71 replies to this topic

[DaltonCraig]

Saw the film in a packed theater in the US.

People were clapping, laughing and really into it.

Girls like Craig. It almost made me jealous!

After the film, I heard more than a few negative remarks directed at Brosnan too.

[pgram]

I think it will leave people mixed. This film is more cerebral and, as such, the huge segment of the audience who can't or won't think will not like it for its lack of gadgets and dumb inuendos. There's a reason why DAD was the biggest moneymaker ...

I wonder, then, what the reason is for CR now being the bigger money earner on its opening day than DAD in the UK?

I think the publicity and press coverage has been much better for CR in the UK than it was for DAD. Craig has generated a real buzz about the character - of course the controversy helped - but he is more well known in the UK than elsewhere and many people were surprised that a 'real' (insulting to the others, I know) actor has been given the role.

I guess the UK is also the Bond 'homeland' and as such perhaps there is an appetite for Flemings Bond greater than that for the cartoon/superhero we have been seeing of late. I do know that of all my friends and family, not a single person enjoyed DAD, and most people were left talking about how that 'bloody stupid invisible car' or the CGI 'surfing' has runined the film. I think for many, DAD was the straw that broke the camels back and they are keen to see 007 return to form.

Completely agree.

I saw it last night. It was sold out. The audience responded very favourably: they laughed where they should laugh, they cheered where they should cheer, they even applauded slightly in the end, and in "the bitch" line. Most of them seemed to know what it was about. And they did seem to like Danny (but then again, this is Liverpool, Danny should be very wellcome here).

I saw the film with two friends of mine, who had seen Bond films, but are not fans. Although they gave me the impression that they were captured by the film, after the show they said they were not satisfied. I guess they didn't get what they had expected to see in a Bond film (although they knew about the different approach).

Screw them...

Edited by pgram, 17 November 2006 - 11:55 AM.

[DamnCoffee]

There was a great cheer when Craig delivered the "You know what i can do with my little finger" line .

[deth]

It'll be interesting to see what the North American reactions are....


I'm going tonight for the 8 PM showing.... so primetime for Bond's target audience.... should be interesting.

[Auric64]

For those who have seen it, how did the audience react to CR? We know the critics are liking it, but are the masses digging it too? What would you say the overall reaction was?

Were there cheers, or other 'reactions' during certain parts of the movie? (Non-spoilerish answers only, please!)

I saw the film for a second time last evening, (Thursday) and this audience were far more receptive to it than the audience I sat with the previous evening, (at a regional premiere).

There wasn`t much reaction, (positive or negative) to the pre title sequence, or the chase/crane sequence. M`s joke about missing the Cold War fell flat but the audience laughed when later M threatened to kill Bond for revealing her full name.

The audience laughed when Bond rammed the Rover into the parked car, setting off all the alarms, and laughed even more when Bond casually threw the car keys away.

No reaction when Bond rose from the sea, doing his Ursula Andress/Halle Berry bit, (I was expecting some wolf whistles but didn`t hear anything) but they laughed when Bond asked Dimitrios for his valet car park ticket, and later when Bond drives the Aston round in a circle to pull up outside the hotel again.

There was silence at the end of the Miami airport sequence, and I took that to be because the audience, (like myself when I first saw it) were probably just catching their breath. There was laughter after the assassin blew himself up, and that continued as Bond raised a half smile at knowing he had won.

No reaction to the line "Every penny of it" but there were laughs at the mention and Bond`s reply, and later with Bond talking to Vesper about having to wear his tailored suit.

The audience were respectful throughout the card game, and I got the feeling that they themselves realised that this game WAS massive, for both Bond and Le Chiffre. There was stunned silence after the stairway fight and during Bond and the difibulator scene. When Bond sat down opposite Le Chiffre, and the audience caught his surprised reaction, the laughs began to grow, and then everyone kinda of knew Bond was going to say SOMETHING, and the whole cinema erupted after Bond delivered the, "That last hand, nearly killed me."

After all that, strangely there was no cheer when Bond finally defeated Le Chiffre, although there were a few sniggers when they saw Le Chiffre`s face that he had lost.

Again, stunned silence after the Aston had come crashing to a halt, and the silence continued as the torture sequence got underway. Having seen the film the night before, I thought the audience might laugh when Bond starts to grunt and scream, moving the chair forward after he has received the 2nd or 3rd blow, but they didn`t. I think they realised, (certainly the men in the audience) what it must be like to have to endure that kind of agony and pain, and probably thought they would have dealt with it the same way.

The cinema erupted with laughter when Bond mentioned the scratched balls line but the scenes afterwards, with Bond and Vesper on the beach, in Venice, etc. I felt the audience, (certainly those around me) were a bit bored having to see one scene after another, which showed Bond and Vesper being madly in love.

I think there was relief when the end action sequence arrived but no reaction from the audience when Vesper was dead. I was hoping for a few people around me sort of whispering to each other, "God, she`s dead." but I didn`t hear anything.

No reaction to the last line, but there were a few claps as the Bond theme was heard, and I believe it was for the overall content of the film, and not for the music.

All in all, the audience reacted positively to, I would say, around 75% of the film which, considering there wasn`t a great deal of action, but plenty of "acting" and characterisation, that must rank as pretty good in anyone`s book.

I saw the movie at a charity premiere last night. By the end of the film, there was a lot of applause, especially at "the line", along with a few cheers. Other moments throughout did raise applause too (such as Bond's Solange-seduction techniques, the Vesper-ordering scene, and a lot of the Bond-Vesper banter.)

And, apart from a few quibbles about the pacing of the relationship development, this audience member could barely have liked it any more.

That's good. Still, from what you write, as one could have expected, it was mainly hardcore fans who saw the first screenings. One should have to wait a little bit until regular cinemagoers see the film, to estimate about the audiences' responce to it.

Yep, still coming up with excuses to write off the positive reactions of the film

On the contrary: I fear that the better the film is, the more negative reaction it will get from non-fans. At least, that is what the unpredecessed success of DAD suggests: the WORST of all Bond films by far (and possibly one of the worst films in years) and the general audiences were cheering with delight.

The point is: let's just NOT care about the non-Bond-fans. This time, they made the movie for us. Let's just enjoy it and let the producers worry about the box office. It has been a really long time since WE were the target group (and who knows when this happens again... hopefully 2008)

Sorry, EON haven`t made a movie for us, the hard core Bond fans, and never have/never will do. As always, they make a Bond film for cinema goers in general. If, in one of the films, there happens to be a sequence lifted directly from one of Fleming`s novels, (and filmed right) then it`s just the icing on the cake for us hard core Bond fans, especially if the rest of the film isn`t any good.

Best

Andy

Edited by Auric64, 17 November 2006 - 04:32 PM.

[White Tuxedo]

I don't think I was with a good audience. There were a few people who were really into it, and it get a few claps at the end. But I think the audience was largely uneasy. A lot of people left actually. Though they may have come back after running to restroom. Not sure. But a better audience would have been appreciated by me.

[Publius]

Everybody loved the humor, although there was one particular sequence that a group of people found a little too funny. They also seemed to love all the "cool" moments. Basically, my experience was largely identical to that of Auric64.

[dennisbolt]

I was with press and some contest winners...

The Solange, Aston Martin "drive around the parking lot" and seduction scene got big laughs.

The Torture scene had the best lines and got a LOT of laughs eventhough it is really tough and gritty.

The major groan (of which there were very few) was the miraculous recovery from the poison with the help of MI6 in the glove box!

[kneelbeforezod]

Everybody loved the humor, although there was one particular sequence that a group of people found a little too funny. They also seemed to love all the "cool" moments. Basically, my experience was largely identical to that of Auric64.

As was mine, after seeing it for the 3rd time

Overall a great response, although strangely as we filed out of the auditorium I heard one bloke say to his girlfriend "that was rubbish"... she stayed silent, I think she disagreed

[Johnboy007]

They laughed and they cheered. Then they gave it a standing ovation at the end.

[Emma]

I saw it with a full house. The people around me (mostly teenagers) were clearly not Bond fans, and did not catch some of the 'in' jokes (ie. Shaken not stirred). They also wouldn't stop talking. Such is life. It seemed more like a crowd who were there for the action, more than Bond. Which in turn makes me wonder how well the film will do in subsequent weeks, because it was heavy laden with drama. I hope it lasts a long itme

[b0o0n7d]

My bother called me today from New York City - they cannot stop talking about the film. Everyone is awe-struck as to what will happen next. I knew I had to see the film tonite. Just got back from it.
Personally, I felt that the film did an excellent job with going with Craig as 007. We really got to see how a radical & young firecracker became the focus and driven spy we know today. I felt the ending was quite appropriate with the "Bond, James Bond" introduction. The casino scenes were excellent and set the tone of the film. Quite a torture scene to say the least - I think my jewels are still hurting!!!! In all, it started off with a bang and ended with my party discussing the possibilities of the next film. That is what a movie is supposed to do - provide a starting point for postulation and "what will happen next?" CR did just enough to explain Bond's past without diluting it with a plethora of nonsense to fill in all the gaps - still leaves a couple dark rooms to be explored.
Bond is an exception to the rule because of his inherent & uncanny ability to read people's thoughts (ie Vesper and Le Chiffre). This is what makes Bond exceptional at his job - and keeps us coming back for more. Who knew that pushing someones buttons would be so intriguing.
I have to say the defibrillator scene in the Aston Martin was portrayed quite well given films today usually mess up such a "life-saving" procedure. But Craig did not sell me on the CPR performed on Vesper - all is well though - the Bond Franchise is in Great hands with Craig, Brococolli, and Wilson.

[stamper]

I love this... Craig haters must be eating their hats now hahaha !

[dinovelvet]

Saw it at the Graumann Chinese theatre in Hollywood. Crowd was into it bigtime. They cheered for the Rocky Balboa and Spidey trailers so I knew I was with the right people. Laughs in all the right places, applause at the end. Great atmosphere!

[DaltonCraig]

Saw it for a 2nd time here in the US.

The audience laughed and cheered!

There was applause at the end of it and most of the audience stayed until the credits were over...

It's going over well.

[bond_girl_double07]

Very nice crowd reaction in Columbus Ohio

The Rave Theatre in Polaris is kind of the new trendy theatre, so the crowd was mostly teens and very young adults. I got the feeling most of the people in the theatre weren't the big fans, but just looking for a movie for a friday night.. there was this teen next to me that started out the movie sending text messages and talking to his girlfriend.. by the torture scene, the phone was away, the girlfriend was huddling against his arm, and he was literally on the edge of his seat (like inched up to the edge of the chair)..

it's a good sign I think

MY crowd reaction was probably bigger than it needed to be

[DLibrasnow]

The test screening audience was overwhelmingly positive.

The general public audience last night, was not. The end of the movie was met with complete sullen silence and as I was heading through the lobby people were already complaining to the management about the level of violence and I heard a couple of people claiming it was not a Bond movie.

Sitting next to me was a mother, father and a boy who must have been about 8. Since I had seen it last Monday already, when they sat down I wondered if they knew what was coming and sure enough when the torture scene came on the screen the three got up and left in disgust.

Personally, I loved the movie and I applauded it at the end of both screenings (which got me some strange looks last night).

[J.B.]

I saw it twice yesterday...the first and second showing in my area. Once alone with about 50 other guys who came alone. I suppose diehard Bond fans. Then, the second showing with my wife.

The crowd in the first one was mostly guy type reactions...The second one some applauded at the end...many laughed in the funny parts and I would say that it was overall very positive...

Something I found interesting is that many stayed to watch the closing credits...I think it was a mix of curiosity to watch them and the original music finally playing at the end. That was one thing I missed much in this film...the theme music we love so well. Understand though that I know why it wasnt in there until the end...

[Emma]

I love this... Craig haters must be eating their hats now hahaha !

With a healthy dollop of salt!

[bond_girl_double07]

I love this... Craig haters must be eating their hats now hahaha !

With a healthy dollop of salt!

In fact, a whole shaker full of salt in a tall glass of water.. mix and instantly regurgitate

[DamnCoffee]

The part when everyone ordered the same drink as Bond at the poker table, had a great reaction from the audience.

[J.B.]

That was hilarious!!! Also, the quips on Rolex and Omega in the plane scene with Vesper...also, the bartender saying shaken not stirred? and Craig's "Do I look like I give a D**n!" comeback was priceless!!! The best lines were during the torture scene. I was wondering how they were going to ease the tension of that scene compared to the book. I thought it was outstandingly done.

[Walther P99]

If there was even the slightest bit of doubt about Craig, it disappeared during the parkour chase / crane fight. The crowd was really behind Craig from that point on. Cheers throughout. The crowd even laughed WITH him (not at him) during the tortune scene.
This is an audience that's accustomed to seeing the role change ever so often, and were delighted with the movie they got.

Yes, I had a similar experience last night... belly laughs for several seconds. Honestly, I didn't expect any laughing at all during the torture scene. Craig's quips were just the thing to keep the scene going for those who didn't know the torture was coming, I must admit.

The audience was generally passive except for reactions to certain one liners, i.e. "Does it look like I give a damn" as others have mentioned. "Are you okay?" got a few titters and the last line of the film a few cheers.

Still not sure how this will play out for the average viewer, but as several of you have said more eloquently, who cares? This is the grittiest, leanest Bond since early Connery. When does #22 premier, anyone?

[Bucky]

saw it with a full house. the audience seemed to be mostly positive. the people around me seemed to love it. there was some applause at the end. bond is back.

[Matt_13]

I was with a meh audience and the place wasn't packed either (I'd say half the seats were empty) To start, we got one clap from someone up front after Craig did the gunbarrel (I felt inclined to do so too, despite the fact I hated the new design). A lot of laughter (the guys that were with me laughed each time Le Chiffre took a hit from his inhaler ) especially during the torture scene dialogue. They loved the "That last hand nearly killed me" line as well as Le Chiffres reaction when he saw Bond sit down. They also laughed as Bond burst through the wall during the parkour chase (haha one of the guys that was with me muttered quite audibly "tank!" when that happened ). The end didn't get much of a clap, I think it was because the ending may have seemed a bit abrupt to them, but still I'd say roughly half the people did clap. Not bad.

[bond_girl_double07]

My crowd actually burst into a fairly thunderous applause in the middle of the film, but I can't remember the scene.. I think it was after the Miami chase scene.. anyway, it was good to see such a postive and enthusiastic response

[deth]

generally positive reaction overall... the biggest being Bond bursting through the drywall and "that last hand... nearly killed me".

tha Bond... James Bond line at the end just got groans...

a bit of applause at the end

[dinovelvet]

I just remembered, a couple of people clapped when Jeffrey Wright revealed himself to be Felix Leiter...obviously a couple of hardcore fans in the crowd!

[RITZ]

Massive "oooohs" from the gents during the torture. Lots of sniggering during the "emerging-from-the-sea-like a greek-God" moment, and when he dons the tux.

I laughed when Bond was drugged and staggered around the car park like a fool. Bless him. He avenged death yet again!

[Matt_13]

Yeah I don't think my crowd really liked Craigs delivery of the line. Oh well.