11 Awful Opening Scenes In Otherwise Awesome Movies
10. Pointless Voiceover Narration Spells Everything Out - Dark City
The Movie: Alex Proyas' criminally under-appreciated sci-fi neo-noir may have bombed at the box office, but strong reviews helped secure it a cult following in the years that followed its 1998 release. Though frequently compared to The Matrix which released the very next year, Dark City beat it to the punch with a sumptuous style and thought-provoking narrative that's very much its own, even if the Wachowskis' movie is the one most people remember.
The Scene: The film opens with Dr. Daniel P. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland) skulking around the city as he delivers a voice-over monologue, explaining who the "Strangers" are, what they want and why, as well as that he is helping them perform their experiments on Earth. Life in the city quite literally comes to a complete halt, and the opening titles roll.
Why It Sucks: Because the narration strips the film of its ambiguity and sense of mystery: it explains everything away from the outset and makes it decidedly less fun and interesting as a result. Proyas later confirmed that the voiceover was added at the behest of the studio, and when the Director's Cut was released, the scene was altered to remove the dialogue completely. It works much better that way, no doubt.