Five On Friday: Best Entrances

When a character arrives into a film, it has to be so carefully planned. That entrance, in the first minute, the first seconds even, has to tell you everything you really need to know about that character.

Here are five that do it exceptionally well, in no particular order.

*CONTAINS SPOILERS*

Harry Lime
(The Third Man)

I feel you really need the build-up to this entrance, but maybe it might stand on its own. The whole film follows the main character discovering what really happened to his friend Harry Lime. The whole film implies that he is dead. Then, about two thirds of the way in, he turns up in an alley, with that knowing grin.

Right up there with "I am your father", and a whole lot more noir-like.

Jessica Rabbit
(Who Framed Roger Rabbit)

Sticking with the noir theme, we have Mrs Rabbit. Not only does the dance prove that cartoons can be sexy, the whole thing is one long joke; how can Roger Rabbit be married to her?!

She is also the epitome of a femme fatale: red dress, flowing red hair and half-cut cocktail dress.

Ace Ventura
(Ace Ventura: Pet Detective)

One entrance that sets up a character perfectly. He's funny, rude and in the end he rescues a dog. What more do you need to know about Ace?

But it is Jim Carrey that perfects this introduction with his brilliant slapstick energy and comic timing. Hilarious!

President Bartlet
(The West Wing - Pilot)

Come on! It had to be there.

Like Harry Lime, the President has been mentioned throughout the episode. However, it isn't until the end that he comes striding (Well, limping) into the White House, quotes some bibles, verbal chastises some Christians and orders some coffee, all with such authority and verbal elegance that writers everywhere curse their luck that they didn't write his opening speech.

Jack Sparrow
(Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl)

It seems like there isn't a video for this but, unlike the others above, I assume that most people have caught onto the 'Pirates' phenomenon and have therefore seen how Mr. Sparrow enters.

There he is, on the mast of a ship, the sun behind him and the wind in his hair. The perfect heroic entrance. Which is all perfectly underplayed when he jumps down to reveal a tiny rowboat. A tiny rowboat that is sinking.

Because the character could be, should be, heroic, but really he is just a mess. Nice metaphor there.

Runners Up

Jack Sparrow (POTC: Dead Man's Chest) - Almost as good as his first entrance, but not original anymore.
Temperance Brennan (Bones - Pilot) - She gets to be sexy, beat up some guys and still be a leading scientist.
John Doe (Se7en) - Walking into a police station covered in blood. Awesome! Made even better by Kevin Spacey.
Leonardo (TMNT) - Ok, maybe an odd choice. But it was once of the scenes that stood out in a rather lame film. And one of the first times I've seen a 'Ninja' Turtle behave even remotely ninja-like.
Angel (Angel - City Of) - Ok, more of a re-entrance, but David Boreanaz plays the humorous drunk and the kick-ass vampire slayer so well, it deserved some kind of mention. See also his entrance in "Conviction", which kind of plays off this initial one.

So do you agree with the list? Have others to add? Let me know by sending a stamped addressed envelope somewhere. Or just click that comment button.

:D