Best Bond pre-credits opening scenes

[choombaz]

Rewatching all of the Bond films and thought I’d never really considered was the best opening sequences are. Narrowed my favourite down to:

The Spy Who Loved Me - terrific skiing stunts and the Union Jack parachute is incredibly iconic. I do find it funny that most skiing occurred during the Moore era but whenever you see Moore clearly, he’s on a soundstage lol.
Goldeneye - amazing stunt jumping off the dam.
Spectre - not a fan of this film but that opening one shot during Day of the Dead is amazing.
Goldfinger - very simple but the image of Bond stripping off his wetsuit to reveal a tux is incredible.

And unintentionally I’ve included all the key Bond actors. Both of Dalton’s were solid and while I like OHMSS the opening is pretty cringy.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I remember a thread just like this, somewhere, many years ago.

Being an old Bond fan, I'd have to agree that TSWLM (ski jump) and Goldfinger are that best openings.

Goldfinger is just perfect, simple, and gets everything Bond is across in just a few minutes: spy sneaking into secret base, the elegant lair, stripping the wetsuit to reveal a tuxedo, rendezvous with the girl, move right to the kiss, fight a thug, kill him cleverly, end with a one-liner. It's all there -- a complete mini-movie in 5 minutes.

And of course, the opening that changed all Bond openings to include a hair-raising stunt -- The Spy Who Loved Me! At the time, that jump, with the disco music cutting out, and just the sounds of the icy wind as the stunt man soars off the cliff -- you're just left hanging like Bond... falling... and falling... and still falling... what the hell...?

If that construction site chase in Casino Royal had been the actual opening, it would be up here as my Top 3.

 

[Mr.E]

Thunderball.

 

[shells075]

Nothing can touch The Spy Who Loved me imo.
Although Goldfinger runs it close.

For Your Eyes Only is probably the funniest though. Bond toying with the crippled Blofeld, patting his bald head then dropping him down the chimney stack.

 

[karamazov80]

I haven't seen all the Roger Moore and Dalton movies. But based on those I have seen I like Goldeneye the best. Some of the Connery ones are great, but I think Goldeneye benefits from modern film techniques. So dramatic and over the top, and really gets you ramped up for what is to come. Love it.

 

[choombaz]

I haven't seen all the Roger Moore and Dalton movies. But based on those I have seen I like Goldeneye the best. Some of the Connery ones are great, but I think Goldeneye benefits from modern film techniques. So dramatic and over the top, and really gets you ramped up for what is to come. Love it.

I love the shot where he is almost at the bottom and it’s an extreme up angle and he is in the shadows. Incredibly evocative.

 

[Johnny Utah]

GoldenEye - perfect gunbarrel, dam jump is insane, Sean Bean is so great as 006
The Living Daylights - perfect reveal of Dalton, great 80s John Barry score, leads into the song perfectly.
From Russia With Love - amazing cat and mouse with Robert Shaw
The Man with the Golden Gun - always loved this one. Great score, love Nick Nack and Christopher Lee is so great as Scaramanga.
The Spy Who Loved Me - classic Union Jack jump.

I really love Die Another Day's opening. It goes on a bit but perfectly sets up the film.

 

[JohnnyStarTrek]

Octopussy- it's just fun

 

[a-dev]

I really love Die Another Day's opening. It goes on a bit but perfectly sets up the film.

A pity the rest of the film lets that potential slip away.

 

[choombaz]

I remember a thread just like this, somewhere, many years ago.

Yeah, tried looking for it, couldn’t find it.

stripping the wetsuit to reveal a tuxedo,

And Cameron stole it for True Lies

For Your Eyes Only is probably the funniest though. Bond toying with the crippled Blofeld, patting his bald head then dropping him down the chimney stack.

The helicopter stunts on that one are predictably fantastic.

From Russia With Love - amazing cat and mouse with Robert Shaw

My favorite Bond film and the original training exercise opening, there’s a few of them. I soo wanted to include this one.

Octopussy- it's just fun

rewatching the films I really do come away super impressive by all of the physical in camera action. The plane flying through the hangar is insanely impressive.

 

[JAWS]

The Spy Who Loved me

I also really enjoy the opening of The World is not Enough. I think the boat chase is the highlight of that film and was a promise of things that never came

Goldfinger is great

From Russia with Love is great but mostly because I can’t wait to hear that bombastic opening them of From Russia with Love … Da da da da da… Da da da da da…, Thise who know know

If the Foot Chase in CR came before the credits that would be up there also.

 

[Wor-Gar]

If the Foot Chase in CR came before the credits that would be up there also.

You need to read my post #2. Great minds...

 

[choombaz]

I also really enjoy the opening of The World is not Enough. I think the boat chase is the highlight of that film and was a promise of things that never came

Yeah never was much of a fan of Brosnan. He had his moments but they never added up to much. He’s a much better actor in other films. His last couple are just so cringy they are latter Moore worthy.

 

[𝘨⃨𝘭⃨𝘪⃨𝘵⃨𝘤⃨𝘩⃨10ᔦᔦ]

Ah man, well this thread just made me want to go do another Bond marathon. It's kind of a tradition for me. lol
The intro to GoldenEye is one that will probably always stick with me the most. Played the N64 game to death first, only to realize later that Bond was actually a freaking movie franchise, so we started with GoldenEye first. My older brother and I kind of went on a Bond binge after that.
I'll never forget how we were hyped up by every scene, like "thats in the game! this is in the game too! look at how much that looks like that level!" Good times.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Ah... to see the world through video game eyes.

One day, you'll have fully-developed virtual "girlfriends" as well, and boys will never leave their oculus again.

 

[choombaz]

Ah man, well this thread just made me want to go do another Bond marathon. It's kind of a tradition for me. lol
The intro to GoldenEye is one that will probably always stick with me the most. Played the N64 game to death first, only to realize later that Bond was actually a freaking movie franchise, so we started with GoldenEye first. My older brother and I kind of went on a Bond binge after that.
I'll never forget how we were hyped up by every scene, like "thats in the game! this is in the game too! look at how much that looks like that level!" Good times.

Oh dear haha. I think Spy Who Loved Me was my first at the cinema lol. And then I went to see Moonraker it was sold out and we had to see Black Hole instead

 

[JAWS]

If that construction site chase in Casino Royal had been the actual opening, it would be up here as my Top 3.

If the Foot Chase in CR came before the credits that would be up there also.

You need to read my post #2. Great minds...

Wow… they really do think alike

 

[Wor-Gar]

we had to see Black Hole instead

Oh god.... that's tragic. Although, honestly, Moonraker isn't much better.

 

[choombaz]

Oh god.... that's tragic. Although, honestly, Moonraker isn't much better.

Yes. I can clearly remember how packed the cinema was and the commotion for Moonraker. I loved them both at the time. Give me a break I was only 8. I learnt in time. Moore was my favorite but I learnt in time on that as well.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Yes. I can clearly remember how packed the cinema was and the commotion for Moonraker. I loved them both at the time. Give me a break I was only 8. I learnt in time. Moore was my favorite but I learnt in time on that as well.

Certainly people gravitate toward the Bond they 'grow up with' at the time. But when you get older, its clear to see who the better Bond is.