Surely the opening shot in Lost In Translation? I mean, really, what could be better?

Ipcress file always had something a special something me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kolQVDMW1IE

Saving Private Ryan.

"The first 18 minutes of Snake Eyes is just one camera shot."

Hitchcock's "Rope", is only ten shots,shot in real time with no edits, apart from the establishing shot which cuts to the interior.

Most of the shots are between 7 and 10 minutes, ten minutes being the longest available technicolor reel to shoot onto. well impressive to watch.

convoy ! Quality 🙄

The opening scenes of The Dark Knight were fantastic and the film that those scenes were a nod to is also worthy of a mention as it's opening scenes are fantastic. I'm talking of course about Heat.

Saving private ryan again, or highlander and gladiator.

I'm with Jim – Saving Private Ryan and Gladiator.

Saving private ryan, very humbling and scary at what they went through.

Pulp Fiction – superb

While Once Upon A Time In The West has to be up there, its too referential to other films to be perfect.
I love For A Few Dollars More, with the tiny figure on horseback being watched by a bored, whistling, off-camera sniper (actually Leone himself)
then, as he's finally shot, you hear the springy 'boing, boing, boing' of a jews harp announcing the beginning of the fantastically unique Morricone score. The mad credits and the gunman lobbing an unaimed shot at the bucking, riderless horse show Leone's playful humour.
It always makes me smile no matter how many times I see it.

Heat, great opening of De Niro stealing the ambulance, then Waingro hooking up for the armoured car robbery.

Love the original Italian Job opening, the Lamborghini Muira dirving through the Stelvio Pass with Matt Monroes soundtrack, beautiful!

Saving Private Ryan is just amazing, really puts you there, which is an uncomfortable 20 mins.

LOTR opening with the dark cate blanchett monologue, pretty good too

Saving Private Ryan for me. On the big screen.

There are other cool starts to movies, but I've never been hit in the face and ducked bullets like that. The visual and audible assault from the outset left me a bit shell-shocked TBH.

I wept like a baby at the end too, but I certainly wasn't alone.

The opening scene of J.V.C.D is jawdropping one take, not very long but by golly it's good.
The title sequence for Lord of War is nothing short of staggering.
Once Upon a Time in the West goes without saying a word for 17minutes, the dripping water, buzzing flies, cocking gun, menacing eyes, telegram, the very long take…., it's very good.

Has to be Saving Private Ryan for me too. Jaws comes a close second – both Speilberg.

The original french version of Taxi with the moped is bloody good! A little bit more light hearted than SPR…

+1 for Apocalypse Now.

Opening car chase of Mad Max, when Max gets involved.
+1 for Lord of War and Apocalypse Now also.

Some good ones already stated, I recall the start of The Party staring Peter Sellers from my childhood. I think he played a Bollywood actor visiting Hollywood. It starts off with him completely over acting and hamming up his part as much as possible.

The Party -start

Star Wars Episode III – Big ships, big guns, big drums.

SPR

Starwars episode IV

Opening scene of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". Banging coconuts and "pretend" horse-riding. One and only time when an entire cinema that I'm in has burst into laughter at the same esecond.

some great suggestions so far

the last bond had me gobsmacked for the 1st couple of mins in the cinema,same with private ryan

one thats always stuck with me though is the opening scene to Face with Ray Winstone and Robert Carlysle in the car with Paul Weller playing,don't know why it just got me excited for the film

Another absolute cracker is the opening of Alien,
The dead ship coming to life, air pressure being restored, light flickering on and the whole steadicam sequence being filled with subtle references to birth and Spring- not least that lovely shot of the cryo-units opening flower-like towards the rising light, and John Hurt emerging pale and bleary-eyed.
Stuff that clever is probably unimaginable in current Hollywood SF films.

Saving Private Ryan. It's very impressive. I agree with the votes for Alien and The dark knight though.

Saving Private Ryan really should be compulsory viewing for all school kids, a more harrowing 10 minutes of film I cannot remember…

The start of Point Break. Shots of him on the range and a surfer.

Star Wars
Once Upon a Time in the West
Gladiator

A lot of people like saving private ryan, i know jedi and pretty sure he meant shaving private ryan!
sos couldnt resist.

The opening of "Spy Game" awesome

the fountain,

Final Destination 2

shaving private ryan

you mean shaving ryan's privates…!?

I vote for Once Upon a Time in the West – a film that's not as well known as it should be IME.

bunnerscj – Member
convoy ! Quality

Good shout, I haven't seen that much action since I caught those twins back in Carlsbad!

😉

2001 Space Odyssey

Blade is my favoruite start to a film, didn't know what it was about the first time I watched it….awesome! Shame the rest of the trilogy where so dissappointing.

Onion, i was thinking Star Wars when i saw this thread 🙂

Leon

Here's an oldie – Girl on a Motorcycle

On a lighter note – i've always loved the start of The Cannonball Run with the car chase between the cops and the Black Lamborghini.

And the Blues Brothers when they take the first ride together in the new Blues Mobile – the bridge jump is classic. Fix the cigarette lighter….

Lilo and Stitch. The pacing's superb. No, seriously! It's a cute kid's film but the first few minutes are clever, funny, action packed and also manages to establish several of the main characters. It's really very good.