No Time To Die: Production Diary

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  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    patb wrote: »
    Re all this negativity re new ideas, execution is a key ellement. If rumours had come out re the climax to SF , many of you guys would have hated the idea, been worried, depressed etc
    .

    And we would have been right! Btw, creativity and SF (just as Mendes)should never be mentioned in the same sentence.
    SF might be the single most creative Bond film of all time.

    Hahaha, good one.
  • Posts: 1,162
    patb wrote: »
    Re all this negativity re new ideas, execution is a key ellement. If rumours had come out re the climax to SF , many of you guys would have hated the idea, been worried, depressed etc
    .

    And we would have been right! Btw, creativity and SF (just as Mendes)should never be mentioned in the same sentence.
    SF might be the single most creative Bond film of all time.

    You Can’t even imagine, how sorry I feel for you.
  • edited May 2018 Posts: 1,162
    patb wrote: »
    and that cuts to the core of one one of the key features of these threads "we would have been right" - therefore everyone else is wrong. SF was creative in that it did not follow the standard Bond template. That is surely fact? Whether we like the result of that is obvioulsy personal choice. But it proved that you can go outside the template and please the mainstream audience and the critics (but obviously not all fans)

    Seeking to think "outside of the box" re Bond is not a hangable offence but it is to some fans. I think the rest of the World outside of fandom is much more flexible re new ideas (up to a point)

    Out of the box or not, there is not a single thing in Skyfall that’s creative. That and the complete lack of logic are my problems with it.Just about every minute of it is (badly)stolen from other movies ( and called a hommage).
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,582
    Remember Beyond the Ice and the plotline was Bond joining the ranks of a North Korean soldier?
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited May 2018 Posts: 15,715
    I always wonder when I read about the need for the franchise to break the formula, be more creative, get rid of the cliches/tropes, why people didn't ask EON to continue the direction they aimed at with CR/QOS, instead of re-introducing these cliches elements in SF, ironically a film that is very popular amongst those who want the franchise to evolve.

    CR got rid of the gunbarrel opening the PTS, it had no dancing women in the Title Sequence, it had no Q, no Moneypenny, the Bond theme did not feature in its traditional form until the end credits, the main Bond girl dies in the end (which happened only once out of the previous 20 films). QOS continued in that direction, being the first film to not have any romance angle with the main Bond girl, it had no traditional mission briefing (only LTK had done so prior to this film), it did not feature the 'Bond, James Bond' line, Bond did not order a vodka martini at any point of the film, had the gunbarrel at the very end of the film, was the very first direct sequel in the franchise.

    With SF, we get Moneypenny back, Q also returned, the traditional M office came back, it featured the first use of the Bond theme outside of the end credits since DAD. I do very much enjoy the Craig films, and SF did divert from the formula in several aspects, but it must be noted that SF is the first film in the Craig era to re-introduce some familiar elements from the 1962-2002 films, a direct contradiction/difference from what the franchise had been doing with CR/QOS.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited May 2018 Posts: 23,883
    Very good points @DaltonCraig007.

    I can only imagine that they decided to go back to the tropes because they'd heard that certain sections of the fanbase (or general public) wanted them back. After all, Craig has commented frequently how people come up to him and ask him 'why so serious?'.

    I also assume that they decided to go back to it because that was always the intended evolution of the Craig Bond reboot character, namely starting as raw rookie without trimmings and ending fully formed.

    More than anything, reading your post confirms to me that this era and arc is actually finished, despite their apparent desire to prolong it for one more film. Bond is fully formed now and has been since the end of SF.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    patb wrote: »
    and that cuts to the core of one one of the key features of these threads "we would have been right" - therefore everyone else is wrong. SF was creative in that it did not follow the standard Bond template. That is surely fact? Whether we like the result of that is obvioulsy personal choice. But it proved that you can go outside the template and please the mainstream audience and the critics (but obviously not all fans)

    Seeking to think "outside of the box" re Bond is not a hangable offence but it is to some fans. I think the rest of the World outside of fandom is much more flexible re new ideas (up to a point)

    Out of the box or not, there is not a single thing in Skyfall that’s creative. That and the complete lack of logic are my problems with it.Just about every minute of it is (badly)stolen from other movies ( and called a hommage).

    The Cinematography is exceptional.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,172
    @noSolaceleft
    patb wrote: »
    Re all this negativity re new ideas, execution is a key ellement. If rumours had come out re the climax to SF , many of you guys would have hated the idea, been worried, depressed etc
    .

    And we would have been right! Btw, creativity and SF (just as Mendes)should never be mentioned in the same sentence.
    SF might be the single most creative Bond film of all time.

    You Can’t even imagine, how sorry I feel for you.
    patb wrote: »
    and that cuts to the core of one one of the key features of these threads "we would have been right" - therefore everyone else is wrong. SF was creative in that it did not follow the standard Bond template. That is surely fact? Whether we like the result of that is obvioulsy personal choice. But it proved that you can go outside the template and please the mainstream audience and the critics (but obviously not all fans)

    Seeking to think "outside of the box" re Bond is not a hangable offence but it is to some fans. I think the rest of the World outside of fandom is much more flexible re new ideas (up to a point)

    Out of the box or not, there is not a single thing in Skyfall that’s creative. That and the complete lack of logic are my problems with it.Just about every minute of it is (badly)stolen from other movies ( and called a hommage).

    Please just stay away from this thread. You have absolutely nothing to contribute to it. The only thing you can spout is hatred for a film. Fine, so be it. But by now we ALL know where you stand and you're sounding like a broken record, you're clearly here to anger other members. Remember a few wees ago? At least @Germanlady, whom you had a fight with back then, has kept herself very far away from these heated debates. Why can't you? Because you're so full of negative feelings for this film, and because you can't give it a rest and must, in a compulsive manner, respond to posts which actually try to bring some content to this thread with empty statements, "you can't even imagine how sorry WE all feel for YOU". "There is not a single thing in your posts that's creative."

    For the last time, you have made your point. This is a highly volatile thread, so there's no need to make it a millionth time. Either contribute something new, in a respectful tone, something that feeds an interesting debate we all care about; or don't contribute here at all. If all you can do is nag and moan, you'll understand we would appreciate it if you did it only once.

    Meanwhile, I would like to thank @RC7, @Germanlady and several others who have respected our request to maintain a calm climate in this thread and who have, in fact, brought new and interesting elements to this discussion.
  • Posts: 95
    Been reading all the comments regarding the Reddit leak and just wanted to chime in why I
    feel we may not know anything plot wise at this point. I was thinking it seems very unlikely that Boyle would be “heavy into casting for Bond 25” in April and May - as the Reddit poster claimed - if he was in pre-production on his musical - a pre-production that was supposedly made even tighter by having it’s shooting schedule moved forward to give him more time for Bond 25.

    Also, I doubt Hodge is done with more than a first or second draft. This makes me wonder how anyone can cast for roles that can be changed dramatically later. If you read the Sony leaks Blofeld started out as a Central African-type General. Then, he was rumored to be female to which all involved said “No!”

    Just saying many people seem worried by casting choices or plot lines that will introduce
    a new female agent to take over series when maybe nothing beyond what we knew 2 months ago is true.

    But the small interview with Boyle is good news in that no delay was mentioned and all seems set to go for December. He’s a talented enough filmmaker and fan of Bond I don’t feel Wilson, Brocolli or Craig would back his idea if it wasn’t unique or also too odd or radical. Doubt they’d let his idea for Bond steer the franchise in any new way with this being Craig’s last Bond.
  • Posts: 1,162
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    @noSolaceleft
    patb wrote: »
    Re all this negativity re new ideas, execution is a key ellement. If rumours had come out re the climax to SF , many of you guys would have hated the idea, been worried, depressed etc
    .

    And we would have been right! Btw, creativity and SF (just as Mendes)should never be mentioned in the same sentence.
    SF might be the single most creative Bond film of all time.

    You Can’t even imagine, how sorry I feel for you.
    patb wrote: »
    and that cuts to the core of one one of the key features of these threads "we would have been right" - therefore everyone else is wrong. SF was creative in that it did not follow the standard Bond template. That is surely fact? Whether we like the result of that is obvioulsy personal choice. But it proved that you can go outside the template and please the mainstream audience and the critics (but obviously not all fans)

    Seeking to think "outside of the box" re Bond is not a hangable offence but it is to some fans. I think the rest of the World outside of fandom is much more flexible re new ideas (up to a point)

    Out of the box or not, there is not a single thing in Skyfall that’s creative. That and the complete lack of logic are my problems with it.Just about every minute of it is (badly)stolen from other movies ( and called a hommage).

    Please just stay away from this thread. You have absolutely nothing to contribute to it. The only thing you can spout is hatred for a film. Fine, so be it. But by now we ALL know where you stand and you're sounding like a broken record, you're clearly here to anger other members. Remember a few wees ago? At least @Germanlady, whom you had a fight with back then, has kept herself very far away from these heated debates. Why can't you? Because you're so full of negative feelings for this film, and because you can't give it a rest and must, in a compulsive manner, respond to posts which actually try to bring some content to this thread with empty statements, "you can't even imagine how sorry WE all feel for YOU". "There is not a single thing in your posts that's creative."

    For the last time, you have made your point. This is a highly volatile thread, so there's no need to make it a millionth time. Either contribute something new, in a respectful tone, something that feeds an interesting debate we all care about; or don't contribute here at all. If all you can do is nag and moan, you'll understand we would appreciate it if you did it only once.

    Meanwhile, I would like to thank @RC7, @Germanlady and several others who have respected our request to maintain a calm climate in this thread and who have, in fact, brought new and interesting elements to this discussion.

    So praising it is all right, but pointing out criticism one might have with the movie is hatred? Interesting. And contrary to all those that just expressing their gut feelings I am always able to prove my opinions with simple facts. You see, I am a movie lover, that’s why it’s quite hard for me to try to stand idly by when people praise movies that do nothing but exploit masterpieces of the past ( and quite mediocre to terrible to boot. )
    As an aside, I find Skyfall‘s photography quite beautiful but not any better than the one of QoS, which strikes me every time with its vivid colors and beauty of the landscape.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited May 2018 Posts: 23,883
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    @noSolaceleft
    patb wrote: »
    Re all this negativity re new ideas, execution is a key ellement. If rumours had come out re the climax to SF , many of you guys would have hated the idea, been worried, depressed etc
    .

    And we would have been right! Btw, creativity and SF (just as Mendes)should never be mentioned in the same sentence.
    SF might be the single most creative Bond film of all time.

    You Can’t even imagine, how sorry I feel for you.
    patb wrote: »
    and that cuts to the core of one one of the key features of these threads "we would have been right" - therefore everyone else is wrong. SF was creative in that it did not follow the standard Bond template. That is surely fact? Whether we like the result of that is obvioulsy personal choice. But it proved that you can go outside the template and please the mainstream audience and the critics (but obviously not all fans)

    Seeking to think "outside of the box" re Bond is not a hangable offence but it is to some fans. I think the rest of the World outside of fandom is much more flexible re new ideas (up to a point)

    Out of the box or not, there is not a single thing in Skyfall that’s creative. That and the complete lack of logic are my problems with it.Just about every minute of it is (badly)stolen from other movies ( and called a hommage).

    Please just stay away from this thread. You have absolutely nothing to contribute to it. The only thing you can spout is hatred for a film. Fine, so be it. But by now we ALL know where you stand and you're sounding like a broken record, you're clearly here to anger other members. Remember a few wees ago? At least @Germanlady, whom you had a fight with back then, has kept herself very far away from these heated debates. Why can't you? Because you're so full of negative feelings for this film, and because you can't give it a rest and must, in a compulsive manner, respond to posts which actually try to bring some content to this thread with empty statements, "you can't even imagine how sorry WE all feel for YOU". "There is not a single thing in your posts that's creative."

    For the last time, you have made your point. This is a highly volatile thread, so there's no need to make it a millionth time. Either contribute something new, in a respectful tone, something that feeds an interesting debate we all care about; or don't contribute here at all. If all you can do is nag and moan, you'll understand we would appreciate it if you did it only once.

    Meanwhile, I would like to thank @RC7, @Germanlady and several others who have respected our request to maintain a calm climate in this thread and who have, in fact, brought new and interesting elements to this discussion.

    So praising it is all right, but pointing out criticism one might have with the movie is hatred? Interesting. And contrary to all those that just expressing their gut feelings I am always able to prove my opinions with simple facts. You see, I am a movie lover, that’s why it’s quite hard for me to try to stand idly by when people praise movies that do nothing but exploit masterpieces of the past ( and quite mediocre to terrible to boot. )
    As an aside, I find Skyfall‘s photography quite beautiful but not any better than the one of QoS, which strikes me every time with its vivid colors and beauty of the landscape.
    You have a point on SF riffing on prior Bond films, but in my opinion that was the whole point of the exercise. Every time I see the film I notice another element which is a direct homage to an earlier film. I personally think Mendes beautifully incorporated all of these little throwbacks into a cohesive whole for the anniversary effort. Certainly far better than a few references (like Bond sniffing Klebb's shoe) in the 40th anniversary film.

    RE: the QoS vs SF cinematography: Again, I can see where you're coming from. QoS has stunning and very natural looking landscapes and colour, perhaps because a lot of it was done for real. It certainly seems more 'real' to me than the digital camera work in SF, which also has a bit of overt filter use (although nowhere near as egregious or obvious as SP). There is also a bit more obvious 'enhanced' saturated nighttime lighting in SF.

    Nevertheless, more people remember SF's cinematography positively in comparison to QoS (including myself) because the earlier film was ruined (imho) by the quick cutting, which prevented viewers (particularly older ones) from appreciating all the effort put into the locations.

    Additionally, Deakins' shot compositions were just brilliant and his nighttime work at the Skyfall ranch is really good. Everything is very vivid on account of his choice to use digital cameras.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course. My mentioning of cinematography was simply to counter the point that there was ‘nothing’ creative about SF, which is of course patently untrue. The cinematography is some of the most creative in the series, if not the most, at points. If you put 10 cinematographers in a room and asked them to pick between QoS and SF you’d get a SF landslide. That’s not to say one can’t prefer, QoS, just that suggesting it is in no way creative is simple incorrect - it is technically superior.
  • Posts: 19,339
    RC7 wrote: »
    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course. My mentioning of cinematography was simply to counter the point that there was ‘nothing’ creative about SF, which is of course patently untrue. The cinematography is some of the most creative in the series, if not the most, at points. If you put 10 cinematographers in a room and asked them to pick between QoS and SF you’d get a SF landslide. That’s not to say one can’t prefer, QoS, just that suggesting it is in no way creative is simple incorrect - it is technically superior.

    I prefer QOS :)

  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    barryt007 wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course. My mentioning of cinematography was simply to counter the point that there was ‘nothing’ creative about SF, which is of course patently untrue. The cinematography is some of the most creative in the series, if not the most, at points. If you put 10 cinematographers in a room and asked them to pick between QoS and SF you’d get a SF landslide. That’s not to say one can’t prefer, QoS, just that suggesting it is in no way creative is simple incorrect - it is technically superior.

    I prefer QOS :)

    You’re not a cinematographer, old boy.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    It was a masterstroke to use digital cameras, given the amount of night photography in the film. It's those scenes which really 'pop' and give SF its distinctive look imho. It was very apparent in the first trailer for the film, and drew me right in. Fresh.

    The first film to do that was Michael Mann's 2004 Collateral, for which Dion Beebe did the cinematogaphy. Upon a recent viewing, I realized how similar some of the scenes look on account of the type of cameras used. Both films have that distinctive and very luminous nighttime flair

    https://kathryndowsonsfilmjourney.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/collateral/
  • Posts: 19,339
    RC7 wrote: »
    barryt007 wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course. My mentioning of cinematography was simply to counter the point that there was ‘nothing’ creative about SF, which is of course patently untrue. The cinematography is some of the most creative in the series, if not the most, at points. If you put 10 cinematographers in a room and asked them to pick between QoS and SF you’d get a SF landslide. That’s not to say one can’t prefer, QoS, just that suggesting it is in no way creative is simple incorrect - it is technically superior.

    I prefer QOS :)

    You’re not a cinematographer, old boy.

    Definitely...I cant even tell one end of a camera from the other ! ;)

  • RC7RC7
    edited May 2018 Posts: 10,512
    bondjames wrote: »
    It was a masterstroke to use digital cameras, given the amount of night photography in the film. It's those scenes which really 'pop' and give SF its distinctive look imho. It was very apparent in the first trailer for the film, and drew me right in. Fresh.

    The first film to do that was Michael Mann's 2004 Collateral, for which Dion Beebe did the cinematogaphy. Upon a recent viewing, I realized how similar some of the scenes look on account of the type of cameras used. Both films have that distinctive and very luminous nighttime flair

    https://kathryndowsonsfilmjourney.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/collateral/

    Yeah, they’re incredible in low light. Allows you to pick up some brilliant natural detail without having to overlight a scene (or even light it at all).
  • Posts: 11,425
    patb wrote: »
    and that cuts to the core of one one of the key features of these threads "we would have been right" - therefore everyone else is wrong. SF was creative in that it did not follow the standard Bond template. That is surely fact? Whether we like the result of that is obvioulsy personal choice. But it proved that you can go outside the template and please the mainstream audience and the critics (but obviously not all fans)

    Seeking to think "outside of the box" re Bond is not a hangable offence but it is to some fans. I think the rest of the World outside of fandom is much more flexible re new ideas (up to a point)

    totally up for thinking outside the box and agree that execution is a key to whether a seemingly whacky idea works. for me the ideas behind SF were all mainly pretty sound. it's just the writing and execution that I don't enjoy - with a tighter script and different director I believe it could have been a really good film.

    OHMSS shows how successful a non formula Bond film can be. LTK less so.

    there are so many ways they could play with our expectations without totally going crazy and trashing the character. there's lots of fun to be had with Bond. I personally prefer well intentioned failures (which is how I class SF) to the mind numbing imbecility and naffness of the Brosnan films. but it's frustrating for me that no writer or director has really got it completely right for so long.

    if I'm honest TLD is the last Bond that I regard as really firing on all cylinders.
  • Posts: 11,425
    I always wonder when I read about the need for the franchise to break the formula, be more creative, get rid of the cliches/tropes, why people didn't ask EON to continue the direction they aimed at with CR/QOS, instead of re-introducing these cliches elements in SF, ironically a film that is very popular amongst those who want the franchise to evolve.

    CR got rid of the gunbarrel opening the PTS, it had no dancing women in the Title Sequence, it had no Q, no Moneypenny, the Bond theme did not feature in its traditional form until the end credits, the main Bond girl dies in the end (which happened only once out of the previous 20 films). QOS continued in that direction, being the first film to not have any romance angle with the main Bond girl, it had no traditional mission briefing (only LTK had done so prior to this film), it did not feature the 'Bond, James Bond' line, Bond did not order a vodka martini at any point of the film, had the gunbarrel at the very end of the film, was the very first direct sequel in the franchise.

    With SF, we get Moneypenny back, Q also returned, the traditional M office came back, it featured the first use of the Bond theme outside of the end credits since DAD. I do very much enjoy the Craig films, and SF did divert from the formula in several aspects, but it must be noted that SF is the first film in the Craig era to re-introduce some familiar elements from the 1962-2002 films, a direct contradiction/difference from what the franchise had been doing with CR/QOS.

    totally agree with you. and I've said this many times. CR and particularly QOS for me set things up really nicely. it felt like there was a completely clean slate and they could do almost anything. and then SF gave us this sluggish, nostalgic, mess of a film that sort of was just a rehash of past films and cliches and we were back in the mid 1970s but without the sense of fun or great action scenes.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,395
    RC7 wrote: »
    barryt007 wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course. My mentioning of cinematography was simply to counter the point that there was ‘nothing’ creative about SF, which is of course patently untrue. The cinematography is some of the most creative in the series, if not the most, at points. If you put 10 cinematographers in a room and asked them to pick between QoS and SF you’d get a SF landslide. That’s not to say one can’t prefer, QoS, just that suggesting it is in no way creative is simple incorrect - it is technically superior.

    I prefer QOS :)

    You’re not a cinematographer, old boy.

    This isn't a place for industry opinions, but fan ones.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    RC7 wrote: »
    barryt007 wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course. My mentioning of cinematography was simply to counter the point that there was ‘nothing’ creative about SF, which is of course patently untrue. The cinematography is some of the most creative in the series, if not the most, at points. If you put 10 cinematographers in a room and asked them to pick between QoS and SF you’d get a SF landslide. That’s not to say one can’t prefer, QoS, just that suggesting it is in no way creative is simple incorrect - it is technically superior.

    I prefer QOS :)

    You’re not a cinematographer, old boy.

    This isn't a place for industry opinions, but fan ones.

    Cheer up.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    He’s right though. SF’s cinematography is creative whereas QoS’s really isn’t. Deakins relied on his vision whereas whoever shot the previous film just copied and imitated the Greengrass-directed Bourne films.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited May 2018 Posts: 15,715
    @bondjames and @Getafix I agree with both of you, I am just trying to figure out what is EON's game plan for Craig's last, and what people (either hardcore fans, casual fans and general audience) are asking for about Bond 25. As you noted, @bondjames, it seems EON after the lukewarm critics/audience answer to QOS, started moving Craig and his era towards the 'traditional' Bond mold, by re-introducing Q, Moneypenny, and having the gunbarrel at the start of SP, and having the Bond theme more and more present on the soundtrack. I am all for the franchise to evolve/break the formula, but I don't understand how, after CR/QOS removed as much of the Bond tropes as possible, then having SF/SP gradually re-introducing several of the familiar elements (which was a very normal evolution of the Craig era) only to end on a 5th Craig film which will do a 180 degree turn and go back to CR/QOS and totally shake up the Bond formula. If they want to do that, either wait until Bond 26 (or recast straight away), or they should have continued the CR/QOS direction with SF and SP if they are really planning on flip-flopping the direction of this tenure for the 3rd time by reverting to what CR/QOS were doing 13 and 11 years ago (by te. I always have a blast watching the 4 Craig films, and he has been a tremendous Bond, but I really struggle in understanding the direction EON has been taking the franchise when looking at the last 4 films as a whole. Especially being the first tenure to be very tightly linked between each film.

    But, as we know close to nothing concrete about Bond 25, I remain excited in where this 5th Craig film will take us.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,172
    So praising it is all right, but pointing out criticism one might have with the movie is hatred? Interesting. And contrary to all those that just expressing their gut feelings I am always able to prove my opinions with simple facts. You see, I am a movie lover, that’s why it’s quite hard for me to try to stand idly by when people praise movies that do nothing but exploit masterpieces of the past ( and quite mediocre to terrible to boot. )
    As an aside, I find Skyfall‘s photography quite beautiful but not any better than the one of QoS, which strikes me every time with its vivid colors and beauty of the landscape.

    @noSolaceleft
    There's that tone, you know it, you keep using it. Criticising something, fine. "You Can’t even imagine, how sorry I feel for you.", coming from you, is not criticising a film. It's arrogance.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited May 2018 Posts: 23,883
    @bondjames and @Getafix I agree with both of you, I am just trying to figure out what is EON's game plan for Craig's last, and what people (either hardcore fans, casual fans and general audience) are asking for about Bond 25. As you noted, @bondjames, it seems EON after the lukewarm critics/audience answer to QOS, started moving Craig and his era towards the 'traditional' Bond mold, by re-introducing Q, Moneypenny, and having the gunbarrel at the start of SP, and having the Bond theme more and more present on the soundtrack. I am all for the franchise to evolve/break the formula, but I don't understand how, after CR/QOS removed as much of the Bond tropes as possible, then having SF/SP gradually re-introducing several of the familiar elements (which was a very normal evolution of the Craig era) only to end on a 5th Craig film which will do a 180 degree turn and go back to CR/QOS and totally shake up the Bond formula. If they want to do that, either wait until Bond 26 (or recast straight away), or they should have continued the CR/QOS direction with SF and SP if they are really planning on flip-flopping the direction of this tenure for the 3rd time by reverting to what CR/QOS were doing 13 and 11 years ago (by te. I always have a blast watching the 4 Craig films, and he has been a tremendous Bond, but I really struggle in understanding the direction EON has been taking the franchise when looking at the last 4 films as a whole. Especially being the first tenure to be very tightly linked between each film.
    @DaltonCraig007 I couldn't agree more, which is why I'm quite curious to see what they do.

    For me, logically it's over. That's why nothing I'm reading about what they have planned to date makes sense, at least in the context of a character trajectory which has been mapped in one direction, even if sloppily and after the fact.

    Any attempt at 'actor specific closure' (which some have, inexplicably to me, been calling for) runs the risk of locking the character into a further reboot inducing bind, which arguably is a problem that they don't have at present (the open ended SP 'ending' leaves many options going forward).
  • Posts: 1,162
    RC7 wrote: »
    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course. My mentioning of cinematography was simply to counter the point that there was ‘nothing’ creative about SF, which is of course patently untrue. The cinematography is some of the most creative in the series, if not the most, at points. If you put 10 cinematographers in a room and asked them to pick between QoS and SF you’d get a SF landslide. That’s not to say one can’t prefer, QoS, just that suggesting it is in no way creative is simple incorrect - it is technically superior.

    And do you really think it’s a coincidence that it’s one thing he (Mendes) didn’t do or interfere with heavily?
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    RC7 wrote: »
    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course. My mentioning of cinematography was simply to counter the point that there was ‘nothing’ creative about SF, which is of course patently untrue. The cinematography is some of the most creative in the series, if not the most, at points. If you put 10 cinematographers in a room and asked them to pick between QoS and SF you’d get a SF landslide. That’s not to say one can’t prefer, QoS, just that suggesting it is in no way creative is simple incorrect - it is technically superior.

    And do you really think it’s a coincidence that it’s one thing he (Mendes) didn’t do or interfere with heavily?

    That’s a different discussion. I was responding to your claim that ‘nothing’ about the film was creative.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,216
    He’s right though. SF’s cinematography is creative whereas QoS’s really isn’t. Deakins relied on his vision whereas whoever shot the previous film just copied and imitated the Greengrass-directed Bourne films.

    Not really. The imitations of the Bourne films in QoS lie nearly completely in the editing, not in the camerawork. QoS is a gorgeous looking film that unfortunately had the disadvantage of being cut to ribbons. Not Schaefer's fault in the slightest.
  • edited May 2018 Posts: 684
    Good points in the last page or so re: the direction promised by CR/QOS and where we've ended up at present. I do like SF, but I agree they should've continued on the track laid by Craig's first two entries.

    The thing most interesting to me is what MGW said of CR; something to the effect that he and Barbara felt like they couldn't go on creatively making the films as they were and needed to do something drastic to overcome the burnout. Yet that only lasted for two about two films. SF was surely a creative take on the series, but it could easily follow on from the first 20 (reintroduciton of MP aside -- I'm saying I could see it as Brosnan's last film, for instance). Whereas CR/QOS seem to have been just the thing Eon aimed at doing in order to rejuvenate the franchise long term, then abandoned.
  • Posts: 1,162
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    So praising it is all right, but pointing out criticism one might have with the movie is hatred? Interesting. And contrary to all those that just expressing their gut feelings I am always able to prove my opinions with simple facts. You see, I am a movie lover, that’s why it’s quite hard for me to try to stand idly by when people praise movies that do nothing but exploit masterpieces of the past ( and quite mediocre to terrible to boot. )
    As an aside, I find Skyfall‘s photography quite beautiful but not any better than the one of QoS, which strikes me every time with its vivid colors and beauty of the landscape.

    @noSolaceleft
    There's that tone, you know it, you keep using it. Criticising something, fine. "You Can’t even imagine, how sorry I feel for you.", coming from you, is not criticising a film. It's arrogance.

    Sorry, but if he really means all those superlatives for SF and predictions about the franchises future he gives regularly with an air of absolute certainty - spiced up with a little insult now and then - ,then I really mean it ( and also feels he must be able to take it ).After all, he is also on the record for stating that Skyfall is completely plot hole free. Need I say more?
    Not its staunchest supporter would dare to say that.
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