The T-800 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The Entrance: Pitching up in 1991, the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) doesn’t waste any time throwing its weight around.
Stomping naked into a biker bar, he shows the customers what for, pinches their clothes, boots and motorcycle, and roars off into the night.
Why So Awesome: Sure, it’s a rinse and repeat of the T-800’s entrance in The Terminator , but if anything it’s even more iconic this second time around.
Frank Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
The Entrance: Frank’s (Henry Fonda) intro in Once Upon A Time In The West is nothing short of chilling.
Strolling through the dust up to a house, we push up close into his unforgiving face as he stares down at an innocent kid, murder glinting in his eyes…
Why So Awesome: In the space of about two minutes, we discover just what this guy is willing to do for his boss…
Keyser Soze The Usual Suspects (1995)
The Entrance: It’s the film’s gasp-inducing twist (SPOILERS!), as seemingly harmless cripple Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) leaves a police station, only to transform before our eyes into the villainous Keyser Soze himself.
Why So Awesome: It’s all in the performance, as Spacey effortlessly pulls off both sides of this guy’s coin.
Plus it’s one of the biggest cinematic twists ever.
Trinity The Matrix (1999)
The Entrance: It’s through Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) that we’re introduced to the flippy, gravity-defying world of The Matrix.
Taking on armed police, she leaps into the air like a black widow spider and proves she knows how to kick serious ass.
Why So Awesome: The noir stylings. That leather outfit. The shades.
With their comic-book inspired vision, the Wachowskis promise thrills and then some with this edgy opening
Bane The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Entrance: Bane (Tom Hardy) enters in a cowl as a supposed prisoner aboard a plane before spectacularly turning the tables in a sky-high set-piece that really gets the pulses pumping.
Why So Awesome: It shoves Bane right up there from the very beginning.
Unlike the more insidious opening of The Dark Knight , this is a muscular, chewy intro befitting of the villain in question.
Peter Venkman Ghostbusters (1984)
The Entrance: “Think hard, what is it?”
Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) tests the psychic capabilities of a guy and a girl by holding up cards with hidden symbols on them. If they get it wrong, he zaps them.
Naturally, he favours the girl.
Why So Awesome: Within seconds we know exactly what this guy’s all about.
Plus, it’s Bill Murray in one of his finest screen roles…
Bruce Jaws (1975)
The Entrance: Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) is aboard the Orca, slopping chum into the water to tempt out the killer shark that’s plaguing Amity Island.
It works alright, as Bruce the shark rears up behind him, giving the audience its first proper glimpse of the man-muncher.
Why So Awesome: It leads to Brody’s unforgettable line: “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
The Entrance: First appearing as a cloud of dust on the horizon, then solidifying into a dark, moving shape, Sherif Ali’s (Omar Sharif) approach is eerily slow and all the more effective because of that.
Why So Awesome: The almost real-time approach works brilliantly to crank up the tension. Who is this guy? And what does he want out here in the middle of nowhere?
Superman Superman (1978)
The Entrance: Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) dashes down the street in his office-wear, crosses the road and rips open his shirt to reveal that vibrant S logo – which he pushes right up into the camera.
Why So Awesome: It’s Clark’s first transformation into Superman, and is followed by his rescuing Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) from a helicopter accident.
Awesome.
Blondie The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (1966)
The Entrance: Blondie (Clint Eastwood) shows a gang of bounty hunters who’s boss when he encounters them in the desert.
Challenging them to a gun duel, who does away with them in little more than the blink of an eye. Naturally.
Why So Awesome: If ever there was a moment that summed up Eastwood’s quick-draw cool, this was it.
