Ranking Every James Bond Opening Scene From Worst To Best
16. Tomorrow Never Dies
007 is in the midst of a reconnaissance mission at a terrorist weapons bazaar on the Russian border when the British government sends a missile to that area. Noticing that a fighter jet in the middle of the targeted area has nuclear missiles attached to it, Bond is forced to hijack the plane before the missile arrives.
Tomorrow Never Dies' opening scene is just fine. It's not terrible, but it isn't anything special either. The first half of this scene, which is showed solely from the perspective of Mi6, is a fairly refreshing take on the typical Bond opening.
Watching M and her Chief of Staff Charles Robinson conflict with a contentious admiral is unique to the series, though their chess-inspired codenames are rather cheesy. However, once the opening shifts its focus to 007, it begins feeling a little too formulaic.
Bond's commandeering of the fighter jet comes off as effortless and could have been done better, but the ticking clock element provided by the incoming missile is fairly effective. Despite its flaws, this opening does build to a satisfying conclusion; Bond ejects an unwanted co-pilot into another jet flying above him, which then explodes.