20 terrible movies with great opening scenes

The Black Cauldron might be a cult favorite for many Disney fans, but even those who love it have to admit that it’s one of the studio’s weakest productions. It does have an effective opening sequence, though, which introduces the titular cauldron and helps to set the tone of the movie to follow. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is something of a mess, though it nevertheless continues to serve as a fascinating look at what Disney might have become had it chosen a more adult-oriented direction in its animated offerings.

The 2014 Godzilla  brought the titular creature decisively into the 21st century of American cinema, but even the movie’s fans would admit that its best moments are in the opening. After all, these moments mark Bryan Cranston’s appearance, and he makes sure that makes the most out of his rather limited screentime. The rest of the movie is pretty rote when it comes to its plot, and Godzilla himself is remarkably absent during most of it, so it makes a lot of sense that most people would remember those opening moments more than almost any other part of the film’s runtime.

Up might be a movie that’s beloved by many, but it has to be said that most of the film is, at best, pretty mediocre when it comes to its story. What really allows the film to sing, however, is the opening, which features what is quite possibly the most emotionally devastating piece of animation ever put on film. The rest of the movie, though undeniably fun and entertaining enough, just never quite achieves that same level of emotional power and maturity, so it makes sense that most people would remember the beginning more than anything else.

The Star Wars prequel trilogy is a decidedly mixed bag, and for many The Phantom Menace is one of the weakest of the franchise. This is a shame, because the opening scene is definitely a highlight, showcasing as it does both the bond between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi and the formidable fighting abilities of the last full generation of Jedi. The rest of the movie is certainly entertaining in its own way, but it lacks the sort of story discipline that would have allowed it to become truly great.

Disney’s Tarzan has the dubious distinction of being the film that marks the official end of the studio’s Renaissance era. It just never quite captures the power, the grandeur, and the magic of so many of its predecessors. That said, it does at least have a powerful introduction, one that is very effective at setting the stage for the action to come. The rest of the movie, however, just never quite captures the exhilarating sense of magic that was always such a key part of the studio’s best productions.

If there’s one thing that can be said about the Jurassic World films, it would have to be the introduction of the Mosasaurus, arguably one of the coolest prehistoric creatures to appear in the franchise. Fallen Kingdom features an adrenaline-laden and exhilarating intro, one that comes close to capturing some of the magic of the original trilogy. Sadly, the rest of the film never lives up to that excitement, and it sometimes feels as if the cast are just going through the motions rather than trying to create something truly powerful.

Daniel Craig certainly adds his own charisma to the role of James Bond in the various films in which he stars as the character. As with the rest of the franchise, however, the Craig films are hit-or-miss, and most of Spectre is the latter, with some uninspiring action sequences and a film that really struggles to find its footing, particularly with its mediocre villain. The opening, however, is undeniably stylish, and it sets up a set of expectations that the rest of the movie really never quite meets.

James Bond might be an institution, but it has to be said that the Bond movies can be quite inconsistent when they come to quality. This is true of Die Another Day,  for example, which has a bombastic and exciting opening sequence, one which showcases just how formidable Bond can be. After that, however, the movie just starts going downhill, and it features some of the worst dialogue to be found in the entirety of the James Bond franchise. Pierce Brosnan certainly deserved better.

Few films have been as divisive as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first installment of the sequel trilogy. There’s no question, though, that it has a beginning that leaves an impression. In addition to the obligatory crawl — always a key part of a Star Wars film — the intro plunges the viewer right into the action, striking just the right balance between the usual pleasures of Star Wars and something new. It’s just unfortunate that the rest of J.J. Abrams’ film ends up being a rehash of A New Hope. 

Jurassic Park has proven to be a remarkably enduring and valuable franchise, with the most recent iteration, Jurassic World Rebirth, managing to make quite a lot of money at the box office. However, it has to be said that none of them have ever quite lived up to the majesty and awe of the original film. The opening to Rebirth, however, does at least have a pretty great opening scene, one that’s filled with a lot of dread and even a little bit of the CGI magic that made the first film such a lasting delight.

Few would argue that Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy is in any way as good as The Lord of the Rings, but it has its high moments. The introductory prologue of An Unexpected Journey is definitely a high point in this series, as Bilbo narrates the history of Thorin and the other Dwarves, as well as their feuds with Thranduil and Smaug. It’s all quite epic, but the film that follows shows all of the strains of the trilogy as a whole, which tends to feel very bloated and overlong.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine might not rewrite the script for the franchise, and it’s definitely one of the weakest X-Men films, but it has an intro that nicely sets up the kind of man that Logan/Wolverine will become later in life. It is, in some ways, a Greek tragedy, as the young James Howlett kills his own father without realizing it. It’s just a shame the rest of the movie didn't end up living up to its own significant potential, despite Hugh Jackman’s best efforts. 

Mortal Kombat was entertaining in its own right, but it left many fans of the original video game quite cold. There’s no question, though, that its intro is quite gripping and brave in its own way, since it gives us an assassination whose effects will continue to be felt for generations. The rest of the movie is certainly an entertaining romp, but nothing quite compares to the old-fashioned martial arts film pleasures that the opening sequence conjures, and one can’t help but wish that the rest of the movie had followed this path.

For all of its flaws — and fans have been very vocal of pointing them out — Zack Snyder’s Batman v. Superman still has some redeeming qualities. Chief among these is the opening sequence, which gives us a great deal of insight into the trauma of Bruce Wayne/Batman’s background and the moments that led to him becoming a masked superhero and vigilante. It’s also a remarkably subdued and somber moment for Snyder, and it demonstrates that there is more to him than his oft-bombastic style would suggest.

There are many things to enjoy about the humorous spy spoof Spy, beginning with the comedic talents of Melissa McCarthy. In some ways, though, the very best thing about the movie is the beginning, particularly the opening sequence. The film itself is funny enough as far as it goes, but it would definitely have been improved had the film utilized many more aspects of the genre it’s spoofing, so that it could become something more than just a spoof —  perhaps even an entertaining spy film in its own right.

I Am Legend is the third screen adaptation of Richard Matheson’s novel of the same name. It has a very memorable beginning, since it features an interview with the character played by Emma Thompson, before it segues into the post-apocalyptic world in which most of the human population has been wiped out and most of the remainder are vampiric creatures. While Will Smith does everything he can to elevate the rest of the movie, it’s stymied by a relatively unimaginative screenplay and an altered ending that is far too simplistic.

2009's Daybreakers might end up being largely a typical vampire movie, but its opening is quite compelling. In large part, this stems from the fact that it effectively establishes the world where vampires have become the dominant species. There are some other enjoyable aspects of the movie, including its performances and its undeniably unique visual style. However, even these aren’t quite enough to save it from being a bit forgettable, especially compared to the many other larger-than-life vampire movies that came out around the same time.

28 Weeks Later is entertaining enough, but there’s no question that in many ways it’s inferior to Danny Boyle’s  28 Days Later. That said, it does have a very powerful opening scene, one which finds Don Harris forced to leave his wife behind to a group of the infected. It’s a powerful and haunting moment, particularly given Don’s eventual fate. It’s one of those moments that manages to outshine the rest of the film, leaving one to wonder how much better this sequel might have been if Boyle had been at the helm.

For the most part, the film Priest is quite lackluster and often quite boring. One exception to this is the animated prologue, which far outshines anything else that the film manages to produce. A great deal of this can be ascribed to Genndy Tartakovsky, the noted animation director who was in charge of the prologue. He injected his own unique style into this part of the film, and one can’t help but wish that the rest of Priest had managed to live up to its own opening gambit.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is an undoubtedly ambitious film, but it far too often doesn’t live up to its own goals. Fortunately, the opening sequence is very good. In addition to helping to establish a great deal of world-building, it’s also beautiful to look at, and it all serves as a reminder of why Besson is often regarded as a great, if uneven, sci-fi filmmaker. As so often, however, the strength of the opening scene just draws attention to the unfortunate flaws in the rest of the movie.