7 Great Opening Scenes In Otherwise Disappointing Movies

A movie’s opening scene is a filmmaker’s most vital chance to hook the audience, introduce the story’s world, and set the emotional tone for what’s to come. Whether it’s a thrilling action sequence or a character-focused moment that highlights what’s at stake, these first few minutes are essential for gaining the audience’s trust. A well-crafted opening creates a positive first impression, encouraging viewers to invest their time and money in the film.

It’s disappointing when a movie starts strong but quickly becomes underwhelming. Few things are more frustrating than watching a film that’s amazing at first, only to get progressively worse. This happens more often than you’d think. The strong beginning actually makes the later disappointment even greater, as you realize how much potential the movie wasted.

7) Die Another Day

While Die Another Day eventually became known for its over-the-top effects and unrealistic scenes, it started with a surprisingly realistic and intense opening. The film begins with Pierce Brosnan skillfully surfing into a heavily guarded North Korean beach, followed by a thrilling hovercraft chase filled with impressive practical stunts and explosions – exactly what Bond fans want to see. What really stood out was Bond actually being captured. Seeing the usually invincible 007 defeated and taken prisoner was a bold move that defied the typical Bond formula. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie abandoned this gritty realism, opting instead for silly gadgets and poor CGI, making the fantastic opening sequence feel like it belonged to an entirely different film.

6) Prometheus

Ridley Scott revisited the world of Alien with Prometheus, beginning with a stunning visual sequence that explores the origins of life. The film opens with a solitary alien figure on ancient Earth, drinking a dark liquid that breaks down his body and seemingly plants the seeds of life on the planet. This beautiful, silent scene immediately establishes an epic scope and hints at profound themes of creation and sacrifice. Although Prometheus remains visually impressive, the story unfortunately gets lost in illogical character choices and raises many questions without providing satisfying answers.

5) Mortal Kombat (2021)

The 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot starts strong, with a fantastic opening scene set in 17th-century Japan. It shows the heartbreaking attack on Hanzo Hasashi’s (Hiroyuki Sanada) family by Bi-Han (Joe Taslim), who later becomes Sub-Zero. This sequence is powerfully acted and features impressive fight choreography that stays true to the video games. Sanada delivers a particularly compelling performance, convincingly portraying the grief that drives his character to become Scorpion. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie doesn’t live up to this strong beginning. The introduction of the unremarkable new character Cole Young (Lewis Tan) and a confusing explanation of the fighters’ powers weigh the film down. The action that follows feels uninspired and generic, and surprisingly, the actual Mortal Kombat tournament never really happens in the movie.

4) X-Men Origins: Wolverine

The opening sequence of X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a surprisingly effective mini-biography, quickly covering over a hundred years of Logan and Victor Creed’s lives. Through scenes set during the Civil War, both World Wars, and Vietnam, it shows how they developed their healing powers, became increasingly cynical about people, and how Victor started to become dangerously unhinged. This opening suggested a powerful, character-focused war movie about their complicated relationship. Unfortunately, the film quickly turned into a chaotic mix of cameos meant to please fans, poor special effects, and a particularly bad version of Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds) that people still talk about negatively.

3) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Despite a confusing overall plot, the beginning of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is brilliantly done. Director Zack Snyder cleverly shows the devastating battle from Man of Steel through the eyes of Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) as he tries to survive. Seeing Wayne rush into the chaos and dust as buildings fall around him makes the destruction feel real and personal. This effectively explains Batman’s fear and animosity towards Superman, giving their conflict genuine emotional impact. Unfortunately, this strong start is wasted by a film that later relies on confusing dream sequences and a badly-made CGI creature to solve its problems. Furthermore, the movie spends too much time setting up the Justice League instead of focusing on the story it should be telling.

2) Ghost Ship

Horror fans often praise Ghost Ship solely for its incredible opening. The film starts in 1962 on a luxurious ocean liner, where a lively dance is suddenly and horrifically interrupted when a snapped electrical wire tears through the crowd. The way the bodies slowly fall apart is brilliantly timed, making it one of the most shocking massacres ever filmed and suggesting a truly terrifying movie. Unfortunately, after the initial scene, the film shifts to a predictable haunted house plot with a salvage crew, and it never lives up to the originality and impact of those first five minutes.

1) 28 Weeks Later

It was a challenge to follow up the famously shocking start of 28 Days Later, but the sequel, 28 Weeks Later, actually begins with a scene that many find even more intense. The film opens with Don (Robert Carlyle) and a few other survivors sheltering in a rundown cottage. When infected people attack, Don has to make a terrible choice: save himself by leaving his wife behind. The image of him running for his life across a field, with a massive group of infected close on his heels, set to a pounding soundtrack, is truly frightening. While the rest of the movie is decent, it doesn’t quite reach that same level of fear and instead becomes a fairly typical action film that lacks the emotional impact of its opening scene.

Can you think of any other movie where the beginning is much better than everything that follows? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-11-03 01:15