2. The Dark Knight
This is likely one of the most entertaining opening film scenes of recent years and one of the best movie bank robberies on film there is. The Joker's elaborate scheme to hit a mob bank while at the same time killing off his five accomplices is deviously brilliant and executed in a surprisingly plausible way on-screen. Heath Ledgers Joker is - in many people's opinion - one of the best performances of recent years and a frightening example of how effective method acting can be. This opening scene is a platform to not only set the underlying plot of the film but also to establish the Ledger's interpretation of The Joker as a character. This is very important because his origins or lack thereof are different in every comic, graphic novel or adaptation. The bank robbery gets across how cunning, callous, sick and twisted The Joker is all within about 10 minutes and the heist itself is just so much fun to watch. Thanks to the Jokers meticulous scheming everyone involved in the heist either winds up killing each other or dies in some other convoluted way, like being hit with a school bus. When that yellow bus blends in perfectly a procession of others just as the police arrive, you cant help but smile as the plan all comes together and the introduction of one the most compelling movie villains there is, is complete.