10 Best Opening Scenes From Movie Sequels
From the setting the tone, to peaking too early, not all opening movie scenes are equal.
A film's opening sequence is arguably the most important component of a project. It's during this kicking-off of a feature that a director must find a way to successfully grasp hold of an audience's attention, reassuring them that the next two hours of their lives won't be wasted on a lacklustre story and forgettable characters.
Yet, those stakes are arguably raised when it comes to the follow-up to an adored or commercially successful outing as fans now enter a theatre with higher expectations after having their minds' blown during the previous experience.
Pump out a stale or flat introduction to said sequel, and filmmakers will soon find themselves facing an uphill battle to top or even match the movie that came before it. Captivate or amaze fans with a jaw-dropping set-piece, heart-breaking shock, or side-splitting set of gags from the off, and the potential for yet another universally adored addition to a franchise only grows.
From secret agents being thrown into life-threatening situations, to wizards doing everything in their power to keep the forces of evil at bay, this bunch of scenes didn't give us a chance to get comfy in our seats before exposing us to some of the finest pieces of cinema you're ever likely to see.
10. Mad Max: Fury Road - A Captured Max
Few films have ever hit the ground running in quite the way George Miller's return to the desolate world of Mad Max did with Fury Road in 2015.
Preparing audiences for the non-stop action-packed thrill ride they were about to strapped to the front of, Miller kicks things off by having the titular Max captured by a bunch of pale white lads by the name of the War Boys.
After being dragged through the desert, Tom Hardy's leading character is soon shaved and tattooed by his ferocious captors in an undisclosed location. Giving into his primal instinct to survive, though, Max then breaks free from his restraints, leading the War Boys on a merry chase through the facility in a sequence which resembles the grungiest Benny Hill skit imaginable.
This all leads to the climactic realisation that Max is going absolutely nowhere, with the protagonist launching himself off the side of a ridiculously high ledge, in what is revealed to be Immortan Joe's citadel, onto a swinging hook, only to be dragged kicking and screaming back inside the intense structure.