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.