Casino royale opening sequence
11. Quantum of Solace (2008)
Daniel Craig’s sophomore outing as James Bond, 2008’s Quantum of Solace, picks up moments after his debut in Casino Royale ends. With the enigmatic terrorist mastermind Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) his captive, Bond races off through the winding mountain roads in Italy, pursued closely by White’s deadly associates. Without the usual gadgets in his Aston Martin, Bond relies on his expert driving skills and sharp wits as he outpaces and outmaneuvers his enemies before reaching safety in the town of Siena.
Quantum of Solace is the shortest, most tightly paced Bond movie to date, running at a brisk 107 minutes compared to the usual approximate two-hour runtime for the franchise. The opening car chase is a prime example of the movie running leaner and meaner than its counterparts, keeping its focus tight and its action kinetic. Quantum of Solace ultimately isn’t without its faults, but its pre-title sequence certainly isn’t one of them.
10. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
After blasting off in outer space in Moonraker, 1981’s For Your Eyes Only was very much a means to bring Bond and the wider franchise back down-to-earth, with more grounded stakes and spectacle. Before sending 007 off on his latest mission, the opening resolves one of the series’ biggest loose ends in a final confrontation between Bond and his arch-nemesis Blofeld. While Blofeld is never explicitly identified onscreen because of legal issues involving the character, the familiar hallmarks of the character are present before Bond sends the villain plummeting to his doom down a factory smokestack. A message to Eon’s legal foes, perhaps?
The callbacks to the franchise’s history, especially On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, are welcome nods, letting audiences know this is going to be a more serious adventure than most of Moore’s Bond appearances. Though the action doesn’t meet the high bar set by the prologues to Moore’s two preceding Bond movies, the extended helicopter stunt keeps viewers riveted and doesn’t overstay its welcome. For all its attempts at going more grounded and stripped-down with its scope, For Your Eyes Only still has plenty of high-octane thrills, and its aerial opening is a solid showcase for Moore’s grittiest Bond turn.
9. No Time to Die (2021)
Craig ended his celebrated tenure as James Bond with the ambitious 2021 film, No Time to Die, a movie that celebrated Craig’s beloved run as the super-spy before blowing him up in spectacular fashion. The movie kicks off with the franchise’s longest pre-titles sequence yet, with a flashback to Madeleine Swann’s traumatic connection to the film’s primary antagonist, Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), before moving to the present. As Bond tries to settle down with Madeleine (Léa Seydoux) in a romantic getaway in Italy, he is ambushed by SPECTRE operatives while visiting the grave of his old flame Vesper Lynd.
Much of No Time to Die’s marketing spotlighted the action throughout the opening’s dusty Italian streets, which features some of the most cleanly shot action set pieces during Craig’s entire Bond run. From swinging down ancient bridges to unleashing the beloved Aston Martin DB5’s twin machine guns against a small army, all the physicality and style that Craig’s Bond is known for is on full display. Like the rest of the movie itself, No Time to Die’s opening goes on a bit too long, but it beautifully sets the stage for Craig’s swan song in the role.