53 replies to this topic

[Hansen]

The ending of Skyfall is a mess.

Bond takes M to Scotland and gives clues to Silva to reach them. That leads to M's death. Bond just manages to kill his boss.

That's it

I agree Home Alone is not the correct reference. It should be Mr. Bean or Johnny English.

[Tiin007]

 

The only plot hole that I was aware of people moaning about was Silva's plan in general. Personally, I think his plan works out perfectly and is well plotted.

 

After watching it again last night, the plot holes aren't as egregious as they're sometimes made out to be, but one very critical flaw remains.  Silva's entire plan rests on Q's incompetence.  If Q doesn't plug Silva's computer into the MI6 network, Silva continues to rot in his cell.  Add to that if Silva really planned for Bond to catch him, then why does he try to have him killed in Maccau?   

 

 

Seems like Silva had his master plan in the works for quite some time, so how did he know about the existence of M's hearing, let alone the precise time and location? Mallory seems to have mentioned it to M just a few hours (at most) before Bond catches Silva- how could he have planned his entire escape (computer bug which releases the exact cell he is being held in, fellow "police officers," costumes, bomb on tube) in such a short amount of time?

 

Come to mention it, how was Silva even aware of Mi6's new headquarters, let alone how it works to be able to plant a computer bug that would do precisely what he needs it to?

[tdalton]

I'm willing to give them a break on Silva's knowledge of MI6's new HQ, as they do mention at some point that Silva knows a great deal about the inner workings of MI6.  With that, he'd know that he would need to use the London underground as a means of escape.  I'm also willing to give them the issues regarding the cell, as we do see other things happening after Q plugs in the laptop, which indicates that the virus does something to various things around the new HQ and not just targeting that singular cell. 

 

But, the whole escape does hinge on Q's idiotic decision to plug the laptop into the MI6 network in the first place.  As for how Silva knows where and when the hearing will occur, I have no idea.

[The Krynoid man]

Every film is similar to something else. Straw Dogs and Home Alone aren't the only other films similar to Skyfall's ending such as Rio Bravo, Night of the Living Dead and Assault on Precinct 13.
I haven't seen Home Alone but out of all of the films I listed it seems the least like Skyfall because, from what I understand, the violence is mostly comical. In fact Home Alone seems to be more like the ending of the first Nightmare on Elm Street.

[SecretAgentFan]

 

Maybe he only wants to test him?  And to make sure it does not look to obvious that he wants to be caught?

 

Perhaps, but Patrice and his other henchmen (the ones in Maccau) give him a good run for his money.  If it weren't for the fact that Bond is the only one that can fire his pistol (as well as Moneypenny's good timing before the other one can shoot Bond at point-blank range) Bond doesn't make it to Silva's island.

 

 

True.  But I always thought that Silva - being a perfect improvising talent, M´s previous favorite agent - would have thought of another way to get to M.  Bond got in his way, Silva tried to kill him, and since that did not work he used him.

 

Of course, Q plugging in Silva´s computer is simplifying the matter of checking out hard drives.  But it does make sense if you consider that a) Q as the Mi6 computer specialist will think that he knows everything about computer viruses and how to build up a perfect firewall, and that every computer today is or can be connected wirelessly - so plugging in Silva´s computer is just as safe or dangerous as having it near the Mi6 equipment at all.

 

Basically, Silva is banking on having himself and his computer brought in.  And as he tells Bond on the island that he can do everything from there with his computer knowledge, I find it reasonable that he can outsmart even Q.

[tdalton]

With regards to the whole wireless issue, I don't think that MI6 would allow certain aspects of their infrastructure to be accessible via wireless network.  The controls for for the locks and other highly sensitive issues such as those, especially in a government agency that had just been hacked, would almost certainly require the hard connection that Q mistakenly uses to connect Silva's computer to the MI6 network.  

[SPECTRE ASSASSIN]

http://www.cracked.c...plot-holes.html

 

This Cracked link is amusing about this very subject. 

[Hansen]

Should there be a proper HR department in MI6, Q and Bond should be both fired for incompetence

[SecretAgentFan]

With regards to the whole wireless issue, I don't think that MI6 would allow certain aspects of their infrastructure to be accessible via wireless network.  The controls for for the locks and other highly sensitive issues such as those, especially in a government agency that had just been hacked, would almost certainly require the hard connection that Q mistakenly uses to connect Silva's computer to the MI6 network.  

 

In my strange drive to explain away every implausibility...  how´s this?  The first scene between Bond and Q makes it clear that Q feels quite superior to the blunt instrument which is used only when a quick tab on a computer keyboard is not enough.  Q´s over-confidence, however, makes him connect Silva´s computer to the Mi6 databank.  Bad mistake.

 

Maybe, this will be picked up in BOND 24, with Q being ridiculed by Bond for not plugging in anything suspicious. 

Edited by SecretAgentFan, 19 March 2014 - 05:44 PM.

[Major Tallon]

Quite right, SecretAgentFan.  The film is largely concerned with trust and betrayal, and, in an unusual twist on this theme, we see a hugely self-confident young man betrayed by his own sense of superiority.  It's a twist that fulfills M's observation from "Casino Royale" that arrogance and self-awareness rarely go hand-in-hand.

 

It would be quite interesting if, in Bond 24, we were to see Q now plagued by self-doubt.   

[tdalton]

The only self-doubt that Q should be experiencing should be happening in front of a tribunal much like the one M was hauled in front of.  There are those that like to criticize Bond and say that it's he who gets M killed, but if we really want to boil it down to the truth, Q is the guilty party in that regard.  If he did an even semi-competent job, Silva wouldn't have escaped and that would have been the end of things.

[sharpshooter]

One thing about the finale: Bond says to M they're going back in time, somewhere they will have the advantage. I don't think they had that much of an advantage. Upon arrival at the house, they scrounge around for items to fight with. The main tool being the shotgun and DB5, with the rest being makeshift booby traps. Bond resorts to blowing up the house, highlighting the severity of their situation.

[SecretAgentFan]

Well, Bond did expect a huge weapon´s collection.

[Hansen]

Well, Bond did expect a huge weapon´s collection.

It can be huge but if you are 3 to use them...

[SecretAgentFan]

True.  But Bond probably did not expect Silva bringing an army of men with a huge helicopter.

[sharpshooter]

True.  But Bond probably did not expect Silva bringing an army of men with a huge helicopter.

Yeah, true enough. Bond takes down the first group of men and then realises wave two must be coming because Silva wasn't among the bodies. If that was the extent of the battle, they would've won easily. Bond does seem peeved off with subsequent "always got to make an entrance" comment.

[Hansen]

 

True.  But Bond probably did not expect Silva bringing an army of men with a huge helicopter.

Yeah, true enough. Bond takes down the first group of men and then realises wave two must be coming because Silva wasn't among the bodies. If that was the extent of the battle, they would've won easily. Bond does seem peeved off with subsequent "always got to make an entrance" comment.

 

So it is more inexperience than incompetence that led to this fiasco.

Honestly, after having a glimpse of Silva organisation (and based on any of the previous films), he could have expected them to be more than 3.

[SecretAgentFan]

Inexperience?  Nah.  He´s just underestimating Silva.   On the other hand Bond killed the henchmen on the island.  And the guys Silva accompanied to the planned killing at the hearing also were not to many.  

 

I was surprised myself at how resourceful Silva was, organizing the helicopter and many more men, bringing them into Scotland on such short notice.

 

Now, wait a second...

 

Is that BELIEVABLE?

Edited by SecretAgentFan, 21 March 2014 - 08:48 AM.

[Hansen]

 

Is that BELIEVABLE?

[Guy Haines]

The end is enjoyable as a spectacular, but it does have its weaknesses. Bond drove up to Skyfall assuming the old armoury would be in place. Of course, it wasn't. He left a trail of "breadcrumbs" expecting Silva & Co to follow - they did, but Bond & M (and Kincade) lacked the firepower to respond as Bond might have expected and had to improvise (a la Home Alone).

 

What struck me though was that Mallory did nothing to follow up on the fact that Bond and M were heading for Scotland beyond telling Q & Tanner to carry on - he clearly didn't grasp what was really going on. Had he done so, in reality there might have been a back up of MI6/Special Forces there to support Bond. But then that wouldn't have been the Bond & M against the world ending the film was heading for.

 

It doesn't stop my enjoyment of the ending, but I'm not blind to its faults. Then again, there are faults in every Bond film, in my experience.

[Major Tallon]

While we're on the subject of credibility, it is, I suppose, credible that a man could obtain a civilian variant of the Merlin helicopter (the AW 101).  But to arm it with a chain gun?  Bit of a stretch that.

[SecretAgentFan]

It´s possibly only one of many in his private arsenal... in Scotland... um... OR... he has his contacts (yes!) there supplying him.

 

Wow, that one was close... 

[Guy Haines]

All part of Silva's "forward planning" I suppose. In the "unlikely event" of him failing to kill M at the enquiry, he has a heavily armed helicopter, a small army of goons and "The Animals" on CD and loudspeaker, ready to confront Bond & M wherever they go.

 

"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"

[DaveBond21]

I've always hated that Home Alone reference. I can understand where people come from.But seriously, how else are you going to be able to stop a small army with nothing else but a hunting rifle, a PPK and some dynamite. 

 

You could always stay at MI6, where there are lots more guns and lots more people to help you.