134 replies to this topic

[marktmurphy]

Why take M to Scotland? Bond goes to the trouble of getting Q to leave a fake trail for Silva to follow to force the showdown at Skyfall now he could easily make it look as though M was with him and keep M holed up in some safe house while he takes care of Silva. Sure it would ruin a perfectly good film but still cant really get this out of my head.

He could hardly guarantee her safety if he left her alone miles away.

[AgenttiNollaNollaSeitsemän]

Anyway, he should be shivering quite a bit after taking a long dip in an iced-over loch, then walking away in the same driping clothes... It's barely something one could survive, this shock of temperature, so uncontrollable shivering (if not downright cardiac arrest) would be the minimal physiological reaction one would expect.

Not really. I'm as far from a über-human as one could get, but :)in my teens I once fell through ice and I walked home 2 kilometres in throroughly soaked clothes in +-0 centigrade temperature. Sure, it wasn't pleasant and I shivered a lot but I didn't get hypothermia or anything. Sure, I got out of the water as quickly I could, not having any henchmen to fight underwater.

Edited by AgenttiNollaNollaSeitsemän, 20 November 2012 - 11:05 AM.

[PPK_19]

Spotted a new gaffe on my third viewing!

M's watch at the Enquiry and Bond's watch when he's pursuing Silva through the underground tunnels do not match up. Since these events are meant to be happening at the same time i.e. Bond is trying to stop Silva from murdering M at the hearing, their watches should show roughly the same time.

However, M's watch says 3pm to start off with, but Bond's says something like 4.30. Then it jumps back and forth a few times between the hearing and Bond and M's watch says 4pm. Basically it's all over the place!

M's watch is very clearly displayed on her wrist, which is resting on the table. And Bond's Omega- as always- is perched in its in-yer-face position past his cuffs and is easily readable when he is holding his PPK aloft with two hands gripping it.

I was very proud to be able to spot such continuity issues, since i'm usually oblivious to them. Silva's hair could have changed from blonde to brunette and i wouldn't have noticed.

[conneryboy]

Why take M to Scotland? Bond goes to the trouble of getting Q to leave a fake trail for Silva to follow to force the showdown at Skyfall now he could easily make it look as though M was with him and keep M holed up in some safe house while he takes care of Silva. Sure it would ruin a perfectly good film but still cant really get this out of my head.

He could hardly guarantee her safety if he left her alone miles away.

He could if he was luring Silva himself miles away from M.

[marktmurphy]

Why take M to Scotland? Bond goes to the trouble of getting Q to leave a fake trail for Silva to follow to force the showdown at Skyfall now he could easily make it look as though M was with him and keep M holed up in some safe house while he takes care of Silva. Sure it would ruin a perfectly good film but still cant really get this out of my head.

He could hardly guarantee her safety if he left her alone miles away.

He could if he was luring Silva himself miles away from M.

A huge risk, though. If Silva had seen through it (just as he done before in the film) M would be left to die with no Bond around.

[Dustin]

Why take M to Scotland? Bond goes to the trouble of getting Q to leave a fake trail for Silva to follow to force the showdown at Skyfall now he could easily make it look as though M was with him and keep M holed up in some safe house while he takes care of Silva. Sure it would ruin a perfectly good film but still cant really get this out of my head.

He could hardly guarantee her safety if he left her alone miles away.

He could if he was luring Silva himself miles away from M.

A huge risk, though. If Silva had seen through it (just as he done before in the film) M would be left to die with no Bond around.

I've thought about this for some time now. Have to admit while sending her somewhere safe would seem the natural thing to do, it's not what gut-feeling would dictate: having her close, both for luring Silva and to keep her close and safe. In the end Bond wasn't cheating Silva by having an army of his own at Skyfall. He was there with M, outnumbered and outgunned, and both Silva and Bond knew it. Only Bond knew he'd come out on top anyway, because he knew the battlefield and made the most of it. Think of it from Bond's side: he didn't know Kincade would be there to help, he could only hope the rifles of his father would still be there, hopefully with some ammunition. But that was all he could count on, a bit of added firepower (on top of what the DB5 would provide). And the secret tunnel where he probably planned to hide M during the showdown.

[MkB]

Then why not hide M in the tunnel right from the beginning? She's a high-value target (the only target, actually), so tactically it would make more sense to protect her than to use her as just another gun slinger (and not a very good one, of her own avowal).

[Dustin]

Indeed, not having M involved in the shooting would have been the way to go.

[Vauxhall]

Yes, I thought the same actually. She didn't particularly add much to the gunfight in terms of firepower.

Alternatively, Bond could have just locked her in the Aston Martin storage unit as she suggested!

[marktmurphy]

Then why not hide M in the tunnel right from the beginning? She's a high-value target (the only target, actually), so tactically it would make more sense to protect her than to use her as just another gun slinger (and not a very good one, of her own avowal).

Yeah that's a fair point. She does set off the nail bombs but does appear to be exposed to danger. Maybe a scene where she refuses to hide would have been handy.

[Dustin]

Then why not hide M in the tunnel right from the beginning? She's a high-value target (the only target, actually), so tactically it would make more sense to protect her than to use her as just another gun slinger (and not a very good one, of her own avowal).

Yeah that's a fair point. She does set off the nail bombs but does appear to be exposed to danger. Maybe a scene where she refuses to hide would have been handy.

But then Bond would have gotten lip from two old geezers instead of just one, water on the SKYFALL/Craig-is-so-not-Bond crowd. I suppose there may have been a scene with M refusing to be put out of the way, but it probably resembled Kincade's, so they dropped it. Technically M isn't a civilian, so she would have some rudimentary use in a confrontation in theory.

[thecasinoroyale]

And good idea she wasn't in the Aston Martin anyway...would have been a horrid way to go!

[Goldbadge]

So I was wondering if Bond knew the shards in his shoulder were special because they penetrated the Caterpillar windshield, which maybe he knew was bullet resistant. Anyway, I couldn't find anything definitive, but I did find this article all about the backstory of that part of the PTS. I didn't notice this but as you'll read in the article, caterpillar basically custom made the excavator for the film, with the biggest change being that the cab was moved from the left to the right side. Interesting info in the article for sure. http://www.caterpill...&x=7&id=4274519

[S K Y F A L L]

The one thing I noticed was that the excavator was taller then the trains carriages and may not have fit into the tunnels.

If Skyfall Lodge was blown up, where was the electricity for the lights in the tunnel coming from?

Bond's gloves and the signature gun; I think he activates the gun in the car and then puts the gloves on but I could be wrong.

Yes, I'd have assumed it wasn't a public inquiry, but the presence of at least two video cameras was a bit odd. Perhaps the footage was simply intended for internal use.

The cameras may not have been rolling but rather for broadcasting public hearings.

Why didn't Bond stab Silva's henchman underwater with the hunting knife (and please don't say he was saving it for a rainy day) ;-)

Great point, it must not have been in reach.

So I was wondering if Bond knew the shards in his shoulder were special because they penetrated the Caterpillar windshield, which maybe he knew was bullet resistant. Anyway, I couldn't find anything definitive, but I did find this article all about the backstory of that part of the PTS. I didn't notice this but as you'll read in the article, caterpillar basically custom made the excavator for the film, with the biggest change being that the cab was moved from the left to the right side. Interesting info in the article for sure. http://www.caterpill...&x=7&id=4274519

Interesting stuff, no one has mentioned this yet; that for some reason the excavator has grills over top the hydraulics. But we know why, its so Bond can run across it safely.

In the opening of CR when Bond is running around the construction site and drives one of the machines, he is fired at and that machine had a bullet proof window. Although I can`t imagine why it would be made with bullet proof glass.

Also I believe it was Pussfeller who pointed out that Bond doesn`t even turn the key to turn on the excavator not to mention take it off park or what not.

[Vauxhall]

Bond's gloves and the signature gun; I think he activates the gun in the car and then puts the gloves on but I could be wrong.

For all those on Bond glove-watch: He takes the gloves off as he pulls up in his car outside the Shanghai office, then activates the gun. Bond remains without gloves all the way up to the fistfight with Patrice, where it's not clear whether he's wearing them, and they reappear as Patrice hangs out of the window.

[The Shark]

There's a fair amount of the time in stalking sequence where we don't see Bond, namely when Bond positions his reflection to confuse Patrice. So it could be anywhere there.

[Vauxhall]

There's a fair amount of the time in stalking sequence where we don't see Bond, namely when Bond positions his reflection to confuse Patrice. So it could be anywhere there.

Yep, definitely plenty of time for a costume change there. I find it a bit odd that he puts the gun away at all, but I suppose it allows the stylish silhouette flight, so I shan't grumble!

[Vauxhall]

http://www.telegraph...lm-Skyfall.html
http://www..moviemistakes.com/film9442

I don't believe they're all correct thought, plus they've certainly missed a few that I've spotted.

[marktmurphy]

I'm not convinced by a few of those. Sunglasses in the bike chase? Don't think so.

As for the Goldfinger one... no. That Rolls Royce has seats set back from the window- Auric is leaning forward in the first shot; he is behind the pillar in the second.

[quantumofsolace]

http://www.standard....lk-8346914.html

[Vauxhall]

I'm not convinced by a few of those. Sunglasses in the bike chase? Don't think so.

No idea where they got that one from. Very odd.

Also, Embankment station signs are clearly visible in several of the underground shots, so that one doesn't work either.

[Forward Look]

How many incongruities can you count in Skyfall? Not even IMDB knows, and I'm too busy enjoying the latest Bond adventure to find out. But someone counted SF bloopers, and put them on a web page for everyone to see. How accurate then, is this self-appointed blooper detector? Click his link, and don't forget to back up what you comment!


http://www.moviemist...442?viewall=yes

[S K Y F A L L]

I think a lot of these will have to wait until the DVD release to be sure but something to think about if you plan on seeing SF again and want to look for it.

[S K Y F A L L]

Here's a thread already created; Skyfall - bloopers and gaffes

[quantumofsolace]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...nology-20555621

As a self-confessed technology geek, there have been numerous occasions when my enjoyment of a movie has been marred by technological impossibilities. For example, Independence Day was ruined for me when Jeff Goldblum used an Apple Mac to transfer a virus to the alien mothership and thus saved mankind, all at a time when it was a miracle if you could get your Mac to talk to a printer via a cable.
So, for all you out there with similar sensitivities planning to go and see Skyfall, the latest in the Bond franchise, be warned! I have been to see this movie (expect spoilers below) and if you like your technology on the realistic side then you should see a different show...
One of the most glaring errors occurs in what is perhaps the most crucial scene between the cyber-terrorist bad guy Raoul Silva, played by Javier Bardem, and Bond, who is tied up throughout to a chair.
In the scene, the large room is dominated by the racks of computers that allow Silva to conduct his cyber-attacks.
What is striking to a geek like me however is the complete absence of background noise!
Firstly, a room full of computing hardware would have to be air-conditioned to keep the temperature of the servers down. Despite the precarious situation Bond was in, all I could think about was the potential of a fire caused by overheating throughout this scene.
Secondly, as anyone who has been in a server farm will tell you, you would have struggled to hear the conversation over the background humming from the machines themselves.
Hacked-off
Later we see an active hacking attempt on MI6 by Silva with Q and Bond watching an animation that represents the code involved in the attack.
Q's graphics looked better than a command-line interface
The animation is very creative but it has absolutely no resemblance to anything you might see in reality.
What you would actually see would be a plain command line - very dull admittedly. If you were very lucky you might have a mirror image of the attacker's screen but clever graphics? Not likely.
Again, we security geeks are asked to suspend our knowledge of the complexities of cryptography when we find Bond being able to decipher part of the code in order to spot Granborough Road Tube station embedded in the cipher.
If only it was as easy as that. Code-breaking is incredibly difficult, just ask the poor people at MI5 that only last week had to admit they were stumped by a 70-year-old message taped to the leg of a dead pigeon, and can really only be done nowadays by large amounts of computing power.
I cannot remember the last time I broke even a simple substitution code, but admittedly I don't work for MI6.
Tracking shots
Then there is my particular bugbear - tracking Bond underground.
Director Sam Mendes did not make technological accuracy his top priority
The public have no idea how hard it is to even track people in indoor locations using radio frequency techniques such as w-fi, Bluetooth or Zigbee.
It is highly unreliable. However difficult normal above-ground indoor tracking can be, tracking people underground is a nightmare.
Despite this, we see Q getting an immediate fix on Bond and easily tracking him as he navigates deep underneath London in the tunnels.
Arrhhhh, I'm an indoor location determination researcher... get me out of here!
Of course, it is not difficult to understand why films overreach in their depiction of technology.
Take just one example from Skyfall, such as hacking.
Hacking in the real world is quite mundane and involves a number of labour intensive steps from identifying the systems which have weaknesses to executing the "payloads" which allow capture of the remote systems.
It also quite often takes place on an old-fashioned "command line" with no fancy graphics at all. Any movie which attempted to give you a realistic interpretation of this would risk putting the audience to sleep.
Licence to school
The positive aspect for us involved in teaching computer science is that exciting overdramatisation of technology can encourage the younger generation to take up computing courses in higher education.
Even without the movie glamour however, life in computer sciences can be pretty exciting. One of the most involving aspects of my life is acting as an expert witness for defence lawyers in court cases.
It is lucky Bond did not have to pass an ICT exam to be able to return to active service
This often sees me forensically trawling through a defendant's hard disk or mobile phone in some corner of a police station, visiting suspects in prison and attending court in order to help with technical questions.
This is indeed a fast-paced world to be in, and one about to get even more interesting in the near future due to the sheer amount of information stored on digital devices.
The importance of this data and the need for secure systems is certainly one aspect of technology that Skyfall did get right - the James Bonds of the future will have to be very aware of the potential for disruption posed by hacking sensitive information and platforms.

Edited by quantumofsolace, 02 December 2012 - 01:56 AM.

[Matt_13]

In regards to the glove bit in Shanghai, as Bond approaches Patrice, we see him pocket the Walther before the camera cuts. I believe that Bond pockets the gun and puts on the gloves anticipating a hand to hand fight with his quarry. I'd imagine he didn't want to bash up his knuckles too badly.

[MattofSteel]

The first time I saw that sequence, I felt grossly underwhelmed. But the more I watch it, the more cool and complex I realize it is. The visuals were always impressive, but there's a lot of calculated narrative happening. Easily one of the classiest (and best) stalking sequences in a contemporary action film, let alone the history of the Bond franchise.

The cut to Severine just staring at him post-fight is one of the most epic "007" moments I can recall on film. The whole thing is so definitively James Bond.

[Dustin]

In regards to the glove bit in Shanghai, as Bond approaches Patrice, we see him pocket the Walther before the camera cuts. I believe that Bond pockets the gun and puts on the gloves anticipating a hand to hand fight with his quarry. I'd imagine he didn't want to bash up his knuckles too badly.

Was that perhaps meant as a reference to Grant killing the guy at the Hagia Sophia (wearing gloves) but then cut down to the point when it's no longer obvious for reasons of timing?

[007jamesbond]

How about the lack of sound when Silva and his men went through the metal detector during inquiry scene.....and no security cameras at all?

[thecasinoroyale]

Not so much a blooper - I think just a question I felt I needed to know the answer to....

After the finale, how did Kincade and Bond get away from Skyfall? The Aston Martin was destroyed....






** Embarrasingly I've finally thought it out as I typed this to you, they probably used the Range Rovers used by Silva's men, parked outside the Skyfall entrance to get back to civilisation. Ignore me!