Anyone else near to or actually have tears during the film? I got to admit I had to hold back a few times. I had my dad to my left and girlfriend to the right I couldn't lose my cool...but I was close B-)
Anyone else near to or actually have tears during the film? I got to admit I had to hold back a few times. I had my dad to my left and girlfriend to the right I couldn't lose my cool...but I was close B-)
I cried at 3 points during the film.
1)When the Bond theme blasted as the DB5 was unveiled complete with ejector seat gag.
2)When M died
3)As the film ended with Bond flirting with Moneypenny then walking into a classic M's office - In with the old!
SkyFall is the best bond film in years, better than CR, I am seeing it again tomorrow hopefully and I reckon on second viewing it'll change to my favourite Bond film ever. Just wonderful!
1 thing bugging me though - did anyone catch Michael G's cameo? I must of missed it.
Anyone else near to or actually have tears during the film? I got to admit I had to hold back a few times. I had my dad to my left and girlfriend to the right I couldn't lose my cool...but I was close B-)
I cried at 3 points during the film.
1)When the Bond theme blasted as the DB5 was unveiled complete with ejector seat gag.
2)When M died
3)As the film ended with Bond flirting with Moneypenny then walking into a classic M's office - In with the old!
SkyFall is the best bond film in years, better than CR, I am seeing it again tomorrow hopefully and I reckon on second viewing it'll change to my favourite Bond film ever. Just wonderful!
1 thing bugging me though - did anyone catch Michael G's cameo? I must of missed it.
Was cut in the final cliping of the movie...he is not in
Copy paste:
Cut Scenes & Alternate Versions
- A procession of hearses and producer Michael G. Wilson's cameo as a pall bearer at the funeral service for the MI6 agents.
Anyone else near to or actually have tears during the film? I got to admit I had to hold back a few times. I had my dad to my left and girlfriend to the right I couldn't lose my cool...but I was close B-)
I had a lump in my throat during M's death. The last scenes in M's office had me excited and giddy like the true 007 fanboy that I am )
I must of missed something, CNN reports Six deaths But there are Eight coffins.
Found M's death a little sudden she seemed quite healthy dealing with Silva.
So is this DB5 the one from CR which bond has had Modified of the One from
Goldfinger which either has or Hasn't happened yet.
Not to rain on the Parade, I know so far everyone loved it. But........................
I found it a little over hyped with not much substance. Certainly a Good film
Although Not the Masterpiece some are making it out to Be. I doubt I'll
watch it again untill the Blu-ray release. ( Just to fill up the Box set ).
IMHO, Casino Royale is still to be Bettered.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
I must of missed something, CNN reports Six deaths But there are Eight coffins.
Found M's death a little sudden she seemed quite healthy dealing with Silva.
So is this DB5 the one from CR which bond has had Modified of the One from
Goldfinger which either has or Hasn't happened yet.
Not to rain on the Parade, I know so far everyone loved it. But........................
I found it a little over hyped with not much substance. Certainly a Good film
Although Not the Masterpiece some are making it out to Be. I doubt I'll
watch it again untill the Blu-ray release. ( Just to fill up the Box set ).
IMHO, Casino Royale is still to be Bettered.
Even on a second view I'm not sure if I can answer the better than CR or not issue, but for me that sets the bar very high. I need to get some distance and perspective as I'm so glad it's the anti-QOS that I'm not really able to fully calibrate. The fact that we are even asking that question bears out that it is certainly good enough to be spoken of in the same breath. Once the dust has settled I'm looking forward to a lot of good quality discussion and debate as there is a lot to talk/disagree about to keep us going. Anyone up for a Bond 24 thread or is it too early ?
Anyone else near to or actually have tears during the film? I got to admit I had to hold back a few times. I had my dad to my left and girlfriend to the right I couldn't lose my cool...but I was close B-)
I cried at 3 points during the film.
1)When the Bond theme blasted as the DB5 was unveiled complete with ejector seat gag.
2)When M died
3)As the film ended with Bond flirting with Moneypenny then walking into a classic M's office - In with the old!
SkyFall is the best bond film in years, better than CR, I am seeing it again tomorrow hopefully and I reckon on second viewing it'll change to my favourite Bond film ever. Just wonderful!
1 thing bugging me though - did anyone catch Michael G's cameo? I must of missed it.
Was cut in the final cliping of the movie...he is not in
Copy paste:
Cut Scenes & Alternate Versions
- A procession of hearses and producer Michael G. Wilson's cameo as a pall bearer at the funeral service for the MI6 agents.
The cameo wasn't cut, though it was a blink and you miss it moment. When M is looking at the coffins there are distressed relatives waiting in a corridor behind a door. The door is open briefly and MGW can be seen comforting a lady.
In the scene where M and Mallory are talking M's handbag is at her feet. After their
little argument she grabs her Coat and walks to the door turning to have the last word.
Suddenly we can see her Handbag is missing. Is this how Silva got her codes.
"Can't you keep anything locked up " )
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Higher degree of characterisation.
Great cinematography.
Titles + Adele.
Silva's intro.
Good humour throughout.
All scenes in China.
Severine's character.
Scotland scenery.
Secrets of Bond's past.
Bond enjoying death.
Best line - Bond: 'Oh good, there's a train coming.'
Plenty of action and adrenaline.
Computer hacking.
Swearing.
Q.
Great use of London and MI6.
Underground scenes.
Bond becomes less of an icon to viewers.
I'm less decided about whether or not I see Craig as a good Bond.
M overshadows 007 and this gets confusing.
General lack of substance in the film.
Smoking.
Plot is lame and fades away through the film.
Exitement comes and goes and some parts are rather boring.
Silva is a good villian? Doesn't compare to 006 or Renard etc. Hardly seemed like he was in the film. Too camp.
Bond girls have very short roles.
Lack of establishing scenes throughout.
I agree with some that it still felt too short.
Trailer spoiled key scenes.
Average ending.
But I really enjoyed it. How everyone is describing it as the Best Bond ever is beyond me though. I think there's some dodgy marketing tactics going on. Guaranteed they are paying an office in India to flood the internet with good reviews. And they've invited the right people to the right parties beforehand.
Anyway.. no Purvis and Wade from now on ! -{
7/10
Feel free to respond to any points raised by PM or replying.
Higher degree of characterisation.
Great cinematography.
Titles + Adele.
Silva's intro.
Good humour throughout.
All scenes in China.
Severine's character.
Scotland scenery.
Secrets of Bond's past.
Bond enjoying death.
Best line - Bond: 'Oh good, there's a train coming.'
Plenty of action and adrenaline.
Computer hacking.
Swearing.
Q.
Great use of London and MI6.
Underground scenes.
Bond becomes less of an icon to viewers.
I'm less decided about whether or not I see Craig as a good Bond.
M overshadows 007 and this gets confusing.
General lack of substance in the film.
Smoking.
Plot is lame and fades away through the film.
Exitement comes and goes and some parts are rather boring.
Silva is a good villian? Doesn't compare to 006 or Renard etc. Hardly seemed like he was in the film. Too camp.
Bond girls have very short roles.
Lack of establishing scenes throughout.
I agree with some that it still felt too short.
Trailer spoiled key scenes.
Average ending.
But I really enjoyed it. How everyone is describing it as the Best Bond ever is beyond me though. I think there's some dodgy marketing tactics going on. Guaranteed they are paying an office in India to flood the internet with good reviews. And they've invited the right people to the right parties beforehand.
Anyway.. no Purvis and Wade from now on !
7/10
I can agree with Your view as it Mirrors my own. "Best Bond Ever " I can't see that.
I'd say it was a solid movie 6 or 7 out of 10.
At least the Films are now ( At Last ) set up for future adventures with a more
familiar feel.
I do hope the Experiment is Over and Bond is Now Fully formed. )
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Higher degree of characterisation.
Great cinematography.
Titles + Adele.
Silva's intro.
Good humour throughout.
All scenes in China.
Severine's character.
Scotland scenery.
Secrets of Bond's past.
Bond enjoying death.
Best line - Bond: 'Oh good, there's a train coming.'
Plenty of action and adrenaline.
Computer hacking.
Swearing.
Q.
Great use of London and MI6.
Underground scenes.
Bond becomes less of an icon to viewers.
I'm less decided about whether or not I see Craig as a good Bond.
M overshadows 007 and this gets confusing.
General lack of substance in the film.
Smoking.
Plot is lame and fades away through the film.
Exitement comes and goes and some parts are rather boring.
Silva is a good villian? Doesn't compare to 006 or Renard etc. Hardly seemed like he was in the film. Too camp.
Bond girls have very short roles.
Lack of establishing scenes throughout.
I agree with some that it still felt too short.
Trailer spoiled key scenes.
Average ending.
But I really enjoyed it. How everyone is describing it as the Best Bond ever is beyond me though. I think there's some dodgy marketing tactics going on. Guaranteed they are paying an office in India to flood the internet with good reviews. And they've invited the right people to the right parties beforehand.
Anyway.. no Purvis and Wade from now on ! -{
7/10
Feel free to respond to any points raised by PM or replying.
I too have to wholeheartedly agree with CT's analysis. I felt rather underwhelmed by SF, but perhaps that can in part be due to the fact that I am a Bond fan, not a casual movie-goer (I will explain what I mean by this in a moment.)
I mostly agree wth CT's plus and minor points;
Characterisation was good in respect to M and Severine, who gave a fantastic performance of a women caught in a villainous web purely out of fear of a worse fate. Shame they killed her off too soon.
Eve becoming Moneypenny felt jaulty - the continous denial by Harris that Eve would infact be Moneypenny leaves a bitter taste now that all along she was - infact it was almost glaringly obvious from the moment Bond entered new MI6 that she was being set up as Moneypenny so the pay-off was not just lost but felt bitter.
The film looked stunning and the PTS was exceptional (expect the poor matting of actors faces to stunt-men!)
Kleinman's titles were striking but a little "substance over style", now I realise you may think I've got the saying the wrong way around, but what I mean is; Kleinman jittered around too many themes/motifs rather than keeping to a few and really giving the titles a single tone.
I have to say that the 'enjoying death' sequence was too short. If Bond wanted to get away and question his abilities then a little more detailing of his angst would have been nicer. Silence, a beer and some heavy drinking before heading back in 5 mins just seemed throw-away considering it is supposed to have been a few months.
The overall story, whilst interesting and unique, questioning M's and Bond's abilities and the justification for MI6 (a clever counter to question the relevance of the franchise after 50 years) also lacked real substance. Silva's personal intentions to give M some pay-back is the major focus and so makes the hard-drive data and revealing the agents feel a little lost and worthless.
The film also has the issue with the audience often being left ten paces behind Bond. In most Bond films you remain at least in the same level of knowledge as Bond, or a little ahead (to create the tension of expecting before Bond knows himself proving a pay-off when Bond manages to out-do the situation). However, SF keeps the audience almost at odds as to what exactly where supposed to expect - this isn't helped by the hard-drive agent data being skimmed over and a lot of the explanatory information seems missing. Why was Patrice assasinating the man with Severine? Also, its not been mentioned overtly so far, what was with those Dragons? This part really ruined the tone of the film in my view - Comodo Dragons aren't likely to attack and drag a man to his death and it cheapened an otherwise tense sequence.
The ending. Now, credit for exploring Bond's past but it lacks something. Bond acknowledges that M must have known about his past but very little is done to explore this. I also feel that blowing it up in two minutes flat felt very unexciting. It would have been nice for Bond to atleast reminisce slightly or perhaps take a little more heart to its destruction (he cared more about his DB5). I also feel that the preist's hole was a bit of a heavy-handed tool to eliviate escape issues. Its a shame too that it wasn't Bond who revealed his parents grave which would have provided a stronger emotional link between Bond and the house.
Now, my disappointment at SF (though its still a good film and deserves a 7-8 out of 10) may be due to the fact I'm a Bond fan, not an average cinema-goer. I am already aware of Bond's parents deaths, his Scottish heritance, that 'M' derived from surnames (Mallory becoming M seemed a given from day one), and I already knew Skyfall was the name of his ancestral home, which perhaps dampens the plot reveals - whereas a cinema-goer with no prior knowledge of these 'Bond-centric' elements would be more suprised and thus enjoy the secrets. (though my girlfriend, who is not a Bond fan and as suprising as it may sound has never seen a Bond film in its entirety, also felt the film was a little flat and despite suprise at the secrets/twists did not feel that SF was exceptional).
SF was a good film, executed very well indeed, but I still don't seem to be able to grasp the critically worth it has received as 'the best Bond film yet' - SF seems flawed in places and fades between trying to be modern and intelectually clever (ala The Dark Knight) and a traditional Bond film, and I never think it truely combines the two. Infact the film often falls foul of feeling like its trying to be too clever for its own good.
I've been thinking, In the scene where Silva Flirts with Bond and Bond answers
"What makes you think It would be my first time "
Was that Girl In the south China Sea really a LadyBoy )
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Just back from it, excellent , some very nice touches including the appearance of the Wildcats ,the RNs future small ship helicopter so keeping it current or slightly ahead of time.
When he says about it not being his first time, I understood it as a reference to being tied to a chair by Le Chiffre. Maybe I'm wrong but that's how I took it.
I don't no whether I never posted this or if it has been posted and deleted, anyway I read a great review of Skyfall this morning (not mine though) I don't get to see it until this week, Maybe Wednesday.
Higher degree of characterisation.
Great cinematography.
Titles + Adele.
Silva's intro.
Good humour throughout.
All scenes in China.
Severine's character.
Scotland scenery.
Secrets of Bond's past.
Bond enjoying death.
Best line - Bond: 'Oh good, there's a train coming.'
Plenty of action and adrenaline.
Computer hacking.
Swearing.
Q.
Great use of London and MI6.
Underground scenes.
Bond becomes less of an icon to viewers.
I'm less decided about whether or not I see Craig as a good Bond.
M overshadows 007 and this gets confusing.
General lack of substance in the film.
Smoking.
Plot is lame and fades away through the film.
Exitement comes and goes and some parts are rather boring.
Silva is a good villian? Doesn't compare to 006 or Renard etc. Hardly seemed like he was in the film. Too camp.
Bond girls have very short roles.
Lack of establishing scenes throughout.
I agree with some that it still felt too short.
Trailer spoiled key scenes.
Average ending.
But I really enjoyed it. How everyone is describing it as the Best Bond ever is beyond me though. I think there's some dodgy marketing tactics going on. Guaranteed they are paying an office in India to flood the internet with good reviews. And they've invited the right people to the right parties beforehand.
Anyway.. no Purvis and Wade from now on ! -{
7/10
Feel free to respond to any points raised by PM or replying.
Smoking?
Are you for real?
Boy scout movies and novels (which as a woman I STILL have to read today when that close friend drops a new "must read" book in your lap again) are getting on my nerves since I first discovered lipstick and literature.
Can't handle a woman who smokes and exhales it like an ancient seductive Chinese cloud serpent?
You might want to check out Harry Potter.
It's CLEAN!
And safe
scaramanga1The English RivieraPosts: 845Chief of Staff
I don't no whether I never posted this or if it has been posted and deleted, anyway I read a great review of Skyfall this morning (not mine though) I don't get to see it until this week, Maybe Wednesday.
Got to say, the film was pretty much what I wanted from a Bond film in every sense.
Brilliant Pre Title Sequence
Fantastic Titles, a return to form in my view.
A proper Bond theme.
An enjoyable well scripted story with great characterisations.
A very creepy and believable Villain even beating my fave of all time "Sanchez"
The return of Q and Moneypenny.
An all round sense of being thoroughly entertained for over 2 hrs.
My only smalll gripes were, the place of the gun barrel sequence, the price of admission and people who thought they had to applaud just before the film started, WTF!!!
My only question is, how on earth will they top this for the next adventure???
Keep safe and happy people, and never let people make you afraid.
Okay. I had my second viewing today and it was as good as the first.
Skyfall Starts off without the iconic gunbarrel, which is disappointing, but we're soon into the thick of the action regardless. I have to say this lauded opening shot by Deakins has been a little overcooked on the hype front. It's nice but not THAT nice. We have skyline shots of Shanghai, Macau and London later in the movie, so why would one of Istanbul have been cliched? I don't get it. Anyway, that's a debate for another thread.
We follow Bond into an apartment where he finds a clearly gravely wounded agent on a chair. This tells us this is a movie that won't pull it's punches, like Craig's previous two. Good.
A great PTS ensues with a terrific sequence on top of a moving train and we're into a beautiful title sequence where both imagery and song work brilliantly together.
The washed up Bond storyline that follows is okay (although we've tackled this a lot lately, so no more please).
After 'passing' his fit for service test, and meeting Q, Bond jets off again and some the film's best moments follow. The Shanghai and Macau scenes are superb and totally capture a modern 007.
A superb nod to Live And Let Die using a Komodo Dragon too.
Then we meet our antagonist. Silva's introduction is one of the best villain intros of the cannon. His long walk into focus, while spouting an analogy about rats, is brilliant. His dialogue with Bond thereafter is very Le Chifre too. Great stuff.
His ruthless dispatching of Severine only adds to the menace.
Then we're back to London for another great act. We see a vulnerable M having to defend MI6 to politicians and she's defended by Mallory. Hmmm. Mallory. Em...
The scenes involving tube stations, tube lines, London streets and public buildings are all breathtaking, fast and never over stretched.
Then it's off to The Highlands for some very un Bond like scenes. It's more Home Alone than 007, but it works. We explore Bond and M's relationship and get Bond's backstory.
The dispatching of villains is due process until the real tear jerking moment arrive... M has been mortally wounded.
This is tempered brilliantly in the last five minutes however, with some real twisticuffs. Eve is Moneypenny and Mallory is the new M. Bond walks into THAT anteroom, has THAT banter with Moneypenny, walks through THAT padded door into THAT office and is handed THAT eyes only document.
We're back where it all began and I can't bloody wait to get there again.
Then the gunbarrel comes on but everyone is up and leaving and the music is totally disassociated and it's all a complete mess. A real downer to be honest. I only pray it's back where it belongs, looking and sounding like it should, for Bond 24.
As an aside, Newman's score was functional but not spectacular. There were some nice Bond cues but that was it really. Mainly forgettable.
Anyways, Skyfall, while not as good as Casino Royal, is certainly up there with the best Bond's.
Bond 24 promises to be something even more classic...
Tea through the nose was a new experience for sure.
Thank you
You've got to agree that £8.50 for a ticket is a tad too steep, it's just not cricket. As for the new keyboard, I'm afraid I've just taken out a mortgage to pay for the snacks from last night too
I'm actually cool enough to smoke myself sometimes.
But Severines character is advertising smoking to girls. This is irresponsible in a film with the magnitude of Skyfall. Smoking sucks. It's very out of place for in a film in 2012.
How many times have I bought Heineken since I knew it was associated with Bond? 5 or 6 times already.
But partly because it's a good beer and it's good to support a company which helps make Bond films.
I'm actually cool enough to smoke myself sometimes.
But Severines character is advertising smoking to girls. This is irresponsible in a film with the magnitude of Skyfall. Smoking sucks. It's very out of place for in a film in 2012.
How many times have I bought Heineken since I knew it was associated with Bond? 5 or 6 times already.
But partly because it's a good beer and it's good to support a company which helps make Bond films.
You're on a crusade because you have a daughter and are worried about her.
Fair enough.
But this is a BOND movie.
It's neither made for your daughters nor for theirs, allow me to quote Fleming: My books are written for warm-blooded heterosexual males.
Be one
The world needs more.
Back to reviews please!
No derailing.
P.S: Next Heineken is on me.
Asp9mmOver the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,535MI6 Agent
I'm actually cool enough to smoke myself sometimes.
But Severines character is advertising smoking to girls. This is irresponsible in a film with the magnitude of Skyfall. Smoking sucks. It's very out of place for in a film in 2012.
How many times have I bought Heineken since I knew it was associated with Bond? 5 or 6 times already.
But partly because it's a good beer and it's good to support a company which helps make Bond films.
Smoking is bad, but her being a hooker and all the shooting of people and alcohol consumption by Bond is fine. Get a grip, if you are going to have morals, leave them at the foyer entrance or at least gain some perspective before viewing a Bond film. It is afterall just a film. And as such, her shaky reactions while smoking showed exactly how afraid she was. It was all in context and brilliantly portrayed. Personally I was disgusted by the way Bond jumped onto the tube train. Everyone will be doing that now because he showed how cool it could look :v
And Heineken is a horrible beer. Don't be so gullible to all this advertising hype.
Skyfall is becoming my favourite Bond film, Ill be seeing it again next saturday so i'll decide then! They really need to make something special to top it, although i've just read this about future Bond films and will use spoiler tags just in case:
Screenwriter John Logan is revealed to have already begun working on the scripts for Bond 24 AND Bond 25 after pitching a two-film story arc to Babs and Michael during shooting for Skyfall, much in the same vein as CR and QoS. I am apprehensive about this, one one hand look at the mess QoS was, on the other they could shoot them back to back and release within a year of each other leaving only a short gap. Anyway it's a little off topic and im sure will be discussed in the future, just wanted to share.
Anyway, Skyfall 10/10. Cried 3 times during the movie (once out of sadness which I did not expect as before I seen the movie I would of welcomed this scenario), something a Bond movie has NEVER made me do.
EDIT: Dont know why the spoiler tag is showing the link...
Skyfall is becoming my favourite Bond film, Ill be seeing it again next saturday so i'll decide then! They really need to make something special to top it, although i've just read this about future Bond films and will use spoiler tags just in case:
Screenwriter John Logan is revealed to have already begun working on the scripts for Bond 24 AND Bond 25 after pitching a two-film story arc to Babs and Michael during shooting for Skyfall, much in the same vein as CR and QoS. I am apprehensive about this, one one hand look at the mess QoS was, on the other they could shoot them back to back and release within a year of each other leaving only a short gap. Anyway it's a little off topic and im sure will be discussed in the future, just wanted to share.
Anyway, Skyfall 10/10. Cried 3 times during the movie (once out of sadness which I did not expect as before I seen the movie I would of welcomed this scenario), something a Bond movie has NEVER made me do.
EDIT: Dont know why the spoiler tag is showing the link...
I am not happy about that. Bond 24 and 25 being a 2-part story arc? What the hell, they already did this with CR and QOS. I thought Skyfall was supposed to bring everything back to the classic bond formula. That doesn't include sequels. And yet next thing we're hearing about is a 2-parter? Oh dear.
Comments
I cried at 3 points during the film.
2)When M died
3)As the film ended with Bond flirting with Moneypenny then walking into a classic M's office - In with the old!
SkyFall is the best bond film in years, better than CR, I am seeing it again tomorrow hopefully and I reckon on second viewing it'll change to my favourite Bond film ever. Just wonderful!
1 thing bugging me though - did anyone catch Michael G's cameo? I must of missed it.
Was cut in the final cliping of the movie...he is not in
Copy paste:
Cut Scenes & Alternate Versions
- A procession of hearses and producer Michael G. Wilson's cameo as a pall bearer at the funeral service for the MI6 agents.
http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/movies/sf.php3?s=movies&id=03347
www.007jamesbond.dk
http://thedangermen.com/
I had a lump in my throat during M's death. The last scenes in M's office had me excited and giddy like the true 007 fanboy that I am
Found M's death a little sudden she seemed quite healthy dealing with Silva.
So is this DB5 the one from CR which bond has had Modified of the One from
Goldfinger which either has or Hasn't happened yet.
Not to rain on the Parade, I know so far everyone loved it. But........................
I found it a little over hyped with not much substance. Certainly a Good film
Although Not the Masterpiece some are making it out to Be. I doubt I'll
watch it again untill the Blu-ray release. ( Just to fill up the Box set ).
IMHO, Casino Royale is still to be Bettered.
Even on a second view I'm not sure if I can answer the better than CR or not issue, but for me that sets the bar very high. I need to get some distance and perspective as I'm so glad it's the anti-QOS that I'm not really able to fully calibrate. The fact that we are even asking that question bears out that it is certainly good enough to be spoken of in the same breath. Once the dust has settled I'm looking forward to a lot of good quality discussion and debate as there is a lot to talk/disagree about to keep us going. Anyone up for a Bond 24 thread or is it too early ?
The cameo wasn't cut, though it was a blink and you miss it moment. When M is looking at the coffins there are distressed relatives waiting in a corridor behind a door. The door is open briefly and MGW can be seen comforting a lady.
little argument she grabs her Coat and walks to the door turning to have the last word.
Suddenly we can see her Handbag is missing. Is this how Silva got her codes.
"Can't you keep anything locked up "
Higher degree of characterisation.
Great cinematography.
Titles + Adele.
Silva's intro.
Good humour throughout.
All scenes in China.
Severine's character.
Scotland scenery.
Secrets of Bond's past.
Bond enjoying death.
Best line - Bond: 'Oh good, there's a train coming.'
Plenty of action and adrenaline.
Computer hacking.
Swearing.
Q.
Great use of London and MI6.
Underground scenes.
Bond becomes less of an icon to viewers.
I'm less decided about whether or not I see Craig as a good Bond.
M overshadows 007 and this gets confusing.
General lack of substance in the film.
Smoking.
Plot is lame and fades away through the film.
Exitement comes and goes and some parts are rather boring.
Silva is a good villian? Doesn't compare to 006 or Renard etc. Hardly seemed like he was in the film. Too camp.
Bond girls have very short roles.
Lack of establishing scenes throughout.
I agree with some that it still felt too short.
Trailer spoiled key scenes.
Average ending.
But I really enjoyed it. How everyone is describing it as the Best Bond ever is beyond me though. I think there's some dodgy marketing tactics going on. Guaranteed they are paying an office in India to flood the internet with good reviews. And they've invited the right people to the right parties beforehand.
Anyway.. no Purvis and Wade from now on ! -{
7/10
Feel free to respond to any points raised by PM or replying.
7. LALD 8. TWINE 9. Skyfall 10. AVTAK 11. CR 12. TLD 13. YOLT
14. TMWTGG 15. Moonraker 16. TSWLM 17. Thunderball 18. FRWL
19. Dr. No 20. DAF 21. LTK 22. DAD 23. QoS 24. Spectre 25. NTTD
Easily better than QoS, but in my view not as good as CR.
Still gets *****
I love Daniel Craig, I love SKYFALL.
Thank god I am going again on Tuesday!
I can agree with Your view as it Mirrors my own. "Best Bond Ever " I can't see that.
I'd say it was a solid movie 6 or 7 out of 10.
At least the Films are now ( At Last ) set up for future adventures with a more
familiar feel.
I do hope the Experiment is Over and Bond is Now Fully formed.
Stunning stuff. -{ Brilliant with Adele's song.
I too have to wholeheartedly agree with CT's analysis. I felt rather underwhelmed by SF, but perhaps that can in part be due to the fact that I am a Bond fan, not a casual movie-goer (I will explain what I mean by this in a moment.)
I mostly agree wth CT's plus and minor points;
Characterisation was good in respect to M and Severine, who gave a fantastic performance of a women caught in a villainous web purely out of fear of a worse fate. Shame they killed her off too soon.
Eve becoming Moneypenny felt jaulty - the continous denial by Harris that Eve would infact be Moneypenny leaves a bitter taste now that all along she was - infact it was almost glaringly obvious from the moment Bond entered new MI6 that she was being set up as Moneypenny so the pay-off was not just lost but felt bitter.
The film looked stunning and the PTS was exceptional (expect the poor matting of actors faces to stunt-men!)
Kleinman's titles were striking but a little "substance over style", now I realise you may think I've got the saying the wrong way around, but what I mean is; Kleinman jittered around too many themes/motifs rather than keeping to a few and really giving the titles a single tone.
I have to say that the 'enjoying death' sequence was too short. If Bond wanted to get away and question his abilities then a little more detailing of his angst would have been nicer. Silence, a beer and some heavy drinking before heading back in 5 mins just seemed throw-away considering it is supposed to have been a few months.
The overall story, whilst interesting and unique, questioning M's and Bond's abilities and the justification for MI6 (a clever counter to question the relevance of the franchise after 50 years) also lacked real substance. Silva's personal intentions to give M some pay-back is the major focus and so makes the hard-drive data and revealing the agents feel a little lost and worthless.
The film also has the issue with the audience often being left ten paces behind Bond. In most Bond films you remain at least in the same level of knowledge as Bond, or a little ahead (to create the tension of expecting before Bond knows himself proving a pay-off when Bond manages to out-do the situation). However, SF keeps the audience almost at odds as to what exactly where supposed to expect - this isn't helped by the hard-drive agent data being skimmed over and a lot of the explanatory information seems missing. Why was Patrice assasinating the man with Severine? Also, its not been mentioned overtly so far, what was with those Dragons? This part really ruined the tone of the film in my view - Comodo Dragons aren't likely to attack and drag a man to his death and it cheapened an otherwise tense sequence.
The ending. Now, credit for exploring Bond's past but it lacks something. Bond acknowledges that M must have known about his past but very little is done to explore this. I also feel that blowing it up in two minutes flat felt very unexciting. It would have been nice for Bond to atleast reminisce slightly or perhaps take a little more heart to its destruction (he cared more about his DB5). I also feel that the preist's hole was a bit of a heavy-handed tool to eliviate escape issues. Its a shame too that it wasn't Bond who revealed his parents grave which would have provided a stronger emotional link between Bond and the house.
Now, my disappointment at SF (though its still a good film and deserves a 7-8 out of 10) may be due to the fact I'm a Bond fan, not an average cinema-goer. I am already aware of Bond's parents deaths, his Scottish heritance, that 'M' derived from surnames (Mallory becoming M seemed a given from day one), and I already knew Skyfall was the name of his ancestral home, which perhaps dampens the plot reveals - whereas a cinema-goer with no prior knowledge of these 'Bond-centric' elements would be more suprised and thus enjoy the secrets. (though my girlfriend, who is not a Bond fan and as suprising as it may sound has never seen a Bond film in its entirety, also felt the film was a little flat and despite suprise at the secrets/twists did not feel that SF was exceptional).
SF was a good film, executed very well indeed, but I still don't seem to be able to grasp the critically worth it has received as 'the best Bond film yet' - SF seems flawed in places and fades between trying to be modern and intelectually clever (ala The Dark Knight) and a traditional Bond film, and I never think it truely combines the two. Infact the film often falls foul of feeling like its trying to be too clever for its own good.
"What makes you think It would be my first time "
Was that Girl In the south China Sea really a LadyBoy
Here is the link to the review below.
http://movie-blogger.com/content/bond-dead-0
http://apbateman.com
Smoking?
Are you for real?
Boy scout movies and novels (which as a woman I STILL have to read today when that close friend drops a new "must read" book in your lap again) are getting on my nerves since I first discovered lipstick and literature.
Can't handle a woman who smokes and exhales it like an ancient seductive Chinese cloud serpent?
You might want to check out Harry Potter.
It's CLEAN!
And safe
Good review. I agree with it pretty much. Thanks for sharing. -{
Got to say, the film was pretty much what I wanted from a Bond film in every sense.
Brilliant Pre Title Sequence
Fantastic Titles, a return to form in my view.
A proper Bond theme.
An enjoyable well scripted story with great characterisations.
A very creepy and believable Villain even beating my fave of all time "Sanchez"
The return of Q and Moneypenny.
An all round sense of being thoroughly entertained for over 2 hrs.
My only smalll gripes were, the place of the gun barrel sequence, the price of admission and people who thought they had to applaud just before the film started, WTF!!!
My only question is, how on earth will they top this for the next adventure???
Keep safe and happy people, and never let people make you afraid.
You owe me a new keyboard, sir.
Tea through the nose was a new experience for sure.
Thank you
Skyfall Starts off without the iconic gunbarrel, which is disappointing, but we're soon into the thick of the action regardless. I have to say this lauded opening shot by Deakins has been a little overcooked on the hype front. It's nice but not THAT nice. We have skyline shots of Shanghai, Macau and London later in the movie, so why would one of Istanbul have been cliched? I don't get it. Anyway, that's a debate for another thread.
We follow Bond into an apartment where he finds a clearly gravely wounded agent on a chair. This tells us this is a movie that won't pull it's punches, like Craig's previous two. Good.
A great PTS ensues with a terrific sequence on top of a moving train and we're into a beautiful title sequence where both imagery and song work brilliantly together.
The washed up Bond storyline that follows is okay (although we've tackled this a lot lately, so no more please).
After 'passing' his fit for service test, and meeting Q, Bond jets off again and some the film's best moments follow. The Shanghai and Macau scenes are superb and totally capture a modern 007.
A superb nod to Live And Let Die using a Komodo Dragon too.
Then we meet our antagonist. Silva's introduction is one of the best villain intros of the cannon. His long walk into focus, while spouting an analogy about rats, is brilliant. His dialogue with Bond thereafter is very Le Chifre too. Great stuff.
His ruthless dispatching of Severine only adds to the menace.
Then we're back to London for another great act. We see a vulnerable M having to defend MI6 to politicians and she's defended by Mallory. Hmmm. Mallory. Em...
The scenes involving tube stations, tube lines, London streets and public buildings are all breathtaking, fast and never over stretched.
Then it's off to The Highlands for some very un Bond like scenes. It's more Home Alone than 007, but it works. We explore Bond and M's relationship and get Bond's backstory.
The dispatching of villains is due process until the real tear jerking moment arrive... M has been mortally wounded.
This is tempered brilliantly in the last five minutes however, with some real twisticuffs. Eve is Moneypenny and Mallory is the new M. Bond walks into THAT anteroom, has THAT banter with Moneypenny, walks through THAT padded door into THAT office and is handed THAT eyes only document.
We're back where it all began and I can't bloody wait to get there again.
Then the gunbarrel comes on but everyone is up and leaving and the music is totally disassociated and it's all a complete mess. A real downer to be honest. I only pray it's back where it belongs, looking and sounding like it should, for Bond 24.
As an aside, Newman's score was functional but not spectacular. There were some nice Bond cues but that was it really. Mainly forgettable.
Anyways, Skyfall, while not as good as Casino Royal, is certainly up there with the best Bond's.
Bond 24 promises to be something even more classic...
I'm actually cool enough to smoke myself sometimes.
But Severines character is advertising smoking to girls. This is irresponsible in a film with the magnitude of Skyfall. Smoking sucks. It's very out of place for in a film in 2012.
How many times have I bought Heineken since I knew it was associated with Bond? 5 or 6 times already.
But partly because it's a good beer and it's good to support a company which helps make Bond films.
7. LALD 8. TWINE 9. Skyfall 10. AVTAK 11. CR 12. TLD 13. YOLT
14. TMWTGG 15. Moonraker 16. TSWLM 17. Thunderball 18. FRWL
19. Dr. No 20. DAF 21. LTK 22. DAD 23. QoS 24. Spectre 25. NTTD
You're on a crusade because you have a daughter and are worried about her.
Fair enough.
But this is a BOND movie.
It's neither made for your daughters nor for theirs, allow me to quote Fleming: My books are written for warm-blooded heterosexual males.
Be one
The world needs more.
Back to reviews please!
No derailing.
P.S: Next Heineken is on me.
Smoking is bad, but her being a hooker and all the shooting of people and alcohol consumption by Bond is fine. Get a grip, if you are going to have morals, leave them at the foyer entrance or at least gain some perspective before viewing a Bond film. It is afterall just a film. And as such, her shaky reactions while smoking showed exactly how afraid she was. It was all in context and brilliantly portrayed. Personally I was disgusted by the way Bond jumped onto the tube train. Everyone will be doing that now because he showed how cool it could look :v
And Heineken is a horrible beer. Don't be so gullible to all this advertising hype.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a433746/skyfall-writer-to-script-next-two-single-story-james-bond-movies.html
Screenwriter John Logan is revealed to have already begun working on the scripts for Bond 24 AND Bond 25 after pitching a two-film story arc to Babs and Michael during shooting for Skyfall, much in the same vein as CR and QoS. I am apprehensive about this, one one hand look at the mess QoS was, on the other they could shoot them back to back and release within a year of each other leaving only a short gap. Anyway it's a little off topic and im sure will be discussed in the future, just wanted to share.
Anyway, Skyfall 10/10. Cried 3 times during the movie (once out of sadness which I did not expect as before I seen the movie I would of welcomed this scenario), something a Bond movie has NEVER made me do.
EDIT: Dont know why the spoiler tag is showing the link...
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby