DVDizzy Forum

Hey guys. I'm not sure if this has been discussed before, but which Disney film has the best opening, in your opinion? And why?

Here is my top three list.

1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame - a extremly powerful and epic opening, with a great opening song, some great Latin chants, a effective narrator (Clopin) and a emotional backstory. Not to mention the great animation and snow effects.

2. The Lion King. Back in 1994 I didn't thought that any opening could surpass this one, but the African chant really gave me chills when I heard it for the first time. The opening is beautiful, emotional and epic.

3. Tarzan. A dynamic, effective, fast-paced and emotional opening.

4. The Rescuers Down Under. I just love how the camera flies through the outback and the epic music in the background.

5. The Fox and the Hound. I love how the camera travels through the beautiful and atmospheric forest and suddenly the mood changes and becomes dramatic and you'll see Tod's mother run.

Definitely HoND! The Opening is probably the best scene ever to appear in a movie. The dramatizing through the combination of music, dialogue and animation is at its perfection.

The Lion King opening is very successful in making a strong first impression for the audience.

My favourite opening, however, is the stained glass windows at the start of Beauty and the Beast. I have always loved that opening. I think it's a great way of setting the scene and I've always found it to be very atmospheric.

Charlie91xo wrote:The Lion King opening is very successful in making a strong first impression for the audience.

Oh yes, indeed. Some reviewers has stated that they didn't thought the rest of the movie lived up to the opening, but I certainly do.

Not sure I'd say it's the BEST opening, but it is my sentimental favorite when the horns start as the seagulls descend from the clouds in The Little Mermaid followed by the dolphins and that shot of the ship coming through the fog all the way through the merfolk swimming toward the castle. I've seen it a million times, but still go back to being a kid in the movie theatre seeing for the first time in complete awe covered in goosebumps.

DancingCrab wrote:Not sure I'd say it's the BEST opening, but it is my sentimental favorite when the horns start as the seagulls descend from the clouds in The Little Mermaid followed by the dolphins and that shot of the ship coming through the fog all the way through the merfolk swimming toward the castle. I've seen it a million times, but still go back to being a kid in the movie theatre seeing for the first time in complete awe covered in goosebumps.

I like that opening, too. And yes, it counts as a opening.

I love all the ones mentioned and many others, and I'd also throw in that I love that opening in Rescuers Down Under with the camera running through the grass. There are many great ones though. It would be hard to pick a favorite. I can easily say though that one of my least favorites is Brother Bear. I like the film very much, but it is greatly hurt by the opening, which feels entirely like it is trying to copy The Lion King.

DancingCrab wrote:Not sure I'd say it's the BEST opening, but it is my sentimental favorite when the horns start as the seagulls descend from the clouds in The Little Mermaid followed by the dolphins and that shot of the ship coming through the fog all the way through the merfolk swimming toward the castle. I've seen it a million times, but still go back to being a kid in the movie theatre seeing for the first time in complete awe covered in goosebumps.

Same here. The whole atmosphere of the opening is just outstanding with the gulls and dolphins in the fog and then the introduction of the under-sea world leading up to the breathtaking shot of the castle.

Also worth noting, Beauty and the Beast. The opening shot is just beautiful and I love how the camera zooms out of the castle right before the title appears.

It would be incredibly hard to pick just one. Several deserve mention (in no special order):

0. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has absolutely one of their most gloriously heady.
0. Bambi has that great song and that very iconic opening shot with the multiplane camera. Even if it had no music, it would be breath-taking.
0. Sleeping Beauty, all about the music and the opening titles animation. Immediately sets a mood. As does the storybook sequence and the really unsettling sequence with all the figures in procession to the castle.
0. The Little Mermaid, for the reasons already mentioned above.
0. 101 Dalmatians, the wit and imagination of the opening credits animation has been praised for a long time and it deserves it. Also, as soon as the story (and narration) set in, the animation really awes (maybe part of the credit is owed to the Platinum Edition's transfer which really threw me back!)

Guess those are my top 5.

Der Fuhrer's Face.

^ If you're going to include those other two Walt book openings, I think Cinderella's is the best one. I am dead serious.

It has more dramatic music, a lovely peaceful romantic song, then dramatic/romantic music with more peaceful score, showing what looks like one of the happiest times there could ever be, then tragedy, rain, death by candlight, the cruelty of the stepmother, and sad violins in a warn-down garden (the rain stopped but the droplets left) all leading to how Cinderella stays happy despite the terror.

DisneyFan09 wrote:Hey guys. I'm not sure if this has been discussed before, but which Disney film has the best opening, in your opinion? And why?

Here is my top three list.

1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame - a extremly powerful and epic opening, with a great opening song, some great Latin chants, a effective narrator (Clopin) and a emotional backstory. Not to mention the great animation and snow effects.

2. The Lion King. Back in 1994 I didn't thought that any opening could surpass this one, but the African chant really gave me chills when I heard it for the first time. The opening is beautiful, emotional and epic.

3. Tarzan. A dynamic, effective, fast-paced and emotional opening.

4. The Rescuers Down Under. I just love how the camera flies through the outback and the epic music in the background.

All of those you've said and I will add:

5. Oliver and Company

6. The Little Mermaid

7. Beauty and the Beast

8. Aladdin

9. Hercules

In no order whatsoever, since all three of them are great for different reasons.

1. Beauty and the Beast is the most visually stunning and creative opening in my opinion. First it opens with a glorious forest and castle, which makes you wish a place like that really existed. Then you have the beautiful stained glass windows that tells the story of the Prince like no animation could.

2. Aladdin's opening made me feel swept away to a far away place called Agrabah, where there are no McDonalds, instead there are merchants. Bruce Adler did an excellent job of doing Arabian Nights, I thought Robin William's sung the song until a few years ago. It definitely made me want to hop on a carpet and fly!

3. The Lion King had the most powerful opening, you can't help but feel the effect it has. When the elephant herd is walking you see how huge they are compared to the birds but they don't attack the birds or step on them. When you talk about a movie you say usually say "Oh, and I love the ending." for this movie I'd say "Oh, and I love the beginning.". The movie really wouldn't be the same without it.

slave2moonlight wrote:I love all the ones mentioned and many others, and I'd also throw in that I love that opening in Rescuers Down Under with the camera running through the grass. There are many great ones though. It would be hard to pick a favorite. I can easily say though that one of my least favorites is Brother Bear. I like the film very much, but it is greatly hurt by the opening, which feels entirely like it is trying to copy The Lion King.

Like how is the opening trying to copy The Lion King? I think those two openings are entirely different.

Here are my favorite openings:

- Beauty and the Beast: Typical, I know. But the movie takes the classic book opening and develops it into something original. It's stylistic, the narration powerful and the music is stunning during this sequence. In fact, the Christmas Movie proves how great this scene was in the first movie when they re-enact the scene in full animation. As the Nostalgia Chick said once: "The angle worked much better when it was stained glass".

- The Lion King: As it's been previously stated, the opening is powerful and sets the mood of the film very well. The stunning shot of all the animals running along with the detailed animation and the beautiful "Circle of Life" song makes sure the opening stays with you even during the rest of the movie.

- Robin Hood: This is a very underrated opening. It is simple, especially when compared to the other openings, but I like how charming and humorous it is. Plus, as a kid it helped me learn the names of the species of animals featured in the movie (seriously, I had never seen a badger or a fox until this movie came along as a kid, because Puerto Rico doesn't have them).

- Atlantis: Talk about a high octane opening! Rather than just telling us in text what happened to Atlantis you see the destruction of the city and the desperation of its denizens. Then you have the very emotional moment with Kida and her mother as she is called by the spirits of Atlantis in order to save the city and Kida is left without a mother, destined to do the same thing years later. Very powerful in my book.

IMO, the top-5 best openings....in order:


1.The Hunchback of Notre Dame
2.The Little Mermaid
3.Lilo & Stitch
4.Hercules
5.The Lion King

ive always loved the 101 dalmatians opening, the way the spots moved with the music. was pleased to see they used spots in the opening of the sequel as well. kept with the theme.

the dumbo credits sequence with the circus posters has always fascinated me as well.

other than that, i agree with the others already mentioned. i remember going to see the lion king and the first note of the song scared just about everyone in the audience cos it was so loud.

This has already been done indeed (the search option is there for a reason); I even think the title for that thread was exactly the same.

Anyway, my favorite Disney opening:


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<img src="http://magicalscreencaps.com/images/res ... ers004.jpg" width="300" height="225" border="0"><img src="http://magicalscreencaps.com/images/res ... ers005.jpg" width="300" height="225" border="0"><img src="http://magicalscreencaps.com/images/res ... ers006.jpg" width="300" height="225" border="0">
<img src="http://magicalscreencaps.com/images/res ... ers007.jpg" width="300" height="225" border="0"><img src="http://magicalscreencaps.com/images/res ... ers008.jpg" width="300" height="225" border="0"><img src="http://magicalscreencaps.com/images/res ... ers009.jpg" width="300" height="225" border="0">

Goliath wrote:This has already been done indeed (the search option is there for a reason); I even think the title for that thread was exactly the same.

I actually searched this board for a similar thread and I didn't found nothing.

DisneyFan09 wrote:

Goliath wrote:This has already been done indeed (the search option is there for a reason); I even think the title for that thread was exactly the same.

I actually searched this board for a similar thread and I didn't found nothing.

There were 2 threads: best prologues and best epilogues. I think one was even created by myself. They are at least 5 years old, so maybe there was something newer.