350 replies to this topic

[JCRendle]

I understand that at least one member of the forum has already seen Skyfall and this week members are joining the Official Premiere tomorrow and the general release Friday - I thought it may be an idea to have a review thread separate from the journalists reviews.

I know this is the spoiler forum, but could I request that all major spoilers are placed in spoiler tags. EON requested that journalists not spoil the end of the film and not to release anything that would spoil the enjoyment, I think we should respect that. Anyone who is open to spoilers can click the hidden spoilers at their own risk.

I look forward to hearing your views and reviews and it'll be fun looking back at your initial views in 2 or 3 years time (as Zencat found with his DAD review)...

[SecretAgentFan]

If all goes well I will attend a press screening on Thursday. I will post a spoiler-free review then.

[thecasinoroyale]

Press-screening? Wow! Hope you get in there SAF.

I'll be back...on Friday with mine!

[SecretAgentFan]

Looking forward to it!

[Shrublands]

I should be seeing it on Thursday too - I'll post a first impression review that night.
I'll be seeing it again at the BFI IMAX on the Friday night, so sometime over the weekend I'll post a longer, more detailed review.

[JCRendle]

My review should be up Saturday afternoon after work, seeing it friday night.

[Vauxhall]

First thoughts due mid-afternoon on Friday post-IMAX, with a fuller review later in the weekend.

[Shrublands]

Just got confirmation that I am seeing it on Thursday - I'll try and get a short first impression review up that night.
I'm very excited by the way.

[QOS4EVER]

We should have a sepparate sub forum dedicated to Reviews like How we had for QOS

[Simon]

I know this is the spoiler forum, but could I request that all major spoilers are placed in spoiler tags. EON requested that journalists not spoil the end of the film and not to release anything that would spoil the enjoyment, I think we should respect that. Anyone who is open to spoilers can click the hidden spoilers at their own risk.

This is an interesting point.

Bearing in mind the journos have all been asked to remain tight lipped about the story and the surprises, the fact remains that the only people who will be able to enjoy those surprises will be the first and second night viewers in just the UK, and the otherwise hermetically sealed.

The rest of the world will not be so lucky as the month of staggered releases plays out.

[AgenttiNollaNollaSeitsemän]

It opens in most of Europe on Friday and I don't think this continent is hermetically sealed. My showing will begin on Friday, 1.30 in the afternoon UK time.

Edited by AgenttiNollaNollaSeitsemän, 23 October 2012 - 12:33 PM.

[Vauxhall]

Just got confirmation that I am seeing it on Thursday - I'll try and get a short first impression review up that night.
I'm very excited by the way.

Great news, Shrubs. Enjoy it; I'm sure you will. Look forward to comparing notes once I've seen it at Friday lunchtime.

[Stainless Steel Teeth INC]

I had the pleasure of watching Skyfall this past Saturday at the Empire Leicester Sq. With respect to all those who are going to experience it for themselves over the coming weeks I won't go into any specifics at this point but I will just generalize some of my opinions.

In terms of style and tone I would say it is closest to 'From Russia With Love'.

As predicted the cinematography is wonderful with several scenes (in particular the opening shot and especially near the climax) having a look and texture that feels like they could have been lifted directly from the original novels.

Acting across the board is excellent with several scenes in particular benefiting from strong dialogue that positively crackles with their delivery. The introduction of Q (Ben Wishaw) sets up what promises to be an excellent partnership between himself and 007 and feels 'right' in the present context of the films.

A big welcome back to Daniel Kleinman who offers up a dark and macabre title sequence (which while not quite matching the heights of his work on CR) effortlessly works alongside the atmospheric Adele track offering up several memorable images that seductively draw you into the frame.

The score works well within the framwork of the film but possibly suffers from lacking any distinctive character that I was able to pick up on first viewing. However I suspect my opinion might change as I subsequently become more familiar with it (and the film) but at this point it didn't leave a lasting impression.

The overall structure presents all the elements we are accustomed to but manages to do so in a way that feels subtley different. Ironically though it is possibly the final sequence that is the most traditional but it is arguably THE moment over Craig's three films that he has truely become the 'complete' Bond as we expect him to be.

It is hard to be any more specific at this moment in time but I truely hope you all enjoy Skyfall as much as I did. I suspect that we will look back over this period and reflect on it being a 'golden period' for the franchise which seeing as it is the 50th anniversary is suitably fitting.

James Bond Will Return!

[JimmyBond]

We should have a sepparate sub forum dedicated to Reviews like How we had for QOS

We should, and I'm sure one will be implemented. But until then, this is fine.

Also I'll back up JCRendle's request:

All major spoilers should be put in spoiler tags.

[antovolk]

Not really a review, just a spoilery recollection of thoughts/bits and bobs I could remember.

Spoiler

• Really like the first shot and the short Bond theme sting at the start, good excuse to not have the gunbarrel at the start (even though I would’ve liked to have the barrel open the film)
• Beautiful title sequence. Happy they kept most of Adele’s song in, and not axing the middle-eight either (unlike Casino Royale/You Know My Name) Can we please have official wallpaper-worthy snaps of it like withThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? And Art of the Title feature ASAP please
• The recurring bulldog - great addition, so many funny moments. And Silva’s meme-worthy (that’s a bit of a stretch but anyway) graphics.
• Q!!!! And all the jokes/homages got so many laughs - biggest one being the DB5!
• This film suffers a bit from the shots-from-trailers-being-cut-from-the-film syndrome, two scenes specifically, first one (Patrice falling off the Shanghai skyscraper) that appeared in LOTS of promo material as being slo-mo and very impressive ends up fast and different and less impactful in the film. The "do you have any word on Bond..." scene from the IMAX trailer also gets cut, but good thing it only ended up in that trailer that was never released online.
• Very different third act to what you might typically expect from a Bond film, with the Home Alone - style booby traps etc, but also quite emotional near the end as well. I wasn’t sure I heard the f-bomb M dropped while in Skyfall Manor, and apparently there was some rumbling about M being Bond’s mother (not sure if true…)
• The ending scenes effectively complete the entire reboot process, with the new M and Eve’s surname actually being Moneypenny. And that folder at the end…I thought there was something on it, but I think it’s nothing more than just a CONFIDENTIAL sign…can anyone please clarify?
• I see where all the comparisons with/inspiration from Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy come from, although more akin to Batman Begins is the fact that it’s not too dark. But there is one music cue ripped-straight-from TDK that I heard so many times the film, and the shot with Bond exiting onto Istanbul’s streets clearly rips off a shot from TDKR with Miranda/Thalia exiting the City Hall. And as someone somewhere else mentioned the sheer coincidence that the thug Bond kills in the lake at the end looks a bit like Michael Fassbender means that EON doesn’t want him to be Bond in the future; it’s safe to say that in view of what I mentioned, NOLAN MUST DIRECT BOND 24? *light sarcasm, no offence intended*
• And final thing - the gunbarrel. Was hoping to like it, but I didn’t. Too quick, but better design this time (wonder if it was designed by Kleinman? Feels like it’s not) Still feels a lot like QoS, especially with the fade-out dots and the iris expanding in frame exactly like QoS, as well as the blood. Also another thing that makes it too quick is the straight fade-out after the blood drops, no moving side to side. About the placement, I see why Mendes decided to move it to the end with the opening shot of the film - I guess if it had always been planned to have it at the start Kleinman/whoever designed the barrel would’ve done a better job of it. And final note - why no use of the overly-used-in-promo-material Binder design? I guess the more ‘realistic’ look is supposed to represent the rebooted series, but then they should just fully ditch the Binder stuff from the promo material. Sense of false hope IMO.

That’s all I could recollect in terms of my thoughts at the moment, want to see it again in IMAX (probably one of the digital ones, not much point heading to a 70mm one for this, especially with the aspect ratio optimised for the digital IMAXes). But overall, finally Craig gets a proper Bond film! Job well done by Mendes and co!

Edited by antovolk, 26 October 2012 - 07:47 PM.

[AgenttiNollaNollaSeitsemän]

In my opinion Skyfall is best Bond film since the 60's, surpassing everything (yes, even CR) that has come between 1969 and 2012. Anyhow here's things I especially loved or stuck into my mind:

Spoiler

The DB5 reveal and John Barry's Goldfinger arrangement of the Bond Theme on the soundtrack
The scene between Bond and Séverine at the casino - simply wonderful acting. One could almost taste her fear of Silva.
Silva's disfigurement - made me feel uneasy on my stomach. Absolutely horrifying yet subtle. Silva is a character who is written and acted brilliantly - a classic villain of the future. Some have compared him to The Joker but I don't agree. If anything Silva is more tragic, more human. His speech about the rats in a oil drum has to be the best monologue ever in a Bond film.
Eve-Bond relationship and banter. I was unsure about Eve being Moneypenny but it simply worked like a clockwork and the film built their relationship wonderfully.
Mallory's character, how he started as rather unpleasant character and earned both the respect of Bond, MI6 staff and us, the audience, and him being shown as the new M got strong approval.
The final scene. I literally cried of joy - M giving the folder to Bond and the final line - "With pleasure, M, With pleasure"

Skyfall undeniably proves that Daniel Craig IS James Bond and the world needs 007. Well done EON, and here's for another 50!

Edited by AgenttiNollaNollaSeitsemän, 26 October 2012 - 09:07 PM.

[MkB]

Spoiler

• The recurring bulldog - great addition, so many funny moments. And Silva’s meme-worthy (that’s a bit of a stretch but anyway) graphics.

Definitely agreed!

Spoiler

I wasn’t sure I heard the f-bomb M dropped while in Skyfall Manor,

I'm happy to confirm she did drop it

Spoiler

and apparently there was some rumbling about M being Bond’s mother (not sure if true…)

Err... WHAT? No!

Spoiler

• The ending scenes effectively complete the entire reboot process, with the new M and Eve’s surname actually being Moneypenny. And that folder at the end…I thought there was something on it, but I think it’s nothing more than just a CONFIDENTIAL sign…can anyone please clarify?

I believe it just reads "007 / Top Secret".

[antovolk]

Thanks for clearing these bits up MkB.

Spoiler

And I didn't think M would be his mother anyway haha

[Scrambled Eggs]

Originally posted this in the wrong thread....

I think I'm probably swimming against the tide here.... but I left the cinema a bit underwhelmed.

(I always get internet etiquette wrong but I assume I don't need to mention that there are loads of SPOILERS in this post. You wont want to read it if you haven't seen the film yet.)

Most of it is magnificent - with a couple of caveats.

Spoiler

But for me the ending isn't right. Bond is always a contemporary man, comfortable with the technology of his time. Here, not only is he labelled old fashioned but he embraces it. Yes, book and film Bonds have always had a liking for old fashioned suits, cars and ideals etc, But here we have the notion that Bond gets an edge on the bad guy by "going back to the past" - because that's where he's more comfortable. I just don't find that very Bondian.

Sorry if this makes me sound like one of those "blonde people can't play Bond" types, but I think this is the reason the third act doesn't click for me. or perhaps I find going back to the childhood home just a bit too demystifying.

Another thing, its low on sex. We need more (straight) sex here people. Traditional Bond girls (along with the exposed spies plot line) drift out of the film halfway through, and I think its a mistake. The third act, with the DB5 and Moneypenny, wants to take us back to Bond movie basics but it tries doing so without a lot of the main ingredients.

I might change my mind with a second or third viewing but right now - 3/5.

[Dustin]

Originally posted this in the wrong thread....

I think I'm probably swimming against the tide here.... but I left the cinema a bit underwhelmed.
...
I might change my mind with a second or third viewing but right now - 3/5.

Always a danger wherever enormous hype accompanies a production. That's why I generally try not to get carried away by the news and reviews. Not too much at any rate...

[thecasinoroyale]

Jeez, this is going to be hard but I must refrain from repeating others - so I'll have a go, so much going around in my head, so I'll break it down into sections, if that helps...


The Story
One think I felt was that people, a country and even we were in danger through this story of cyber-terrorism and what lies in the shadows out there. Silva attacking an MP hearing dressed as a Metropolition police officer? Chilling in how real that felt. It's a classic story of good vs evil, with no issues of trust and who to believe thrown into the mix like previous films. From the amazing pre-titles, I loved the fact that I KNEW James Bond and Eve were working together, and that MI6 was right behind them. In fact, it felt like the first time I'd seen Craig's Bond at his most comfortable in a mission. He knew his allies, he knew his enemy and knew his orders.

The stroy isn't filled with gumpf that doesn't need to be there. All 2 hours and 24 minutes is used to narrate the story of M losing a NATO-operatives list revealing their true identity, which also acts as the thread for villain Raoul Silva to bring about his mission of vengeance against M and MI6. It's believeable, which makes it all more tense, spectacular and thrilling for James Bond to tackle and protect the people and system he loves.


The Characters
Thankfully, not a single character was wasted, no matter the size of their role. A cast so full of talent, there was no-one who didn't shine.

• Daniel Craig looked and felt the most comfortable he has yet in his 3 films as 007, and I just feel he IS our James Bond. He forges relationships with the other characters that you believe in and want to follow. He is flawed, but takes steps to rid his demons. You feel for this man, because he's the man you've loved for 50 years. The Walther is there, the Martini is there, the quips are there and Craig delivers them better than ever and made me chuckle many times for the right reason in his portrayal as Commander Bond.
• Naomie Harris was a great surprise as Eve, lending tender acting with great brains to be more than just a match for Bond, but a fragile woman with clear motives for her career.
• Javier Bardem is unlinke a villain we've seen for some time, maybe even ever, in a Bond film? Silva is chilling, menacing, dangerous and un-stable but brilliantly clever. Yes, you may compare him to The Joker from 'The Dark Knight', but he's in a league of his own and really injects the film with nothing but power from his amazing entrance. Plus, his classic Bond-villain physical defect is something that has to be seen. Very haunting.
• Berenice Lim Marlohe is under-used as Severine, but only when you see how great she is as a girl who has a sexy, tough outer shell but very feaful and alone inside under the expensive clothes and make-up. She is a vital cog in the film, smouldering in nearly all her scenes and sharing an electric scene with Bond and Silva.
• Judi Dench is back as M and it's her best film out of the 7 she has done. There is no question of trusting Bond once more, but really the question of can she really convince the powers that be that her role in MI6 is justified? Tough as nails, firm yet tender, Dench shows why she is the Bond girl of this story and we see more to her than any previous film in the series.
• Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw and Rory Kinnear blew me away with their roles as MPs and MI6 staff. Fresh faces in a familiar story was always a gamble for Fiennes and Whishaw, but their chemistry on-screen just made me so comfortable in that they were the right choice for this film and really give some great moments together, and alone.
• The other cast like Ola Rapace, Helen McCrory and Albert Finney have smaller roles but their screen time isn't wasted and they bring great depth to their characters that move the story, rather than just populate it with any old person.

The Locations
Istanbul, London, Shanghai, Macau and Scotland. That's all that's needed for this film and each location works. For each location, Mendes finds deeper hidden treasures like the Grand Bazaar, the London Underground, a misty Highland moor, a deserted ghost island and even a floating casino. There's no globe trotting for 2 hours, but a few select choices that are fully used to deliver a rich experience, which each setting lending to the narrative. The cinematography delivers in ways never seen in a Bond film before with sweeping shots over magnificent landscapes, every frame full of colour, life and well thought out shots. Your breath will be taken away more than once and the locations are just as important, I feel, as the actors populating them.


The Music
My only minor issue is that the music blended so well into the scenes, I couldn't pick it out most of the time! And yes, that's not even a bad thing as without knowing it, it was keeping the film going and adding to the tension, excitement and emotion I was watching without getting too loud, too quiet or too random. A stand out moment for me in the soundtrack is played as Patrice and Bond battle on the trainroof in the pre-titles. The tension is racked up more than ever thanks to Newmans score, and the threat is doubled with his brave score. It doesn't break new ground, but it's handled the way a soundtrack should be. It compliments the film and doesn't over-shadow it. Plus, yes, there are lots of welcome return riffs of the James Bond theme without it getting boring.

The main theme by Adele, 'Skyfall', sounds just as good on screen and cut down fine as you don't lose the haunting voals and deep meaning which means even more as you watch the film unfold. A brilliant song, a perfect match.


The Action
Yes, we have action sequences. No, they don't fill up 2 hours of the film. I can tell you we've seen them in the trailers.

• Istanbul's pre-titles car/bike/train chase never lets you go. It's full of daring stunts which prove no-one opens a film bigger than Bond. And you forget it's just the pre-titles as Bond rips open a train with a JCB digger.
• Shanghai helps give audiences a taste of Bond at his best, working from the neon-lit shadows with some great stunt work and a visually breathtaking fight sequence
• London delivers in more ways than one as Silva wrecks havoc for commuters of the London Underground and on the streets around Westminster. It's real, it's brutal and it's Bond - and seeing danger so close to home makes it more chilling and exciting.
• Scotland brings us a finale like no-other. This time, it's Bond keeping one step ahead on familiar ground and is simple, yet exciting and full of nasty surprises. It also, I reckon, features one of the biggest explosions on film in recent memory.

The sequences are played for action, but also fuelled by suspense and tension, helping us remember James Bond is a secret agent who uses his brains and knowledge of the surroundings to get the job done, not just shoot anything in his way, and this is the greatest strength to these sequences as they grip you and never let you go until each time it winds down, ready for the next one which you never know when it will come...


The Crew
Well, the above is due to a crew that know their audience and know their Bond. 50 years later and they deliver a classic feel in a modern, relevant setting. Sam Mendes directs the best Bond film for years with pace, understanding and love for the film franchise itself to give audiences what they want. It's editied in a way we can see the stroy unfold and not rush to keep up, even if hell is breaking loose on screen. The costumes are simple but they compliment each character, the camera work is smooth and steady, the sound is crisp and diegetic in many scenes which add to the realism of the film. It's just a result of 4 years of hard work, knowledge of the Bond series and of Ian Fleming's character, which is the most important part if you want a film this big to work.


The Bond Factor?
"Old dog, new tricks." Eve mutters to Bond in scene that sums up 'Skyfall'. We see Bond a broken man at times, a man who has lost his footing in a world he thought he knew, but we take the steps with him back to the man we know and love in a world that still throws surprises and meaningful stories. Just like 'Thunderball', 'The Spy Who Loved Me', 'The Living Daylights'...any Bond film you name, 'Skyfall' works with them and fits into the Bond canon perfectly. It's full of iconic Bond traits - the gadgets, the girls, the guns, the villains, the heroes and the music.



James Bond, the film character, HAS to change slightly to survive with new audiences and new world issues. Connery did it and Lazenby helped him. Moore carried Bond into darker times, and Dalton took the role into the 90s with a tone of things to come. Brosnan did it for a new generation and a new world, and Craig has done it for the 21st century.

'Skyfall' is still James Bond, it's still everything we love. It's a Bond film like nothing you've seen before, but you will NOT forget it for days after. It's certainly one of the greatest James Bond films to be made for everything above, and it will be up to personal choice how it sits in your top 23, but you can't fault it unless you really try.

It's Bond with a capital B. Daniel Craig is Bond and BEYOND.

Welcome back Commander...I can't wait for the future ahead if this is how you look at 50.

[univex]

What a wonderful review! Made me even more eager for tomorrow. Thank you @thecasinoroyale.

[thecasinoroyale]

You're welcome, sorry it's long - I got carried away! Hope you enjoy it tomorrow. Hope? Forget that.... ENJOY it tomorrow, and let us know what you think!

[univex]

You're welcome, sorry it's long - I got carried away! Hope you enjoy it tomorrow. Hope? Forget that.... ENJOY it tomorrow, and let us know what you think!

I will, for sure. Say, @thecasinoroyale, some are saying the cinematography in this one differs quite a bit from the one shown on the trailers. Could you elaborate on this? Does it really look different? Cheers in advance, old boy.

[QOS4EVER]

You're welcome, sorry it's long - I got carried away! Hope you enjoy it tomorrow. Hope? Forget that.... ENJOY it tomorrow, and let us know what you think!

I will, for sure. Say, @thecasinoroyale, some are saying the cinematography in this one differs quite a bit from the one shown on the trailers. Could you elaborate on this? Does it really look different? Cheers in advance, old boy.

Yes!
It is considerably different!

[thecasinoroyale]

I think terms are mixed up - the cinemaography is what we see on film, and the shots used to make it. All the sweeping, panoramic shots of Scotland, Shanghai, Istanbul, everything we've seen is there if not more, and it looks even more dreamlike and deep on the big screen. Scotland and Shanghai for sure.

In fact, the Shanghai tower block scenes are almost dreamlike, mezmorising and hypnotic. You'll love them. Only difference there is the shot of Patrice falling - it's totally different in the final film.

I think they may mean some of the scenes hinted in trailers and behind-the-scenes spots aren't in there, like Mallory and M reporting on Bond's location, Severine and Patrice in the Shanghai airport is gone also...but I won't say more, there's not lots, just a couple of bits cut but it no way affects the plot or narrative.

Anything else I can touch upon for you my good man?

[Scrambled Eggs]

Originally posted this in the wrong thread....

I think I'm probably swimming against the tide here.... but I left the cinema a bit underwhelmed.
...
I might change my mind with a second or third viewing but right now - 3/5.

Always a danger wherever enormous hype accompanies a production. That's why I generally try not to get carried away by the news and reviews. Not too much at any rate...

Actually, for this film I avoided all possible spoilers, news and reviews. So, I didnt really know what the buzz was.

Of course, maybe I hyped it up for myself by making such an effort to avoid James Bond for months beforehand...

[univex]

Anything else I can touch upon for you my good man?

No, that´s about it. Many thanks. I guess someone else didn´t know what cinematography meant.

You're welcome, sorry it's long - I got carried away! Hope you enjoy it tomorrow. Hope? Forget that.... ENJOY it tomorrow, and let us know what you think!

I will, for sure. Say, @thecasinoroyale, some are saying the cinematography in this one differs quite a bit from the one shown on the trailers. Could you elaborate on this? Does it really look different? Cheers in advance, old boy.

Yes!
It is considerably different!

Wow, that´s really what I call elaborating.

[JCRendle]

Just got in. What can I say? Oh, my god! Not just a fantastic Bond movie, a fantastic movie in general. I know that Bond films are overlooked at the Oscars, but if Skyfall is overlooked for best direction, best cinematography, best acting - I will wonder what they are thinking.

Several reviewers have called the last act of the film lesser than the rest of the film. I can not disagree more. Suspenseful, emotionally charged, fantastically acted and directed.

I will write more tomorrow, but I'll finish on this. I can't honestly give this film *****, it wouldn't be right and I would be lying to you. This film is definitely a **********! movie

[univex]

Just got in. What can I say? Oh, my god! Not just a fantastic Bond movie, a fantastic movie in general. I know that Bond films are overlooked at the Oscars, but if Skyfall is overlooked for best direction, best cinematography, best acting - I will wonder what they are thinking.

Several reviewers have called the last act of the film lesser than the rest of the film. I can not disagree more. Suspenseful, emotionally charged, fantastically acted and directed.

I will write more tomorrow, but I'll finish on this. I can't honestly give this film *****, it wouldn't be right and I would be lying to you. This film is definitely a ********** movie!

Really nice to hear this from you. Wish I could read your review now.