10 Greatest Opening Lines In Sci-Fi Movie History, Ranked
Without a doubt, science-fiction movies can have some of the greatest and most visually stunning opening sequences in cinematic history. However, sometimes what makes these openings so memorable can be what is heard and/or read just as much as what is shown on screen. Additionally, some of the best lines in a sci-fi movie can be the ones we get right off the bat.
Typically used to introduce a universe, overarching concepts, themes, or most important ideas, the opening lines in a sci-fi movie can be some of its most important and/or memorable. Frequently, the first lines we get are written and shown as introductory text rather than spoken aloud (though sometimes it’s both). These can be warnings about dark futures, explanations for major cosmic concepts, the time and setting, chosen figures, and even crucial dreams.
Keeping that in mind, here’s a ranking of 10 of the greatest opening lines in sci-fi movie history, ranked from great to the absolute greatest of all time.
10
“Early in the 21st Century, the Tyrell Corporation advanced robot evolution into the Nexus phase.” — Blade Runner (1982)
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Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) immediately establishes its setting and dystopian future via critical opening text that immediately gets audiences oriented to this world and current status quo. Explaining the creation of replicants by the Tyrell Corporation, the introduction is incredibly efficient as we’re brought into the movie’s primary conflict before we even meet Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard. The audience can quickly understand that this is a world where replicants are being hunted and considered illegal on Earth.
9
“Before time began, there was The Cube.” — Transformers (2007)
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Kicking off the first-ever live-action Transformers franchise, Michael Bay’s 2007 movie opens with the introduction of the AllSpark, the mysterious object that created all life on Cybertron (and the movie’s major MacGuffin responsible for the conflict between the Autobots and Decepticons on Earth).
However, what makes this opening so memorable is that the nature and history of the AllSpark is narrated by Optimus Prime himself, who’s voiced by the late, great Peter Cullen. As such, there’s something inherently special about hearing Prime’s first-ever lines of live-action dialogue from the same actor who first brought him to life in the original 80s animated series.
8
“I started having these dreams of flying. I was free.” — Avatar (2009)
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James Cameron’s first Avatar movie opens with Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully narrating his dreams. Well before he even sets foot on Pandora and takes control of his late brother’s Na’vi avatar, Jake was dreaming of flying over jungles and embracing the feeling of freedom before inevitably waking up to a much harsher reality.
Ultimately, the line is even better in retrospect once the full movie is watched, seeing as how Jake very much turns those dreams into a reality that both includes and stretches well beyond those dreams he had back on Earth. It’s a simple opening, yet one that carries great meaning as both the franchise and Jake’s journey continue to expand in the Avatar franchise.
7
“The machine rose from the ashes of the nuclear fire” — Terminator (1984)
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Continuing with more James Cameron, his first Terminator movie wastes no time establishing the horrifying future awaiting humanity with some grim opening text detailing the eventual rise of the machines under Skynet following the brutal aftermath of nuclear war. Like with the previous examples, the opening text is brilliantly efficient yet compelling as the movie’s overall time-traveling premise is set up, kicking off one of the most popular sci-fi franchises of all time.
6
“Dawn of Man” — 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
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Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) takes a very unconventional yet brilliant approach to its opening, which is likely why it’s still considered one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time today.
Following the film’s iconic overture and visuals showing the sun, Earth, and moon in alignment, we get the simple opening title card that reads “Dawn of Man”, which is all that’s needed to establish the movie’s initial prehistoric setting. Focusing on a group of ape-like hominids and their encounter with the alien black monolith, the movie’s opening suggests that it was this otherworldly experience that influenced and sparked the evolution of humanity itself before jumping millions of years forward to the movie’s present.
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5
“Morpheus believes he is The One” — The Matrix (1999)
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Before audiences fully understand the rules and world featured in The Matrix (1999), the movie opens with a recorded telephone conversation between Trinity and Cypher, confirming that their leader, Morpheus, believes a man named Neo is “The One.” It’s a fascinating way to kick off the movie, one that sets up major questions and mysteries that eventually get answered as Neo himself learns more about the true nature of the false reality he lives in and his true role and destiny within it.
4
“Dreams are messages from the deep” — Dune (2021)
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Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune movie opens with an anonymous Sardaukar priest speaking in the low bass tones of his own language, with the on-screen translation reading: “Dreams are messages from the deep,” immediately establishing the importance of Paul Atreides’ prophetic dreams and destiny as the Kwisatz Haderach, taking the mantle of the Fremen messiah Lisan al-Gaib, and becoming the galaxy’s next emperor of the Imperium. Followed by Chani’s narration introducing the crucially central world of Arrakis and its beauty, audiences are immediately drawn into the movie and its core themes.
3
“Are you watching closely?” — The Prestige (2006)
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige begins as a psychological mystery thriller that gradually unveils its major sci-fi elements as the movie progresses. However, its opening line is unequivocally the movie’s best, encouraging viewers to examine the movie and pieces of the puzzle as closely as they can, while also highlighting the movie’s major themes of deception, perception, and the nature of illusion itself.
The Prestige challenges audiences to distinguish between what they’re seeing and what’s actually happening, with the full trick and major misdirects not being revealed at the very end. Thanks to its brilliantly unique and intentional narrative construction, the opening line is certainly one of the greatest of all time.
2
“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise.” — Star Trek (Various)
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Few opening narrations are as recognizable or as memorable as the classic Star Trek monologue declaring space as the final frontier and the mission of the USS Enterprise. While it’s most closely associated with the opening themes of the television series, the narration (and variants of it) have appeared in movies as well, including 2009’s Star Trek reboot and its sequels starring Chris Pine, Zoe Saldaña, and Zachary Quinto.
Setting the perfect tone and themes of galactic exploration, discovery, and adventure, these opening words have come to represent decades of excellent sci-fi storytelling across shows and movies alike, making it one of the most timeless and iconic opening lines in all of sci-fi (except for one).
1
“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” — Star Wars (1977)
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It’s difficult to imagine any sci-fi movie opening greater or more iconic than Star Wars’ opening text: “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.” Before the opening crawl even begins, George Lucas establishes that audiences are about to experience something resembling a modern cosmic fairy tale rather than an outright sci-fi epic.
This memorable text is so brilliant in that it separates Star Wars from traditional science fiction. Despite all of its spaceships, robots, lightsabers, and futuristic technology, the franchise is fundamentally a fantasy epic with its peak hero and villain archetypes, supernatural powers, and overarching themes of destiny, good vs. evil, oppression, rebellion, and more. The opening line communicates that distinction immediately, inviting audiences into a universe that feels both futuristic and timeless (and it’s a huge part of what has given Star Wars its enduring appeal for generations).
Nearly 50 years later, the key Star Wars phrase remains instantly recognizable, so much so that it’s arguably the greatest invitation into any sci-fi movie world ever.
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