Ranking Every James Bond Opening Scene From Worst To Best

The massive success of Skyfall set the bar high for future Bond films, and although its follow-up Spectre polarized critics and fans alike, everyone agrees that its opening scene exceeded expectations.

Spectre opens in Mexico City on the Day of the Dead with James Bond hunting Marco Sciarra, an operative for the villainous organization that gives this film its title. Director Sam Mendes opens this sequence with a tremendous four-minuet long tracking shot that follows 007 from the chaotic streets to the inhabited rooftops.

The tracking shot manages to illustrate the beauty of Mexico City and its captivating Day of the Dead tradition, but impressively does so without ever sacrificing its narrative focus. Despite the lavish setting and massive crowds, the audience is naturally drawn to Sciarra and Bond, and the characters' motivations quickly become clear.

After the magnificent tracking shot, this cold open takes to the sky as Bond battles Sciarra in his getaway helicopter. The unpredictability of the spinning helicopter adds another layer of tension to this already brutal fight, and the scenic background also adds to the enjoyment.

Unfortunately, this cold open has one noticeable flaw; the CGI is occasionally sloppy, most notably when Daniel Craig's head is superimposed over a stuntman's. Although the inconsistent effects prevent the helicopter portion of this scene from reaching the heights of the tracking shot, they do not prevent Spectre's opening scene from being one of the best in the series.