Oscars 2015: Neil Patrick Harris opens with Anna Kendrick, Jack Black, diversity joke

How will Neil Patrick Harris open the Oscars? It’s a question many fans have wondered for quite some time now, and to us, there is no questioning that this is one of the most important moments of the entire show. Critics are watching it with intent, and you need to find a way to hook in casual fans who maybe have only seen a few of the Best Picture nominees. Given how small many of the films are, this is probably the majority of the audience!

As you would expect, the show opened with a rousing musical number featuring Harris … but also some special guests! As Neil sang a number that was a tribute to “moving pictures,” he had accompaniment from none other than “Pitch Perfect” star Anna Kendrick, who had a few good lines of her own, including where she spoiled the end of “Gone Girl” for all in attendance.

In addition to this, though, did you see the random Jack Black cameo coming? We certainly did not.

As for the rest of the opening, let’s say that Harris was a little better singing. His “American Sniper” joke was a little awkward in its delivery, and we now have another great candidate for Weird Oscar Joke Involving Oprah! Neil struggled a little with being very much in love in movies, but then also trying to make fun of himself and Hollywood. (His joke about diversity at the start of the show was still pretty funny.) He’s more of a showman than a comic, so he is more comfortable when spreading the love around.

What did you think about this opening? Share below.