20 Greatest Opening Movie Scenes Of All Time

20. Terminator 2

Terminator 2 Skeleton T-800
TriStar Pictures

James Cameron's sequel to 1984's The Terminator is a sci-fi spectacular in almost every way. It departed from the horror-like tone of the original, turned Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor into one of the silver screen's most iconic leading figures and gave Arnold Schwarzenegger a career defining role as a reprogrammed T-800.

Before all that, however, came an opening look at the post-apocalyptic future awaiting humanity in the year 2029. Cameron's original film had done the same, but only briefly, and while Judgement Day's sequence barely lasts two minutes and thirty seconds, it was enough to conjure one of the most iconic dystopia's in sci-fi history.

It looks horrific, and Linda Hamilton's narration only hammers home the nightmare further.

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Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.