesome all the way through the second gun fight which is probably close to 15 min before the character development and plot starts. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/54 "2016-04-27T22:29:12Z")
The opening sequence of Kubrick’s _Lolita_ was very, very good. It made you feel as though maybe Kubrick was actually able to direct human interaction in a way that did not result in the characters becoming mannequins. The rest of the movie, though, was just a lot more uncomfort than I could deal with. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/55 "2016-04-27T22:40:55Z")
Pretty much every porno I’ve ever seen. Then they kinda get derivative. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/56 "2016-04-27T22:57:55Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Up will rip your heart out and stomp on it in the first fifteen minutes. . UP tells a better love story in those minutes, without word, than the entire Twilight saga does in four films. ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/57 "2016-04-27T23:51:37Z")
The opening of _Goldeneye_ was pretty awesome, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/58 "2016-04-27T23:54:24Z")
Super Troopers. While the movie itself is pretty funny, the first 10-15 minutes of it are the funniest 15 min I’ve seen. Man, im cracking up just remembering it now. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/59 "2016-04-28T03:38:42Z")
Just remembered the opening scene in the much-reviled _Heaven’s Gate_. That college yard filled with reeling waltzers is just amazing to watch. It cost a lot of time and treasure to get that scene, and it is only three or four minutes long, but it is almost worth the price. Again, the rest of the film, pretty painful, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258/60 "2016-04-28T04:30:21Z")
The first part of **Wall-E** (maybe it was more than 15 minutes) did a good job portraying a lonely robot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-whose-first-15-minutes-are-utterly-magnificent/753258.md?page=4)