The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
A lot of the ones mentioned on this thread have really great openings, so I’ll mention one that hasn’t been brought up.
I remember sitting in a movie theatre when “2001: A Space Odyssey” opened. The darkness that goes on and on, holding one’s breath in the silence, then the sound (Thus Spake Zarathustra)… and the magic. I was both thrilled, and chilled to the bone. I don’t remember very many movies having such a strong impact on me.
A lot of good ones already mentioned. I’ll add Casino Royale, the 2006 version with Daniel Craig as James Bond. The chase scene at (or near?) the opening was intense and well done. The chase scene running and jumping along building tops and then onto the tall crane.
But… Up!
I’ve never seen that movie but thanks to your descriptions and those of others I will have to find it. Here is the opening scene about Carl and Ellie’s love story summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G371JiLJ7A.
Minor detour here – Is it just me, or when they’re lying on the picnic blanket looking at clouds the first time - the turtle - when Carl looks and then closes his eyes with a smile and looks like he’s about to take a nap, is it me or does anyone else see Robin Williams’ smile on that face? That Robin Williams smile that says “life is good and I am happy”, like in The World According to Garp?
Maybe it’s the recent thread about celebs who have died and affected you that brings Robin Williams to mind, but to me it looks just like him there - at 45 seconds into the video.
Anyway, enough of that detour, and I have to find Up and watch it with Mrs. Bullitt! Thanks for sharing that.
Sometimes I’ll pop the DVD into my player, fully intending to watch only the incredible opening of that film.
Inevitably I end up watching the whole movie.
Absolutely. I don’t recall the actor who played the sheriff but his opening monologue sets the stage for Clooney and Taratino’s criminal activities. His acting is superb. I LOVE his nuanced performance. Everything that guys says or does in 5 minutes is just incredible…then he gets shot in the head and the rest of the movie just drives off a cliff. I rarely watch anything more than the opening scene but if I see it’s coming on…I stay tuned.
The first few scenes of Watchmen, particularly the opening credits, made it seem like it was going to be a far better movie then we actually got. I still mostly like it, but the beginning was something unique.
Yes, this. The rest of the movie struggles to keep up with the wonderful opening (it is still one of my favorites)
Add “Beverly Hills Cop” (the original), with the truck full of cigarettes, the chase, Murphy’s confrontation with the Police Lt., just tells you you’re in for a special ride (the sequels…not so much)
American Beauty.
The Wild Bunch
The rest of it is pretty damned incredible, too!
Great choices so far - all worthy candidates.
I’ll add the opening sequence of the Blues Brothers:
Joilet Jake getting released from prison, with that awesome camera shot of him being walked out of his cell block, from underneath the walkway…Elwood pulls up outside the prison in a beat up Dodge police car, gets out and folds his arms…Frank Oz listing all of Jake’s possessions (including the soiled condom!), the incredible shot of the giant prison gate opening, with the sun glaring behind it and a blurred silhouette of Jake waiting for the gate to open…meanwhile you hear the music slowly rising in volume and…baaa baaaa!!! THE BLUES BROTHERS -
“she caught the katy, and left me a mule to ride…”
Then they’re off the jump the bridge and go see the penguin…
I thought the beginning of The Avengers: Age of Ultron was pretty amazing.
When I first saw this in the theater, while the Star Destroyer was still doing it’s flyover, someone in the theater said loudly and clearly “Now this is a fuckin way to start a movie”
Oooo. I “saw” that one in utero 
but never since I emerged. I’ve got a nice TV and amazon has it for rent. Hmmm…
It’s free on Netflix as we speak.
The first 20 minutes of the original ‘When a Stranger Calls’ are genuinely terrifying. The rest of the movie…not so much.
I thought of a few others that have great openings.
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind has the desert scene with the missing planes.
- The Mummy has the incredible Anck Su Namun smeared tattoos!
- Coppola’s Dracula has a compelling opening that is pretty dark for a classic Universal horror reboot.
Agree on Star Wars, Raiders, Pulp Fiction and Dances with Wolves. Here are a few more:
Lethal Weapon 2 - I’ve always thought this was a great opening for an action movie. With no warning or setup, you’re just suddenly in the middle of a car chase that’s apparently been going on for several minutes already.
Inside Out - Great introduction to the premise with the beginning of a life.
2010 - Very intriguing conversation between Roy Scheider and Dana Elcar. “This is a good game… it’s called ‘The Truth’.”
Amelie - Unique intro to a unique film.
Boogie Nights - Great continuous shot of the nightclub, followed by the pivotal meeting between Burt Reynolds and Wahlberg.
Django Unchained - Christoph Waltz. 'Nuff said.
Annie Hall - Quirky, but hilarious. Especially the scene with the doctor early on.
Terminator 2 - The first 40 minutes or so is a great buildup because you don’t know who is on whose side until Arnold confronts the other terminator at the mall.
Full Metal Jacket - This should probably be at the top of the list.
Hunt for Red October - Great Cold War tone is set, and a really slick transition from Russian to English.
Kill Bill - Had me completely locked in and riveted within three minutes.
Life of Brian - The Sermon on the Mount, followed by the stoning scene still makes me laugh.
The Muppet Movie - Kermit singing in the pond. Classic.
Radio Days - Guess That Tune!
The Great Waldo Pepper - The little boy getting his plane ride brings a tear to my eye, and makes me nostalgic for a time I didn’t live in.
The Sting - “I just made the world’s easiest five grand!!!”
I’ll second this.
The Welcome to the Jungle sequence at the start of Lean on Me plays like a post apocalyptic horror movie.
Apologies, I know I’ve mentioned it before but the opening scene in The Ring sucked me in like no other movie I can think of at the moment. At first I thought “oh great, did this guy really take me to a cheesy teen horror flick?” and then “ohhhhh, it’s a *spoof *of a teen horror flick” and then it got very tense very quickly. And just when you’ve settled back down and have been lulled into a false sense of security, a very unnerving revelation is made.