Top 10 Epic Movie Entrances

Since this is the first in the “James Bond” movie franchise, audiences weren’t yet expecting ridiculously beautiful women to throw themselves willy-nilly at the British spy. Especially not clad in bikinis. So when Honey Ryder, played by the lovely Ursula Andress, emerged from the ocean in this iconic scene, she revolutionized 007 movies and the silver screen. The Bond girl’s entrance wasn’t just epic, it left an indelible impression on film audiences for decades, and helped establish the “Bond girl” legacy. It also showed us that a dagger is the perfect accessory for fun times at the beach.

The first glimpse we get of Captain Sparrow, he’s approaching a dock aboard a ship that is rapidly sinking. And while this definitely wouldn’t be the last we’d see from the curiously entertaining character, his entrance is definitely one that stands out. As Jack’s vessel makes its way to the dock, it’s almost fully submerged, allowing him to step from the mast onto dry land without missing a step. It’s a more graceful approach than one would expect from a pirate that just narrowly avoided drowning to death in the ocean.

This comic-book-turned-movie introduced us to Cameron Diaz in her first feature film performance. And her movie entrance was so epic that it essentially launched her entire film career. Diaz plays Tina Carlyle, a sultry lounge singer who also happens to be the girlfriend of a notorious gangster. She’s also managed to capture the fancy of Stanley Ipkiss, the Mask’s alter ego and lowly bank employee. Carlyle visits Ipkiss at his job, and her slow-motion entrance is topped off with a hair flip that serves to remind you that you never would’ve had a chance.

This ‘90s smash hit was chock full of gruesome surprises and soul crushing plot twists. It also featured Kevin Spacey, who played John Doe, a painfully calm and frighteningly even-keeled serial killer who always seemed one step ahead of the police. Doe went on a killing spree that was over a year in the making, all the while eluding police detection. It wasn’t until he calmly strode into the police department to surrender that it seemed that the jig was finally up. But that fact that he’d cut off his fingertips should’ve been an indication that there was more to come.

Whenever lightning starts to strike and the scenery randomly catches on fire, you know something major is about to go down. In this follow up to the original hit movie, our hero makes a grand entrance. A deviation from the butt cheeks we got in the first movie, we’re presented with a time sphere containing the T-800, the killing machine from the first “Terminator” movie that’s been reconfigured to be a bodyguard for the young John Connor. And considering that a newer, shinier killing machine has been dispatched to murder the young Connor, a time sphere containing a good-guy cyborg has never been more necessary. And what about that bar fight to get clothes? Pretty bad to the bone, if you ask us…

Heath Ledger’s brilliant turn as the sociopath with a smile gave audiences a lot of memorable moments in this 2nd installment of Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” series. But his introduction as the Joker, a criminal with some dangerous plans for Gotham, is what let us know that he was about to blow this role out of the park. The film opens to a bank robbery, with a group of armed robbers donning clown masks as they make quick work hauling loot from a bank vault. Over the course of the crime, members of the group kill other members until only one remains. And when one of them pulls off his mask to leave some final words with an injured bank manager, that’s when we get our first glimpse at an icon in the making.

The first rule of law enforcement is to always keep a serial killer on deck in case you need help solving a difficult case. Okay, maybe not, but it is in this case. Said helpful killer happens to be the not-at-all-creepy-or-intimidating Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins. When the FBI has run out of leads in the case of yet another serial killer who likes to make women-skin coats, they seek Lecter’s aid in determining the killer’s next move. FBI agent Clarice Starling, played by Jodie Foster, is dispatched to consult with Lecter directly and that’s when we see him in all of his disturbingly manipulative glory in solitary quarters that seems like they’re probably not safe enough for her, or even for the audience.

It’s a movie about dinosaurs, so we knew we’d get to see them in the film. What we probably weren’t expecting was how absolutely terrifying they would be on screen. At first, it’s all fun and games when an intrepid CEO invites his grandchildren to visit him at an incredible theme park featuring dinosaurs regenerated from ancient DNA. Of course, things go awry when corruption within the ranks sets off a series of events that allow the dinosaurs to roam – and hunt – freely. What should’ve been a peaceful automated tour for two kids turns into a face to eyeball confrontation with a hungry T-Rex, and gives us an introduction to an extremely fearsome predator in its element.

Back before audiences were introduced to Anakin Skywalker, we got Darth Vader in all of his throat-crushing glory. This epic saga of revolution, redemption, romance and convoluted family issues was chock full of battles between good and…not so good. We first meet Darth Vader in the aftermath of a gun battle between rebels and a band of storm troopers with horrendous aim. With Darth Vader emerging from the cloud of gunfire, never has a billowing cape inspired more dread. Without even uttering a word, you know that this dude is most likely evil and he definitely means business.

Before we introduce our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Lisa
“Weird Science” (1985)
- Indiana Jones
“Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)
- The Great White Shark
“Jaws” (1975)
- Don Logan
“Sexy Beast” (2000)
- Anthony ‘Tony’ Manero
“Saturday Night Fever” (1977)
- Castor Troy
“Face/Off” (1997)

There’s making a grand entrance, and then there’s killing your host body during a light-hearted meal among coworkers. In this sci-fi scare-fest, Sigourney Weaver plays Ripley, one of seven crewmembers trapped aboard a spaceship with a vicious alien on a murderous rampage. She and the rest of the crew respond to a distress call, and after one of them survives an attack in a den of alien eggs, they discover that one of the creatures has made it on board. Not one for subtlety, the alien makes its presence known to the crew and the audience alike in one of the most iconic character entrances in movie history.

Do you agree with our list? What do you think is the most epic movie entrance? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.