10 Best Opening Movie Scenes Of All Time (According To Reddit)

5. Up

Heath Ledger Joker The Dark Knight bank heist opening
Disney

Like Saving Private Ryan, the scene that a lot of people remember as the "opening" to Pixar's Up, isn't actually the opening.

We're talking, of course, about the montage of Carl and Ellie's life, which actually starts around seven minutes in, right after the two characters meet as kids.

Still, since this sequence does give the movie's primary narrative (Carl fulfilling Ellie's dream of visiting Paradise Falls) its initial thrust, it sort of is the opening, and since that's how people remember it anyway, it's worthy of a spot on this list.

The phrase "rollercoaster of emotions" is used a lot when describing movies, but this montage might be the most apt use of that phrase we've ever seen. From the joys of marriage and home-building to the pain of loss and death, the sequence captures the highs and lows of life using nothing more than some creative imagery (the babies appearing as clouds in the sky, that slow pan to a dimly-lit doctor's office) and a wonderful piece of music from composer Michael Giacchino.

It's funny, heartbreaking, hopeful, and every other emotion you could possibly feel, and it does all of this without a single line of dialogue.

Without question, it's one of the most impressive things Pixar has ever done.

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Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.