Best Bond pre-credit sequences

[JacksonArcher]

So I was bored and browsing YouTube and I caught the pre-credit sequence for The World Is Not Enough, which I maintain is the best of all the James Bond pre-credit sequences.

From Bond's Bilbao escape to Robert King's death by money (how interesting for a billionaire to bite the dust) to a stunning boat chase across the River Thames, the first fifteen or so minutes of that film is just so well put together and so thrilling that the film literally stops being that engrossing after that point (I still remember the moment when Bond leaps from Q's "retirement" boat to the air balloon getting cheers from the audience).

What other pre-credit sequences match up in your mind?

 

[Starkers]

I know I should love TWINE's opening, but it annoys me every single time. Seriously Cigar girl sits on a boat bristling with guns parked right outside MI6 HQ...why exactly? What on earth is she supposed to do if King isn't killed in the explosion? I have no problem in suspending disbelief, but I have my limits.Also the chase goes on too long, and they reuse the tie straightening gag from Goldeneye as well.

Anyhoo, my top 5 would be...

1. The Spy who Loved Me: funny, camp, exciting, stunning It seriously does not get better than this.

2. OHMSS: This never happened to the other fellow.

3: The Living Daylights: Roger who?

4. Tomorrow Never Dies: Not only a brilliant action opener, but as a bonus we get Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer sparring on top form.

5. Casino Royale: Short, sharp and cool. spoiled only by the fact so much of it was used in the trailer.

Honourable mentions to Goldeneye, Goldfinger and For Your Eyes Only (finally Tracy is avenged, and it took Rog not Connery to do it)

 

[Sci]

I adore the film noir style of Casino Royale's pre-credits sequence. And the unique way it does the gunbarrel shot.

 

[sidious618]

Casino Royale is number one. Diamonds Are Forever's beginning is perfect with Connery arriving pissed as hell. Too bad the rest of the movie couldn't live up to that standard. For Your Eyes only is good as well because of Bond finally taking care of Blofeld.

 

[Starbreaker]

Casino Royale is my favorite. They're all good though.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I've always enjoyed the pre-credit sequence to 'Octopussy' with Bond flying around in the tiny Acrostar jet.

 

[Harvey]

Casino Royale has a great opening, but my personal favorite is the pre-credit sequence that opens Tomorrow Never Dies. It's funny, action packed, and relates to the plot without being exposition heavy at all (unlike the opening of The World is Not Enough).

 

[KB24]

I do like TWINE's opening and DAD. Both films go down hill after each for me. Of course I love Goldeneye's starter, but I like the snowboarding and skiing in AVTAK and TSWLM, too. I think the question may be which openings doesn't one like?

 

[Broccoli]

I think the opening to TND is fantastic. A great way to open a Bond movie. I love it how Bond is able to transform the terrorist flee market from being a calm gathering to mass confusion and hell on Earth in a matter of seconds.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Diamonds Are Forever: "Welcome to hell, Blofeld!"

Live and Let Die: "Who's funeral is it?" "YOURS!"

The Living Daylights

Honorable Mentions:
The Man With the Golden Gun: A villain appears in a film before Bond does.

For Your Eyes Only: Hurt a bit by goofy elements, but...

Goldeneye

Thunderball, gratutious jet pack usage! (that was precredits right?)

 

[sbk1234]

I still love The Living Daylights. Yes, I'm the one who likes Timothy Dalton's Bond best.

 

[Samurai8472]

The Living Daylights- Great for the new/late 80's feel. It's a good movie too.

Casino Royale- Short, but packs alot of raw punches

Goldeneye- Welcome back Mr. Bond

TWINE- Watch the pre-credit sequence, listen to the tune, then turn off the movie

Goldfinger- Basically set the standard

You Only live twice- it's nice.

 

[Aragorn]

You have to give some credit to Die Another Day. It's not a standalone opener, it ends on a "cliffhanger" so to speak, Bond get tortured throughout the opening credits, and then the story continues.

 

[Piper]

I still love The Living Daylights. Yes, I'm the one who likes Timothy Dalton's Bond best.

Not the only one

My picks:

From Russia with Love: Bond dies... or does he?

Goldfinger: from the moment he emerges from the water, through to pulling off his wetsuit to reveal the tuxedo, through to "shocking" this set the standard for all future openers.

OHMSS - "this never happened to the other guy." Nice wink.

The Spy Who Loved Me - Ridiculous, overblown, tongue-in-cheek, yet thrilling. The epitome of Roger Moore's era.

The Living Daylights - Suddenly Bond - the real Bond - was back. In ten nail-biting minutes the Moore era was wiped clear away.

Goldeneye - And again, a triumphant relaunch.

The World Is Not Enough - The longest pre-credits sequence in Bond history is also one of the best. What could be more Bond-like than a boat chase down the Thames? A rare case of a pretitles sequence ending on a downer too as Bond almost completely fails, seguing into an under-rated entry.

Casino Royale - Bourne - sorry Bond - gets a twenty-first century makeover. After the Moore-like Brosnan he suddenly has balls again. Not quite as good as some say - it won't age as well as some on this list I don't think, but still an impressively assured start to the Craig era.

And the worst:

Diamonds Are Forever - "Where's Blofeld?" SMACK. "Where's Blofeld?" SMACK. Basically says "We know we have to resolve the end of OHMSS, but don't care, so let's get it out of the way quickly."

Live and Let Die - In which Bond does not appear. A bit of a no-no, especially as there's a new man at the helm.

For Your Eyes Only - The first minute of this is excellent, for once acknowledging Bond's past, and Moore plays it well. Then it gets very very silly (and crucially, not funny), and makes a mockery of Blofeld's character.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Thinking about it, I'd have to say Brosnan got the best pre-credit sequences of anyone.

Goldeneye - the raid on the Russian base, with the bungee cord, the apparent double cross, jumping after the plane (and defying the laws of physics)...

Tomorrow Never Dies - probably the least good of his tenure but still a bracing action sequence. And you have the exchange between Geoffrey Palmer and Judi Dench. Him - What does he think he's doing?. Her- His job!

The World is Not Enough - The longest pre-credit sequence in Bond history and just a non-stop series of action sequences. Plus Bond actually gets hurt (and feels it for the rest of the movie). Plus the government giving the moviemakers permission to shoot the real MI6 HQ.

Die Another Day - another great prolonged action sequence and not only does 007 get hurt, but he get caught, imprisoned and tortured.

Others that stand out are Casino Royale's B&W gritty sequence, the famous opener to The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker's airplane-set opener (far and away the best bit in the whole movie) and Dalton's rousing debut in The Living Daylights.

 

[Holdfast]

Thinking about it, I'd have to say Brosnan got the best pre-credit sequences of anyone.

Definitely.

Goldeneye will always have a special place in my heart for it's pre-title sequence, especially the nutty bike jump at the end which actually had me turning to the girl next to me in the theatre with what I was told was a crazy grin on my face, saying "Hell yes, Bond IS back".

TWINE has the actual MI6 building/Thames boat chase and DAD the whole capture/torture bit, which are both cool.

But my absolutely fave opener across any Bond movie is Tomorrow Never Dies. Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer's banter is the absolute highlight of the sequence, but Brosnan's demolition job of the terrorist bazaar is textbook Bond.

 

[Mr Light]

World Is Not Enough is my fav, followed closely by Die Another Day and Goldeneye. I can't remember what the Tomorrow Never Dies one was anymore...

 

[AdmiralGarak]

^Bond infiltrates/destroys a terrorist bazaar.

Another vote for TWiNE.

After seeing behind the scenes footage of Moonraker's parachute fight, it impresses all the more. Pretty much only the close-ups of Bond and Jaws were simulated. The rest of the sequence was really performed as seen on film. I believe the same crew did the mid-air fight from Living Daylights, as well.

 

[Samurai8472]

The World is Not Enough - The longest pre-credit sequence in Bond history and just a non-stop series of action sequences. Plus Bond actually gets hurt (and feels it for the rest of the movie). Plus the government giving the moviemakers permission to shoot the real MI6 HQ.

Sadly the more you watch the pre-credit sequence, the more you notice it's playing it TOO safe when filming the sequence.

Like the obvious dummy with a helmet in the Q-boat as the the Q-boat spins in the air.

 

[Starkers]

^Bond infiltrates/destroys a terrorist bazaar.

Another vote for TWiNE.

After seeing behind the scenes footage of Moonraker's parachute fight, it impresses all the more. Pretty much only the close-ups of Bond and Jaws were simulated. The rest of the sequence was really performed as seen on film. I believe the same crew did the mid-air fight from Living Daylights, as well.

Yes the pre title sequence in Moonraker is really good. Kinda only ruined by Jaws' comedy flying/stupid sound effects.