10 Greatest Opening Shots From Recent Movies
4. The Mitchells Vs The Machines
The Mitchells Vs The Machines is one of the most ambitious and visually dynamic animated films of the last few years, as evidenced through its restlessly energetic opening images.
It's a film so eager to get going that director Mike Rianda doesn't even wait for the typical studio idents to finish, such that the iconic opening Columbia logo is "hijacked" by the movie itself.
Soon enough the legendary Columbia woman holding a torch stomps her foot and transforms into a 2D animated figure like those drawn by protagonist Katie (Abbi Jacobson). She shakes her hips along to the music while donning a colourful gown and pair of socks to boot.
By this point the screen is filled with an array of animated creatures with cameras and clapperboards who may or may not represent the film's crew, before the Columbia woman throws the torch to the floor, signalling a transition into the rest of the movie.
Beyond just being a brilliantly creative reinvention of a tired studio logo, the inclusion of prominent rainbows front-and-center is a welcome nod to the film's LGBT themes, what with Katie being a queer character. You love to see it.