Hocus Pocus 2 received middling reviews when it was released just last month, and it was criticized for not having the same edgy comedy as the original, but it has since been revealed that the Hocus Pocus sequel originally had a much scarier script.
The movie could have been much more entertaining, but the result was a disappointing film with an incredible opening sequence.
The teenage Sanderson sisters in Salem was the best part of the movie, but Hocus Pocus 2 isn’t the only release that set up audiences for disappointment. Between a Day of the Dead action sequence, a movie within a movie, and a sky heist, these films fooled audiences into thinking they’d be good.
Hancock (2008)
Sireal76 argues that Hancock’s opening is way better than what follows and sets viewers up for disappointment. The Redditor notes, “The opening scene on the freeway is exciting and thoroughly original with the drunken superhero causing more damage than helping. The movie that follows is solid until the unfortunate conclusion.”
The intro brilliantly tells audiences everything they need to know about the drunken, reckless superhero while being hilarious and thoroughly entertaining, but the movie especially falls apart midway through. A whole two hours of Hancock flying through the sky drinking whiskey and carelessly crashing into things would have been more entertaining than the actual film.
Spectre (2015)
Hildebrand_rarity thinks Spectre is the worst film with the greatest opening, explaining, “The opening single shot Day of the Dead scene is incredible.” The James Bond franchise is seemingly in competition with itself, as each film always tries to outdo its predecessor in every department, whether it’s the theme song or the opening credit sequence. And that’s no different when it comes to the cold open either.
Spectre had one of the most outstanding openings in a 007 movie, and it was easily the best since the crane jump in Casino Royale. The entire sequence was one long tracking shot through a Day of the Dead parade where Bond disguised himself with one of the masks, Unfortunately, the rest of the movie didn’t quite live up to the rest of that scene, and Blofeld’s return was underwhelming.
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
Following up The Avengers was always going to be a daunting task, and Skellyskeletor thinks that director Joss Whedon nailed the opening, but failed with the rest of the film. The Redditor comments, “Avengers Age of Ultron’s opening stands as one of the best scenes in all three movies, shame the rest of it is such a mess.”
The first movie’s intro was all set up, Infinity War’s opening saw Loki’s death, and Endgame’s opening was depressing, but Age of Ultron began in an entertaining and thrilling kind of way with the entire Avengers team working together. Not only was it fun, but it established that they had become a well-oiled machine working together too. But the following two hours struggled to tie everything that fans had in Phase 2 together.
Austin Powers In Goldmember (2002)
Disc81 points to the Austin Powers threequel as the worst movie with the best intro. The Redditor argues, The opening scene in Austin Powers in Gold Member is far better than anything else in the rest of the movie. The fake Austin movie followed by the real one is pretty cool!” The opening of Austin Powers in Goldmember is one of the best movies within a movie, as a Hollywood film is being made about Austin Powers’ life.
It’s shot masterfully, as viewers think it’s the actual movie until it’s revealed that Austin Powers looks a lot like Tom Cruise and Dr. Evil looks a lot like Kevin Spacey. Then the camera pulls out and reveals that none other than Steven Spielberg is directing the picture. However, following the action-packed and hilarious intro, the film has significantly less jokes-per-minute compared to its predecessors, and they aren’t half as funny.
Toy Story 4 (2019)
Surprisingly, unlike every other Toy Story movie where as much time has passed in the universe as in the real world, such as the nine-year gap between Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4 is seemingly set just a few days after its predecessor. However, it isn’t without a time jump, as the opening scene is set around 10 years beforehand and depicts how Bo Peep becomes estranged from the group.
Sgorilla thinks it’s the greatest scene in the movie, noting, “Powerful scene, opens the door to painful comparisons to the original trilogy.” However, for a movie series that didn’t need a fourquel, Toy Story 4 is surprisingly great, the Redditor is in the minority, and it’s thanks to the opening scene that makes the emotional sequences later on more impactful. But not every fan loved the new Toys as much as others.
Scream (1996)
CodyTaco refers to the original Scream movie, which they think has an opening scene so good that it sets viewers up for disappointment. The Redditor posits, “The opening scene with Drew Barrymore was fantastic, rest of the movie wasn’t as fun or as intense.” There’s no doubt that it’s by far the most memorable scene in the movie and leaves a lasting impression on audiences more than anything else that follows.
It’s certainly the most iconic death in Scream the franchise, as Casey (Barrymore) has her disemboweled corpse hung from a tree. And it started what has become a trademark of the franchise, as fans would likely be disappointed if a Scream movie didn’t open with a teenager home alone being tormented by the Ghostface Killer over the phone.
Leon: The Professional (1994)
This is something of an unpopular opinion, as Leon: The Professional has always been on IMDb’s top 250 list, and it’s one of the greatest crime thrillers ever made. Nevertheless, this user has nothing but negative things to say about the classic outside of its opening. The Redditor argues, “The opening assassination sets up a slick film, but it ends up being sick instead. While they included some well-done musings on the character Leon, a lot of the film comes off as Luc Besson’s child-loving fantasy”
The opening expertly introduces the hitman to audiences almost as if he’s a horror villain, as he’s mostly kept off-camera except for a few extreme close-ups as he massacres a group of gangsters. But the Redditor refers to the unusual relationship between him and Mathilda, which hasn’t held up all that well.
Lord Of War (2005)
Starvinowen thinks Lord of War is the worst movie with the best intro, noting, “The life of a bullet sequence.” Lord of War is about a weapons manufacturer who sells arms to South African gangs, and it couldn’t be more immediately hard-hitting if it tried.
The manufacturer’s weapons are usually used by child soldiers, and the Lord of War intro depicts the life of a bullet from the moment it’s made in a factory to when it enters a child soldier’s head. It instantly tells audiences what kind of movie it is and that it isn’t going to hold back on detailing the grueling realities of war. However, that shock value is only brief and the following two hours do hold back. The rest of the film doesn’t have that same tone or pacing either.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises has been the subject of debate ever since its release, with some Batman fans calling it a masterpiece and others calling it the worst ending to a trilogy ever. And this deleted user is part of the latter camp, but they also admit how incredible the opening sequence is. The Redditor notes, “That airplane scene is one of the greatest set pieces I’ve ever seen.”
While the bank heist in The Dark Knight was seemingly impossible to beat, director Christopher Nolan outdid himself with what is essentially another heist, only this time it’s in the sky. But as unanimously loved as the intro is, the remaining 2.5 hours will always be divisive until the end of time.
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
A deleted user thinks the opening scene of Mission: Impossible III is a bad movie with a great opening scene, but that the film cheated. The Redditor explains, “The editors knew it was the good part of the movie since it happens near the end. But they put it at the start for no apparent reason.”
The 2006 movie pulls off the classic trick of using a clip from later in the film as the opening to build excitement. It’s a cheap trick, and it only works when it’s done creatively. In this case, it’s completely unnecessary, but it is a great scene and is the first instance of a Mission: Impossible villain being a threat to Ethan Hunt.
