Movies with animated or illustrated prologues
April 19, 2016 6:28 PM   Subscribe

What are some live action movies that feature opening sequence prologues, done in animation or graphics and voiceover?

Something like The Kingdom or Magnolia but not with archival footage.

Like an animated explainer before the movie starts for real.
posted by scuza to Media & Arts (22 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Argo!
posted by kat518 at 6:36 PM on April 19, 2016


Escape from New York
posted by pushing paper and bottoming chairs at 6:49 PM on April 19, 2016


Grease!
posted by bookmammal at 6:52 PM on April 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


Do the Game of Thrones opening credits count? They're not as explicitly explainy as your example but there's a lot going on to try to situate the viewer in the GoT world before the action starts up.

Actually, the entire Art of the Title site looks like an amazing resource in general. Here's their interview on The Kingdom for starts, some of the ones tagged editorial look like they might hit the spot too.
posted by yeahlikethat at 6:54 PM on April 19, 2016


Run Lola Run, maybe
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0130827/
posted by falsedmitri at 7:10 PM on April 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Argo is exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for (so is Escape From New York but it's perhaps a bit too dated).

MORE PLEASE!
posted by scuza at 7:16 PM on April 19, 2016


A Series of Unfortunate Events (also has some lovely and amazing animated end titles)
posted by Mchelly at 7:19 PM on April 19, 2016


Dune.
posted by tomboko at 7:21 PM on April 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


From back in the day: The Pink Panther. I believe that all the sequels also had animated title sequences.
posted by bruceo at 7:37 PM on April 19, 2016 [3 favorites]


The Parent Trap sets up the premise of the movie with a stop-motion animation title sequence.
posted by OolooKitty at 7:47 PM on April 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


Better Off Dead. I'm working from memory, so I might be wrong.
posted by adamrice at 7:56 PM on April 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


Repo The Genetic Opera
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 8:06 PM on April 19, 2016


Grease!
(oops, I see someone beat me to it!)
posted by SisterHavana at 8:48 PM on April 19, 2016




Troop Beverly Hills.
posted by augustimagination at 9:15 PM on April 19, 2016


Honey I Shrunk the Kids
Soylent Green
Who's That Girl
Catch me if you can
Ruthless People
posted by sexyrobot at 9:17 PM on April 19, 2016


Lady in the Water
posted by eugenen at 1:39 AM on April 20, 2016


Enchanted begins with an animated sequence.

A Matter of Life and Death (1946 and known as Stairway to Heaven in the US) starts with a slow pan across a colossal starfield, while a voiceover explains what we're seeing. It opens with the words "This is the universe. Big, isn't it?" You can watch it here.
posted by Hogshead at 4:26 AM on April 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


North by Northwest
posted by veery at 8:00 AM on April 20, 2016


Lady In The Water (2006 M.Night Shyamalan film) has an animated prologue.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 12:12 PM on April 20, 2016


I can't remember the actual title sequence, but Hedwig & the Angry Inch incorporates animation throughout.
posted by sarahsynonymous at 7:49 PM on April 20, 2016


Mr. Bennett narrates an animated history of post-zombie Britain to his four daughters. (Still in love with this site, folks!)
posted by yeahlikethat at 7:38 PM on April 27, 2016


« Older Creative ways to transform mud for a backyard...   |   Bay Area beaches: out to murder me or what? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.