350 replies to this topic

[DominicGreene]

Now now, everyone's entitled to their own opinion.

I'm not stating he should like QoS, but to give up on Bond based on one movie is ridiculous.

[x007AceOfSpades]

Been thinking about this for a while. I wasn't to impressed with Silva stating that I thought there was more to him that What was given, however after thinking it through, I've come to accept the term and actually like the fact that He doesn't have some master plan or grand scheme like other Bond Villains. Yes Silva has a plan, Humiliate M in front of the government, embarrass the MI6 and also damage it, and kill her for betraying him.

While I still think their should've been a fight scene with him and Bond, but the way I look at it, his fight was with M, and Then Bond. I like how Silva is different than the average Bond Villain with a Big Plan.

[marktmurphy]

And Bond's weakness, his 'missing a step'- that never quite paid off. His lack of fitness and inability to shoot straight etc. just disappeared- nothing was made of it at all.

That. Exactly. My one major complaint.

He failed to knock the whisky off Severine's head. Which had rather unfortunate consequences for her.

Would have been a hard feat for anybody. As it was scotch on Severine's head.

Scotch is whisky. Always best to make sure you know your facts before correcting someone I find!

Whiskey isn't scotch though; watch out for that.

[Joyce Carrington]

I DID want to see a development in his character, but I'm afraid it already happened much earlier in the film when Bond realised hé wanted to be back - whether his test results were good enough or not doesn't matter much. He wanted to be a double 0 again. Where was the moment in Scotland that proved he was ready? Was it him finding his wat back from the lake? How was that different from all the other awesome S*** he pulled earlier in the film?

There was no moment in Scotland that proved he was ready.

What happened in Scotland was that he broke away from a surrogate mother figure (Dench's M) and laid his familial demons to rest, to finally became someone who will subsequently struggle to love anyone else (beyond carrying out the physical act).

The process that began with the death of Vesper in CR finished with the death of M, and the hard skin that allows him to keep doing his job is now fully formed.

That's how I read it anyway, maybe I saw a different film... I dunno?

I am glad you read this in the film, wish I could have too... Maybe I need things to be spelled out a bit more?

[Ace Roberts]

I'm not sure I can add anything that hasn't already been mentioned. The film was a huge hit as far as I'm concerned. Mendes hit every note perfectly, orchestrating a symphony of film craftsmenship that has been missing for decades. The right blend of action, nostalgia, and tension that made the old seem new, and the new seem old. Hope that statement makes sense. One can only hope that Craig can talk him into taking on the next film, that Logan's two-film story arc is going in the direction I hope, and that the producers can hit another home run by begging Daniel Day Lewis into the challenge of rebooting Blofeld for the 21st Century.

[NATO Sub]

I am glad you read this in the film, wish I could have too... Maybe I need things to be spelled out a bit more?

Maybe, but a lot of it is interpretation, things like it taking place at his ancestral home - the gravestone, the tears when M dies.

I think someone else mentioned that there is a look on Bond's face when Silva is confronting M from his cell, like he realises that but for a few years, their roles could be reversed. Then there is the fact he had to leave another agent to die in the PTS, and was shot on the command of his boss... slowly learning that very few people are totally on his side, he has to look out for number one.

To me this is what makes Skyfall an amazing Bond film - the fact that this stuff is even in there. We've gone from surfing a tsunami in diabolical CGI and invisible cars, to this, in 10 years.

[byline]

The first thing I thought once Skyfall began was how much Craig had aged in hte last four years. He still looks terrific but being a Bond spy is a young man's game because it requres falling 100' from a bridge and crashing your motorcycle so you can land on a speeding train. Just beacuse Bond isn't 60 doesn't mean he isn't old for the job. How many 40+ sports figures are there. Not many.

Yup, reminds me of that quote from "Raiders of the Lost Ark," when Marion tells Indy he's not the man she knew 10 years ago: "It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage."

[Joyce Carrington]

To me this is what makes Skyfall an amazing Bond film - the fact that this stuff is even in there. We've gone from surfing a tsunami in diabolical CGI and invisible cars, to this, in 10 years.

Agree on that. In the grand scheme of things, I really cannot complain about this film.

[blueman]

I liked it, a lot. Great finish to the arc started with CR (a boyish Bond), continued so stylishly in QOS (Bond grows up), and now finishing up with a more mature Bond and Bond film in SF. Oddly, some of the parts that work best for me feel cribbed from the reviled QOS and Forster's work on that film, interesting. But, dragons! Yay! The actors were all well-cast and shined brightly indeed. One reviewer opined, not sure where Craig's Bond can go next... that rumored two-parter sounds like a great idea to me, film it all at once ala LOTR. I know Craig's talked like it's a no-thing but wouldn't surprise me to see it happen (Blofeld at the top of Quantum? Go there EON!).

[The Dove]

Right...having had a few days to digest my 1st viewing properly it's time for my review..

Da-da-DUM, Da-da-DUM, da-da,dada-DA!! *the white dots float across the screen as The Dove marches across the screen turns and fires and a river of blood floats down the screen* First off, here is my immediate reaction I posted to my Facebook page:

Skyfall...absolutely FANTASTIC!! Thank you 1000 times over to Sam Mendes, Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli, Gregg Wilson and the rest of the Bond team for giving us a Bond film that is absolutely worthy of celebrating 50 years of big screen adventures of Ian Fleming's creation. I dare say if Javier Bardem does NOT win an Oscar for his performance in this, the selection board have to be out of their damn minds!! Stellar performances also from Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw et al.. 9.999999 out of 10 for me..and it has the potential to notch up to the 10 out of 10 mark and equal Casino Royale..need a few more viewings first and some maturation time and we'll see..

Right to analyze some of the film's elements:

Pre-titles- AMAZING action and breathtaking drama! I really loved the inter-cutting back and forth from Bond and Eve on the chase back to M and Tanner in MI6 HQ..I am SO relieved that the quick, hack-job, and choppy editing which we had for the opening car chase in the pre-titles of QoS, appears NOWHERE in this entire movie!! The stunning silence which follows Bond being shot off the train and falling into the river made me think of what the moment must of been like for the very first time when Roger Moore's Bond skiied off Mt. Asgard and the Union Jack parachute opened in The Spy Who Loved Me.

Main title sequence- Welcome back Daniel Kleinman indeed!! Absolutely brilliant titles and they match Adele's title song PERFECTLY!! I'm not ashamed to admit that I got choked up and was fighting back tears when the titles started to roll. Although I still think Kleinman's titles for Casino Royale are my absolute favorite, his Skyfall titles are a close runner up...THANK GOD we don't have to deal with those uninspired MK12 titles frrom Quantum of Solace again..

Roger Deakins's cinematography and Dennis Gassner's production design: Stunning...absolutely stunningly beautifu! The Shanghai and Macau scenes are, to my mind, some of the BEST shots we've had in a Bond film...ever!! As for Dennis Gassner, it won't be long before his name will be mentioned in the same sentences as Peter Lamont or Ken Adam. He's definitely getting the Bond look down!

Thomas Newman's score- By extrodinarily good timing, my CD copy of the score arrived in the mail the day before I went and saw Skyfall (saw it on Sat. the 10th) so I was able to listen to the entire score in anticipation of what I was going to see. Having now seen the film, I can say Newman's score is terrific and works very well indeed...not that I had any serious doubts beforehand.. I would welcome Newman back if Sam Mendes signs on for Bond 24.

The Gunbarrel- Yes I know many are upset at it being at the end of the film again, and I too would prefer it to be back at the start for Bond 24,but in all honesty, it in NO WAY detracted from my enjoyment of Skyfall as a film. Design-wise, meh...give me the classic looking gunbarrel which spanned from Dr. No up to Die Another Day. I can absolutely understand Sam Mendes' and Michael and Barbara's reason for putting the gunbarrel at the end of the movie..definitely works as a means of announcing that Bond is back and will indeed return.. I loved the 50th anniversary logo too!

Well, I think that's all I have for the moment... I'm going to my 2nd viewing of Skyfall tomorrow and will definitely be adding a 3rd viewing next week when Thanksgiving break starts..I'm sure I'll have more thoughts to add onto this review after tomorrow and future viewings. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls..BOND IS BACK....BIG TIME!!

Roll on 2014 and Bond 24!!

[PPK_19]

The stunning silence which follows Bond being shot off the train and falling into the river made me think of what the moment must of been like for the very first time when Roger Moore's Bond skiied off Mt. Asgard and the Union Jack parachute opened in The Spy Who Loved Me.

Never thought of it that way Dove! There are so many subtle bits in Skyfall like that which makes you wonder if they are deliberate nods to previous films or just panned out that way by accident.

Great insight, liked your review and completely agree with all of it. Though i still don't really care if the gunbarrel is at the beginning or the end of the next one. But i'm sure it will be back in its 'rightful place' for Bond 24.

Edited by PPK_19, 14 November 2012 - 11:13 AM.

[Judo chop]

What I thought. (Finally I am free to go back and read what everyone else thought!)

The PTS has all the right ideas, but overall comes off a little limp, lacking intensity. It just didn't get my blood boiling. The fisticuffs on top of the train really has a cool vibe to it, however. I didn't find it impressive in an actiony way so much, but it has a classic way about it that harkens back to I-don't-know-exactly-what. It felt 'vintage', for lack of an explicit reference.

Titles I thought were good, but a little busy. Not exactly an original point I'm sure.

Dividing the film into 3 acts, I was most concerned during the first. After a PTS that left me a little underwhelmed, the film turns moody and talky (and a little Bourney), and leaves the viewer too much time to ask too many questions that have no answers. However, once Bond removes the shrapnel from his chest to kick off the plot, I was "all ears", as they say.

Very little is ever made of the unprepared agent angle, unfortunately. More unfortunate than the lost opportunity itself, is that it seems the Bond makers have not learned their lesson after the greatest Bond disaster on record (aka. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH) and now their latest film, a quality installment, will forever have to suffer that connection. Think on your sins, indeed.

I've only seen the film the one time at this point, so all commentary is subject to change, but I feel very confident going on the record to say that Silva goes down as a top-5 Bond villain, most probably a top-3, and in terms of sympatheticness, is second to none. It makes me feel better to compare Silva to Renard in this sense to create some distance between their films.

Love what they've done with Q. Wise move, switching roles like that. Bond now the grumpy old man and Q the young whippersnapper who doesn't appreciate what goes on in Bond's field. I am looking forward to the verbal sparring to come. One can almost hear Craig telling Whishaw to 'pay attention' next time around.

Maybe SKYFALL's action could've used a little Martin Campbell, but CASINO ROYALE's visuals could have used a little Mendes. SKYFALL is sophisticated filming. Pretty sure I spotted a number of places where the same scene under any other Bond director would be far less memorable. If memory serves, the opening sequence (once the chase hits the outdoors) is bleached. I don't think I cared for it, and that might have set the tone for my overall impression of the PTS.

The best thing about SKYFALL I think is its ability to meld humor with its heavy themes. In particular, how it approaches its storytelling. The quantity and severity of plot holes are almost at ludicrous proportions - hardly a scene goes by without committing some infraction - and perhaps I'm being naive and crediting where I should be condemning, but I get the feeling that this is deliberate, and is to be taken as part of the humor. A big part of the Roger Moore era charm is the way the story moves Bond from act to act with little concern for providing details. When Craig talked about reviewing all the Bond films with Mendes and parking-lotting (to coin an annoying corporate expression, and conjugating it to make it even more annoying) all the things they loved about Bond films, I imagine, now after seeing the film, that this particular element was at the top of the list and was embraced in the making of SKYFALL. [eg. After beating up some bad guys whose job is to protect femme fatale, Bond non-chalantly leaves the casino un-escorted, hops onto a boat to make love to said femme, has a pleasant night's sleep, no bodyguards to interrupt, changes clothing in the process, and the next morning on the boat deck realizes he's surrounded by armed guards. What? YES. Sure. It's a Bond film. Were you expecting somebody else?]

The salient heavy theme, Bond's relationship with M, is (finally) handled well. All the previous blather between Bond and M over the last 6 films can all be forgotten, as anything of real relevance is all packaged right here. I didn't ever think I'd miss Dench's M, until, suddenly, I did. [Bravo! clap!clap!] There is a definite sense of closure here. I'm excited to think that SKYFALL is the final chapter in the trilogy-of-heaviness that has been Craig's Bond, and that Bond's final line to M, "With pleasure", forwarns us that the next entries of the series will be focused more on exactly that. Pleasantries.

[Judo chop]

As I recall, Bond's physical abilities are also called into question. Remember the ROCKY BALBOA-esque scene in which he grunts his way through some chinups as his colleagues look on sceptically? And the moment when he's out of breath following his swim?
There's also a shot in one of the trailers, cut from the finished film, of Bond jogging in a London park, presumably in an effort to recapture his lost athleticism.
You just can't sell this vision of a physically rundown Bond with Craig because it simply isn't convincing. If Brosnan were still playing Bond, it might well work, but you only have to look at Craig (and SKYFALL goes out of its way to give the audience gratuitous shots of him barechested) to know that he's obviously in tremendous shape. You don't get to look like he does unless you are.

Why, thank you!

Also, I struggled to work out why the other characters in SKYFALL seemed to blame Bond's supposed loss of a step on his age, rather than on the obvious fact that he was recently shot and survived not only the bullet but also a fall from a great height.

In the film's defense, I think there's only one moment where Bond is tagged as 'too old'. There is the other moment with Q and the reference to the old battleship, but that's more to point out how young Q is. To Q, a 32 year old agent in his perfect prime is probably 'old'.

His injury, and rustiness, and mental stability, sure. Those should all be called into question, and they should've been explored more deeply within the film. Shame on SKYFALL for not taking it further. But Mallory's "young man's game" statement I see purely as a misstep to begin with. It never should have been said, much less explored.

[MkB]

But Mallory's "young man's game" statement I see purely as a misstep to begin with. It never should have been said, much less explored.

Agreed, it's a misstep, specially with Craig aging fast and his two upcoming Bond films. At this point of the evolution of CraigBond, the screenwriters should work on making us forget his age rather than dwelling heavily upon it. The statement might be reasonable in CraigBond 5/5 film, it's out of place in his 3/5 film.

[Harmsway]

The PTS has all the right ideas, but overall comes off a little limp, lacking intensity. It just didn't get my blood boiling. The fisticuffs on top of the train really has a cool vibe to it, however. I didn't find it impressive in an actiony way so much, but it has a classic way about it that harkens back to I-don't-know-exactly-what. It felt 'vintage', for lack of an explicit reference.

Yeah. It recalls the OCTOPUSSY train chase. I dig the pre-title sequence, but it sure isn't as impressive or intense as I'd suspect Mendes wanted it to be. That kinda ends up working for the film, though. Many Bond films are front-loaded with greatness and disappoint later on. SKYFALL is the reverse, and, as such, the later stuff doesn't seem anticlimactic.

[Judo chop]

The PTS has all the right ideas, but overall comes off a little limp, lacking intensity. It just didn't get my blood boiling. The fisticuffs on top of the train really has a cool vibe to it, however. I didn't find it impressive in an actiony way so much, but it has a classic way about it that harkens back to I-don't-know-exactly-what. It felt 'vintage', for lack of an explicit reference.

Yeah. It recalls the OCTOPUSSY train chase. I dig the pre-title sequence, but it sure isn't as impressive or intense as I'd suspect Mendes wanted it to be. That kinda ends up working for the film, though. Many Bond films are front-loaded with greatness and disappoint later on. SKYFALL is the reverse, and, as such, the later stuff doesn't seem anticlimactic.

Maybe it is OCTOPUSSY I'm thinking of. Something about the choregraphy and direction though makes me think of something older, more classic. Something out of Hitchcock or some other sequence from the early 60's. Dunno?

I appreciate your attempt to justify the restraint in the PTS, but if it's all the same to you, I'd still gladly accept another sequence of CASINO ROYALE'S caliber. Really, it's just the bike part of the chase that could've used a redo. Bad CGI, and too unthreatening. Not sure about the score. I really can't recall one way or anotehr. I do remember thinking (complaining, actually) "it's not LOUD enough!". I don't know if that was do to the actual volume knob not being managed correctly or if perhaps the score and effects were too understated.

[The Shark]

It was pretty loud in IMAX, I'll say that.

[Hockey Mask]

The PTS has all the right ideas, but overall comes off a little limp, lacking intensity. It just didn't get my blood boiling. The fisticuffs on top of the train really has a cool vibe to it, however. I didn't find it impressive in an actiony way so much, but it has a classic way about it that harkens back to I-don't-know-exactly-what. It felt 'vintage', for lack of an explicit reference.

Yeah. It recalls the OCTOPUSSY train chase. I dig the pre-title sequence, but it sure isn't as impressive or intense as I'd suspect Mendes wanted it to be. That kinda ends up working for the film, though. Many Bond films are front-loaded with greatness and disappoint later on. SKYFALL is the reverse, and, as such, the later stuff doesn't seem anticlimactic.

Maybe it is OCTOPUSSY I'm thinking of. Something about the choregraphy and direction though makes me think of something older, more classic. Something out of Hitchcock or some other sequence from the early 60's. Dunno?

I appreciate your attempt to justify the restraint in the PTS, but if it's all the same to you, I'd still gladly accept another sequence of CASINO ROYALE'S caliber. Really, it's just the bike part of the chase that could've used a redo. Bad CGI, and too unthreatening. Not sure about the score. I really can't recall one way or anotehr. I do remember thinking (complaining, actually) "it's not LOUD enough!". I don't know if that was do to the actual volume knob not being managed correctly or if perhaps the score and effects were too understated.

Although all "roof-of-the-train" sequences moosh together after awhile, I got a bit of a Silver Streak vibe from it.

[Joyce Carrington]

Thought I'd share this review, which looks at the film mostly on the screenplay level. As a writer myself, I agree with a lot of it.

http://scriptshadow....ew-skyfall.html

[Loomis]

The PTS has all the right ideas, but overall comes off a little limp, lacking intensity. It just didn't get my blood boiling. The fisticuffs on top of the train really has a cool vibe to it, however. I didn't find it impressive in an actiony way so much, but it has a classic way about it that harkens back to I-don't-know-exactly-what. It felt 'vintage', for lack of an explicit reference.

Yeah. It recalls the OCTOPUSSY train chase. I dig the pre-title sequence, but it sure isn't as impressive or intense as I'd suspect Mendes wanted it to be. That kinda ends up working for the film, though. Many Bond films are front-loaded with greatness and disappoint later on. SKYFALL is the reverse, and, as such, the later stuff doesn't seem anticlimactic.

Maybe it is OCTOPUSSY I'm thinking of. Something about the choregraphy and direction though makes me think of something older, more classic. Something out of Hitchcock or some other sequence from the early 60's. Dunno?

I appreciate your attempt to justify the restraint in the PTS, but if it's all the same to you, I'd still gladly accept another sequence of CASINO ROYALE'S caliber. Really, it's just the bike part of the chase that could've used a redo. Bad CGI, and too unthreatening. Not sure about the score. I really can't recall one way or anotehr. I do remember thinking (complaining, actually) "it's not LOUD enough!". I don't know if that was do to the actual volume knob not being managed correctly or if perhaps the score and effects were too understated.

Although all "roof-of-the-train" sequences moosh together after awhile, I got a bit of a Silver Streak vibe from it.

So, Judo, did you like SKYFALL?

I gave it a second viewing the other day and enjoyed it vastly - and I do mean vastly - more than I did the first time.

For some reason, I never really like anything the first time round. First viewings of films tend to bring out my grumpy old man persona. I tend to sit there finding fault. Dunno why.

[Dustin]

I gave it a second viewing the other day and enjoyed it vastly - and I do mean vastly - more than I did the first time.

Glad you liked it the second time.

[Harmsway]

I appreciate your attempt to justify the restraint in the PTS, but if it's all the same to you, I'd still gladly accept another sequence of CASINO ROYALE'S caliber.

Sure, but CASINO ROYALE has one of the most understated pre-title sequences in Bond series history. SKYFALL was going for the "action bonanza" kind of pre-title sequences we saw with the Brosnan films.

But don't get me wrong, I'd still rather have a PTS that was absolutely dynamite than one that isn't.

I do remember thinking (complaining, actually) "it's not LOUD enough!". I don't know if that was do to the actual volume knob not being managed correctly or if perhaps the score and effects were too understated.

In IMAX, the score was almost deafening. When I saw SKYFALL for the second time in a regular theater, I was seriously bummed out about the sound mix. It didn't even compare.

I'm probably going to go back to check it out in IMAX again before it leaves theaters, because I'm not going to be able to equal the experience on my home theater system. I dig the IMAX sound mix and the substantially larger 1:9 aspect ratio used for the IMAX projection (I hope, probably foolishly, that the Blu-Ray release will give SKYFALL a 1:9 presentation).

[Judo chop]

So, Judo, did you like SKYFALL?

Yes. I did. I do.
,
For some reason, I usually don't know what the hell I think after seeing a film for the first time (but it never stops me from saying it anyway!). With Bond, my condition is that much worse as I'm usually bringing so much pent up anxiety with me. For some reason though, I feel like I got a pretty good hold of SKYFALL right off the bat. I expect to catch little things I missed the first time in future viewings, but I don't expect to change my overall impression with the film. Which is... a very good Bond film. A welcomed addition to the canon. Elements of CR mixed with elements of MR and has quite a bit of its own DNA to boot.

Stars? Four out of five. Give or take a half-a-star.

For some reason, I never really like anything the first time round. First viewings of films tend to bring out my grumpy old man persona. I tend to sit there finding fault. Dunno why.

Just one of the things that makes you so cute.

I appreciate your attempt to justify the restraint in the PTS, but if it's all the same to you, I'd still gladly accept another sequence of CASINO ROYALE'S caliber.

Sure, but CASINO ROYALE has one of the most understated pre-title sequences in Bond series history. SKYFALL was going for the "action bonanza" kind of pre-title sequences we saw with the Brosnan films.

Ooops. I was dumb. When I wrote that I was irresponsibly thinking that the parkour chase was CR's PTS. That's the kind of action I wish SKYFALL had conjured up for its PTS.

[MkB]

Thought I'd share this review, which looks at the film mostly on the screenplay level. As a writer myself, I agree with a lot of it.

http://scriptshadow....ew-skyfall.html

Most interesting read! I agree with the overall impression (mishandlings that leave us with an oddly good film), although I really did like the "chick shaving Bond's face" scene.

[Harmsway]

That ScriptShadow review is a mess.

[JimmyBond]

For some reason, I never really like anything the first time round. First viewings of films tend to bring out my grumpy old man persona. I tend to sit there finding fault. Dunno why.

I knew you'd come around on Skyfall After all, you did really love Quantum of Solace at first, and now look at your opinion on it...

[Loomis]

I gave it a second viewing the other day and enjoyed it vastly - and I do mean vastly - more than I did the first time.

Glad you liked it the second time.

Oh, I did. Believe me, I did. I'm now a raving, screaming, frothing-at-the-mouth, card-carrying SKYFALL fanboy.

For some reason, I usually don't know what the hell I think after seeing a film for the first time (but it never stops me from saying it anyway!). With Bond, my condition is that much worse as I'm usually bringing so much pent up anxiety with me.

Seriously, Judo, were we separated at birth?

I'm probably going to go back to check it out in IMAX again before it leaves theaters, because I'm not going to be able to equal the experience on my home theater system. I dig the IMAX sound mix and the substantially larger 1:9 aspect ratio used for the IMAX projection (I hope, probably foolishly, that the Blu-Ray release will give SKYFALL a 1:9 presentation).

I haven't seen SKYFALL (or indeed any film) in IMAX but would love to do so, chiefly for this very different aspect ratio. The much larger picture is also a draw, of course, but it's the aspect ratio that has me most intrigued.

I've long wanted a new Bond film in the "flat" aspect ratio (purely for the sake of refreshing change, really, although it would also be nice to have a new Bond film that filled the entirety of my TV screen without any black bars going on), although I'm probably almost alone on that one.

No doubt the Blu-ray will be 2.35:1, as ever, although it would be great to have a two-disc set with both versions. I refuse to hold out any hope, though.

[Harmsway]

I'm probably going to go back to check it out in IMAX again before it leaves theaters, because I'm not going to be able to equal the experience on my home theater system. I dig the IMAX sound mix and the substantially larger 1:9 aspect ratio used for the IMAX projection (I hope, probably foolishly, that the Blu-Ray release will give SKYFALL a 1:9 presentation).

I haven't seen SKYFALL (or indeed any film) in IMAX but would love to do so, chiefly for this very different aspect ratio. The much larger picture is also a draw, of course, but it's the aspect ratio that has me most intrigued.

SKYFALL feels much bigger in that aspect ratio. Some folks have complained that there's too much dead space in the IMAX presentation's framing, but it's precisely because the shots have that much more breathing room that SKYFALL feels grander than it does in its 2:35 presentation.

[SecretAgentFan]

That ScriptShadow review is a mess.

It really is. Written by a bloke who considers himself extremely funny and in-the-know when it comes to screenwriting.

I know what Eliot Carver would say.

[Wellington151]

Hi, first post here!

I have mixed feelings about SF. Maybe my expectations were too high, maybe my vision of the hero has shifted a bit with my getting older... Here are my points:

What could have been better

Until the introduction of Silva, the film was really great but after that I felt a bit disappointed. As good an actor as Bardem may be, I thought he tried to overplay his character and wasted a few good scenes. His rats monologue was too long, and too artificial for what all was down to. Silva may have had time on his hand to rehearse his ultimate coup, and it really looks like he has repeated that fable in front of a mirror for quite some time. He is somewhat a missed opportunity too: the former agent thing is believable, but the hacker one much less. It was more something easing transitions and pushing the story forward than a plot element in itself. I also fear that because of that we now have a nerdy baby-Q instead of a grumpy old tool maker. Silva is often described as a cyber terrorist in papers but that seems only to be a secondary plot, and hardly the big thing marketing would have readers think.

Severine bugged me a bit. Some find her acting of fear tremendous but I think that it was just poorly done, with no subtelty at all. Her character is a Bond girl rushed into the story as a trigger for Bond and Silva's meeting, but there is not much depth and certainly not enough material at hand for Bond to fall for her. Lust is good enough for me, but the lack of knowledge about who the villain was at that time played against motivating any action to remove her from his influence. However I like to think that Bond used her and lied to get to Silva.

Q is a near miss. I have no problem with him being that young, but much more with him being the in-house computer wizard. However that was much, much more believable than Cleese-Q tracking Bond with a heat camera! I just do not see him as head of an engineering departement, even less of an armoury. It is just too Big-Bang-Theory-esque for my taste. It is probably just that: a fashion for all things geeky.

The falling underground train was seen in the trailer and I thought that it was a shock scene. If one had to choose how to depict a terrorism action, that one can reach masses and result in a real mess. However, with Silva making a clown of himself on the ladder moments before, it fell a lot flatter to me. It is a shame because it was very well directed.

What was the Goldfinger Aston DB5 doing there (and cheered by the audience)? I still do not get it. In Goldeneye and TND, there was a Bond in a DB5, it was then welcomed as a nod to the saga, but there was never ever a doubt that the car was not the gadget-ladden vehicle from Goldfinger and Thunderball (wrong plates). However, I remember that a few questions about how Bond got hold of a DB5 for personal use popped up. CR did a nice job answering to it, at least it honestly tried to. I knew the DB5 would be in SF, but I expected to see the CR one. With the Goldfinger version being confirmed, I am now lost in the timeline. Is it still a prequel? Is it not? Ultimately I think that it matters only a little, I am not the one who has to justify the reboot to anyone and I can enjoy it as is. But I think that it is a bit messy. Is the car there because of the 50th anniversary? In that case, I fail to see how it was better managed than for the 40th. I do not see the need for a classic Aston for Bond to drive in every film. It was a modern car in Goldfinger, then Dalton had the current production V8, then Craig the new DB-S. I appreciate the nod and will always smile at it, but I feel that one can mean Bond in other ways than feeling obligated to put him behind the wheel of a DB5. Once or twice is nice, more becomes silly.

Bond is apparently old school now. From a blunt instrument fresh from a promotion to 00 status, Bond has almost become an outfashioned joke for the younger staff of MI-6. How so? Maybe that hides the answer to my timeline issues. Why not see CR and QOS as a prequel to the whole saga, and SF as the latest mission? Could it be that SF does not launch Bond into the clutches of Dr No, but in the modern world?

I think of "Skyfall" as a childhood memory as the UFO in the story. I do not understand it at all and I am sure that I missed something in the dialogues. Maybe some of you can explain it to me. It seems outstanding that an Eton-raised orphan eventually becomes the hitman of civil servants even though he inherited a manor and the lands around it. It is either very bad luck, or on the contrary a miracle. Bond's younger years have always been muted. I guess that it was because no story really felt like it was a part of it worth noting.


The not-so-poor

I do not think that there can be too much depth in a Bond villain, and Silva delivered the goods. His background seems quite rooted and believable, and there is no deus ex machina imposed to the audience. He is still uni-dimensional, but for once the character helps to bring the story forward. I will learn to love the film by seeing Silva as an idea, a purpose, rather than a half-blown character and that may be enough. He is the kind of adversary I appreciate a lot: more Scaramanga, less Stromberg.

Bond being a slower, less accurate, weaker version of himself is a very interesting concept which was probably not easy to unfold due to the risk of overcooking it. I think that it was really well executed. The rehab tests showed the hero alone with himself and in a total disbelief of what he has become. I do not think that it is a direct consequence of him being shot and left for dead, it was probably rooted in him and eventually struck him in the face when he had something to prove. On the contrary, that state was what led to him not be able to outwrestle his opponent on the train and to require a last chance long distance shot. He is on the mend, but should have been for a while before the "incident". Interestingly, his physical weakness partly leads him to being a mental wreck too. The final scene with Severine could have insisted on it, instead of seeing Bond getting rid of all his adversary with sweet gun play.

The Ministry scene was probably the core of the story, tying characters together and bridging some gaps in the story. There is now history between Malaury and Bond, between Malaury and Moneypenny, the covert missions in modern days are justified by shadow menaces,... I think that it is quite interesting that Dench's M had to vouch for the same methods for which she unsubtely resented Bond in Goldeneye. Same actor, new character orientation maybe, but the point was valid in 1996 and the new stance is too in 2012. I fail to see what changed in between, but that is ok.

I love the background created for Moneypenny and the chemistry between her and Bond, even if force-fed to the viewer (I am not sure how much I would like to date someone who put a bullet in my chest by mistake). I wonder, though, whether technically she was a 00 agent while active. She was granted a killing authorisation, so I guess she was. In that case, little was made of her being a former elite field agent turning into top brass secretary.

Baby Q is fun, I like the character and would like to see more of his interaction with Bond. There has always been an older, patronising Q, and I have the feeling that from now on it will be the other way round. His lines are excellent and the acting suited the look. He seems to be one of the few things putting a half smile on Craig-Bond's face, that only is worth a medal!

I like Fiennes as an actor and I think he did not miss the boat. Malaury's background is interesting and I am pleased that he is the new M. In fact he acted a lot like Bernard Lee in the final scene: grumpy, self assured and authoritative. I enjoyed Dench-M a lot because she brought a new perspective to the position at MI-6, and I have the feeling that Fiennes can rejuvenate the classic M. My fear is that because the recent films develops a lot the character of Dench-M, Fiennes-M may get back to the sidelines.

The one liners are definitely back and with them the proof that they are difficult to pull correctly. I enjoyed them in SF, but Craig cannot deliver them as naturally as Connery. I do not really like a Bond actor better than another one, but Connery had the edge for that. And the more we have one-liners, the more I realise it is an art in itself. So Craig may have to improve his skills, but at least there was a familiar sort of humour back. CR and QOS lacked them but they were not really missed because of the mood and all. However in those films, Bond lacked basic social skills. He was too much the killer type to look like he could belong anywhere he goes to. That is corrected now, and that gives some balance to the character. Thanks to the one-liners, SF is more directly comparable to classic Bond films.


All in all I think that Skyfall is a great addition to the 007 lore. The character of Bond is more balanced than in the two previous instalments: lethal, cold, and now more sophisticated and with some humour in him. I pointed out a few loose threads but I accept them as being part of a Bond film. I think that I had too high unjustified expectations and eventually resented the story a little, but that really does not matter. Fun and awe were there and that is quite enough. Timeline seems disrupted, I do not have the feeling that Skyfall is in the continuity of QOS. Bond's reputation and experience are evidently greater and I believe that he has had quite a few missions under the belt (20 in fact) since QOS. The wait for the blu-ray will be way too long now!