Which Indiana Jones opening sequence is your favourite?

[Quintus 5,391]

Question has probably been asked before, but that's never stopped us repeating ourselves in the past, so hey ho. The outcome will most likely be obvious, but the fun is in the discussion, I think

Raiders ought to get the most votes and it'll certainly be getting mine on this occasion, but I dunno... sometimes I think I prefer the ToD opening, purely because of THAT awesome song and dance routine which features a fantastic arrangement of Anything Goes, from the maestro. The first few notes of the scene and indeed the score are quite simply, spellbinding! The gong, the dark reds, the smoke, the ascending horns, the cheesy wailing voices - I just love it all to death. Which is kind of silly really, because from a directorial point of view the actual dance routine itself is pretty shoddily staged. Spielberg shows little imagination in capturing the choreography, settling on basic framing and rather bland dolly shots; Chicago it ain't! But it doesn't matter, because I'm still completely transfixed by the sequence in spite of the rough around the edges presentation. In some ways it even makes the scene more effective.

On a sidenote I'd just like to point out that I very nearly forgot to add KotCS in the poll options. I wonder if it'll get a vote...

[Roll the Bones 2,967]

ToD because of short round, and John's music- especially when Indy escapes on the plane

[Jay 27,215]

God, impossible to decide!

All 3 are like little mini-movies that are just outstanding in every regard! Not only the action, acting, and cinematography, but the MUSIC is superb in all 3 as well, which TLC probably getting my vote for favorite music....

[Datameister 1,394]

Raiders. Easiest poll there's ever been. The opening sequence is transfixingly myserious. I love the way Indy's face is hidden, the way the music is so utterly and appropriately bizarre, and the way it leads into the perfect introduction of Indy's character. Creepy, gruesome, exciting, slightly darkly humorous, perilous....it's the perfect start to a perfect film.

"Anything Goes" is fun, especially because of the aforementioned fantastic Williams arrangement, but it feels as out-of-place in the franchise as the rest of TOD.

The intro to TLC is a pretty decent prequel-esque scene, but like the rest of the film, it's not quite serious enough for my tastes. Perhaps a little heavy-handed with the backstory behind the hat, the whip, the scar, and the snake phobia, too. And the music, while fun, can't match the awesome strangeness of "In the Jungle" or the over-the-top-ness of "Anything Goes."

As for KOTCS...I dunno. It's very Lucas, and I suppose it works in the 50s setting. Hate the groundhogs, but other than that, it works fine. It just has nothing to do with the rest of the story until we enter the base, though. At that point, I grow more interested, as I think that was actually a pretty good first real scene. The shots that re-introduce Indy are priceless. After that it goes downhill somewhat, though as I've said before, I do enjoy that film despite its many flaws.

Anyway. Raiders.

Raiders.

[JoeinAR 1,759]

TOD is the only choice, none of the other openings are even memorable.

[Ollie 859]

TOD, it was a very pleasant surprise.

Raiders is a very good second, the mystery and mood is fantastic.

TLC falls into the prequel fails, sometimes we just don't need to know or see everything that happens in a character's past. I would have been more enthused had it just been Ford in the sequence, taking the cross and losing it. Might have added more credibility to the moment when he hooks back up with the guy in the white hat.

KOTCS, meh, just adds to the already tired idea. Ford looks and sounds old and tired. the Ark joke backfired, no one in the audience fell for it.

[Quintus 5,391]

none of the other openings are even memorable.

Facepalm image please.

I know you don't like Last Crusade, but you don't even find the Raiders intro to be memorable, either?

[crocodile 6,294]

KOTCS, because every thread needs a troll.

Karol

[Brónach 490]

Raiders.

Giant Boulder Rules.

[JoeinAR 1,759]

none of the other openings are even memorable.

Facepalm image please.

I know you don't like Last Crusade, but you don't even find the Raiders intro to be memorable, either?

No I don't. I'm talking no more than the credit sequence, now if you go way into the film with the round stone then yeah Raiders is memorable(but it is not the opening sequence), but for the credit sequence only, TOD is the only correct answer.

The credit sequence of Raiders is fairly standard. I don't remember much of the KOTCS or the Least Crusade opening at all.

[Charlie Brigden 5]

TOD. Everything from the opening notes (and the gong!) to the escape from the airfield is amazing, visually and musically.

[steb74 53]

'Raiders' of course, perhaps the best sequence of all the films, it just oozes so much tone, absolutely gorgeous.

[Wojo 2,442]

Raiders.

[Ollie 859]

Actually I should ask, are we talking credits only or entire opening sequence after credits?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Are we talking about JUST the credits sequence, or the entire opening act (The Inca cave/boulder scene, the nightclub and car chase scene, the the Utah/Circus Train scene, The Warehouse scene.)

For title sequence, TOD is clearly the best, for the whole opening act, Raiders certainly delivers the goods...

[Matt C 423]

Temple of Doom. That lead in to the beautifully-choreographed version of "Anything Goes" is just magnificent, as the well as the musical sequence. Speaking of which, why hasn't Spielberg directed any musicals? He'd do well, if the TOD sequence was any indication.

The Raiders one was simple and mysterious, but the TOD one is more memorable.

[Wojo 2,442]

It says "opening sequence," so I think he means more than just when the credits stop and we see the place/date of the introduction.

I would consider opening sequence to be when the mini-movie resolves itself and we get closer to the main events of the movie.

Raiders = Beginning until the end of the scene where Indy and Jock fly out of Peru. Does Brody's intrusion on Indy teaching count? It's more of a bridge to conclude the intro -- Indy loses the idol -- and set up the two agents who want to ask about Ravenwood.

TOD = Since the beginning establishes the three main characters and heads into the main plot organically, without a big location jump from one scene, I don't know where the intro ends and the rest begins. When the plane gets airborne? When it crashes? When Indy says they're in India?

TLC = This is more clear cut than Raiders. Here we get to see Indy hand Brody the artifact, unlike Raiders, so I would say the introduction ends when Indy gets the package from Henry.

KOTCS = Beginning until Indy gets back to civilization, after the nuke blast?

[Quintus 5,391]

Actually I should ask, are we talking credits only or entire opening sequence after credits?

I'm talking about the full length openings - the setup mini-stories which have no baring on the actual plot of the movie, once it begins proper.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Raiders is very clear. It ends when Indy and Jock fly.

TOD ends when Indy put he fedora on his face in the plane.

TLC ends with that cut from River to Harrison.

KOCS is a bit more convoluted. I would say it ends after the mushroom cloud.

[Quintus 5,391]

Yeah.

[Wojo 2,442]

I would argue that TLC's intro ends right after Indy gives Marcus the cross and picks up his mail, before he's picked up by Donovan's goons.

The fight on the Portuguese coast is but the conclusion to the introduction, when the man in the white hat dies and Indy gets the cross, rather than the beginning of the rest of the film.

[Ollie 859]

Actually I should ask, are we talking credits only or entire opening sequence after credits?

I'm talking about the full length openings - the setup mini-stories which have no baring on the actual plot of the movie, once it begins proper.

Well that's the way I went when I made my choices, same order regardless.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

I would argue that TLC's intro ends right after Indy gives Marcus the cross and picks up his mail, before he's picked up by Donovan's goons.

The fight on the Portuguese coast is but the conclusion to the introduction, when the man in the white hat dies and Indy gets the cross, rather than the beginning of the rest of the film.

Whatever!

[Wojo 2,442]

Easy for you to say. I still voted Raiders.

[Datameister 1,394]

Yeah, that whole debate is pointless. Raiders wins no matter where the cutoff is.

[Ollie 859]

Nope.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Indeed!

[steb74 53]

Yeah, that whole debate is pointless. Raiders wins no matter where the cutoff is.

Absolutely!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Nope.

[steb74 53]

Oh no ....you got me <_<

[Ollie 859]

Reach for the sky!

[Wojo 2,442]

Oh no, it's the Difference of Opinion Police. Dop-dee-dop-dee-fucking-dop.

[Jay 27,215]

I assumed we were talking:

Raiders: Everything up until Indy ends up back at college

TOD: Everything up until the map montage

TLC: Everything up until Indy ends up back at college

KOCS: Who cares.

[Ollie 859]

KOCS: Who cares.

[Wojo 2,442]

KOCS: Who cares.

The one brave soul who voted for it. I think he admitted as much in the body of the thread, but I can't be arsed to read it because somebody didn't turn on "let's see who voted for what" in the poll options.

[Ollie 859]

It was Crocodile.

[Bellosh 1,410]

I still love Temple of Doom's opening sequence the most. The dance number is just fantastic, and the pulling of the ribbons out the dancers chests is a great nod to the pulling out the heart (intentional or not). It's also great how incredibly clean and slick it starts out and you end on a gritty rope bridge surrounded by impending doom. "We're not in Kansas anymore" ????

Music wise though, the opening of TLC takes the cake for me. I get absolute goosebumps and chills when the Indy theme plays as Indy runs from the train and Fedora looks on and smiles. Then the young Indy motif plays and then Indy's theme plays alongside when they show the dog, Indiana. It kills me every fucking time.

Raiders purists will probably always argue for Raiders. It is classic, no doubt.

KOTCS is just play fun.

[Quintus 5,391]

Honestly, I think all of them open brilliantly, even the fourth; bar a couple of unfortunate one-liners.

[crocodile 6,294]

But seriously that would be Raiders, no surprise here. Iconic scene.

Though it must be said the opening of KOTCS is still the best part of this film.

Karol

[Uni 306]

Raiders is very clear. It ends when Indy and Jock fly.

TOD ends when Indy put he fedora on his face in the plane.

TLC ends with that cut from River to Harrison.

KOCS is a bit more convoluted. I would say it ends after the mushroom cloud.

I was going to list something very like this myself, but you hit it square. I agree with all these.

Tough choice between the first two movies, but TOD edged it out. I love the nostalgic element--the protag in the white dinner jacket quietly negotiating with the baddies in an exotic nightclub. Speilberg and Lucas originally set out to honor the serial adventures of their youth; many people overlook the fact that this sort of thing was a common element in those stories as well.

- Uni

[Quintus 5,391]

ToD's opening certainly has the most pulpy feel (specifically the Streets of Shanghai stuff), as does the whole movie.

[Datameister 1,394]

It boggles my mind to see TOD beating Raiders right now. It always struck me as a big, bold reminder that what we're about to watch isn't going to be anything like Raiders...which would have been great if Raiders hadn't been perfect and the new direction hadn't been terrible...but that's just my tastes, I suppose. Fascinating to see how those differ between people.

[Luke Skywalker 1,284]

Mmm Temple of Doom with anything goes is the best

But the whole Young indy sequence is the best scored of all the openings.

Raiders is a great charater introduction

[OneBuckFilms 181]

I voted for Raiders on this, though the first 3 all had fantastic openings.

Raiders had the iconic image of Indy in the hat, the great use of the Paramount Mountain logo, and the never-to-be-topped sequences of Indy's adventures with the Idol Temple.

That rolling ball is perhaps one of the classic images that define Inidana Jones.

[Jonesy 55]

Raiders has a good opening sequence, a bit of mystery,

a bit of adventure and finally... Indiana Jones.

[indy4 152]

Ranking:

Raiders

Temple of Doom

KotCS

LC

LC's is very entertaining and fun, but the fact that we don't see Harrison Ford until the final third of the sequence detracts from it.

[Jeff 0]

I love all three films (and I like KOTCS a lot), so I don't think it's necessary to bash one in order to pick my favorite opening - all of them are great in my opinion. The Last Crusade is my favorite, though, due to an inexplicable personal preference. I suspect it has to do with the self-contained score, River Phoenix, the red rock landscape (I live out West - it's close to my heart), the humor, the backstory (which I, for one, enjoy), and the fact that there is a train. I like trains.

That said, Anything Goes is a riot, the boulder is iconic, and KOTCS - a distant fourth - had some very entertaining stuff as well.

[MissPadmé 17]

TOD!

From the Paramount Logo to "Lao Che Air Freight" this is just pure tension, fun, joy and entertainment!

Everything about it is splendid! to me there never is or was a better movieopener.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,476]

It's the kind of thing for me where they're (the first three) all so great, no reason to pick. Either way, you win. However, my favorite since I was little is Crusade.

[Andy 1,492]

Temple of Doom is so amazing because it immediately delivers the whole point of the movie... Anything Goes. The nightclub scene is perhaps a better James Bond homage than any of the others, and Indy is at his coolest in the tux. The setup with the diamond/antidote is hilarious and the action is appropriately crazy.

Having said that, Raiders introduced Indy as the badass stepping out of the shadows that you don't want to F with. The idol scenes are so iconic, and the light trap (which used to freak me out as a kid) and the other booby traps do a lot to establish the world in which these movies exist. It is so important, and they got it so right, so quickly.

But, just because I like to give Temple of Doom love, and because I think it's the most maligned and least understood of the original 3, I'm putting my official vote there.

Last Crusade... The music is great, but the idea of de-mystifying Indiana Jones and distilling his entire character into one afternoon is just poor writing. And while the train sequence is expertly (if not a little childishly) choreographed, the action in the boat scene is clunky and frankly quite boring.