10 Best Movie Character Introductions Of All Time
2. Indiana Jones (Raiders Of The Lost Ark)
Raiders Of The Lost Ark's opening scene is seven minutes of sheer cinematic perfection, and it's easy to see why it helped cement Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones as one of the greatest action heroes of all time.
Movie history unfolded when the whip-wielding archaeologist made off with that golden idol for the first time, with a massive boulder in hot pursuit and a dramatic John Williams score blaring out.
Director Steven Spielberg kept Indy veiled in mystery to begin with, drip-feeding information about him as the story unfolded, but the filmmaker told viewers most of what they needed to know during this dizzying set piece. Doctor Jones is strong, brave, smart, humorous, dedicated and roguish.
To cap it all off, the intro even includes some whip-cracking action and a betrayal. Epic openings like this became a staple of the Indiana Jones franchise, but the series has never managed to top its debut in this regard.