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Comments
It's seems a hallmark of Mendes that he doesn't like linking the dots in a conventional way.
I liked the breakneck pacing and simplicity of Spectre. Kinda FYEO old school. For Craig's era it's CR first, QOS/SP tied, Skyfall fourth.
I like you're ranking. SF is currently fourth in my DC era rankings as well. Unless B25 is a total stinker, it's hard to envisage that changing.
Yes, there is something about the breeziness and pacing of SP that enabled me to overlook a lot of the characteristically slip-shod Mendes direction. Like QOS, it progresses smoothly enough that you are not jolted out of your enjoyment by the plot holes and inconsistencies.
And are the only main villains to share the same first name.
Or is it under?
This is the smallest criticism I have. I do think it's a demerit of the script not to have a scene where we see Bond acquire the plane. My scriptwriting teacher in film school would have told me off for writing such a thing, or should I say, not writing it. :)
I was disappointed in that bit.
I wonder why.
:(
It's not a problem for me, but if it were, the script is not necessarily the first place I'd look. Scripts aren't slavishly replicated, for an abundance of reasons.
While I agree that the Austria sequence did not really.....'connect' with me as compared to the alpine scenery from "OHMSS" and "FYEO", I think your comment that 'Morocco is yellow' and 'Mexico brown' is exagerrated. Morocco for me never looked so beautiful. A touch of 1960's, with an old Technicolor filter, reminded me of some of the Hitchcock classics.
Yes. My main gripe with Mendes is that he doesn't seem to know how to get the best out of his locations. The Brosnan years also suffered from this.
OHMSS and FYEO are the benchmark of how to do snow-themed Bond, and I find it incomprehensible that with all the other stuff they seem to be lifting straight out of old Bond films they could not get the Austria mood right in SP. Lazy.
Please stop benchmarking. Don't tie up directors in chairs and torture them with our belittling and conservative approach. I loved the cinematography of SP. Similar like I loved this heavily filtered/saturated scene (thanks Phil Meheux):
You know, I'm getting a bit tired of how Sam Mendes is treated in here. "He has no anus-idea of action sequences", "He knows shit about locations", "He is whining constantly about how he directed the film", "He is forcing his opinion on us", "He needs to go, that dramaqueen", "His beard is too grey, so are his films", "He sucks in the drama department", etc, etc, etc.
Since when......really guys, since when did we talk like that about all previous Bond directors? By jolly, have a bit respect for the man.
You misunderstood my point, perhaps I wasn't clear enough - I meant that with all the 'copying' of old Bond (FRWL train etc) that SP does I don't see why they couldn't have 'copied' some of that charm OHMSS or FYEO brought to the Alpine sequences.
No more than that.
But I do stand by my opinion that Mendes' Bond films have not made good use of locations. Campbell & Forster were better at this, somehow.
With respect to SF, on a recent rewatch it actually didn't impress me visually as much as QoS and CR, and I believe that was on account of the colour, which was notably and probably intentionally grey during a lot of daytime sequences, but that may have been on account of the UK shooting locations. The night work however was incredibly crisp and colourful......a credit to Deakins and the use of digital cameras I think. His shot framing was magnificent as well. Artistic like no other.
Yes, this probably was his intention.....or in conjunction with Van Hoytema. Time will tell whether this film's look & colour palette will date as well as the illustrious rest in the canon. We're too early for that. It is a curious and interesting choice, and as I've said on here, when watching this film I found it more in keeping with blockbusters of the day from Marvel, Lionsgate etc. with the thematic and somewhat monotonous palette. A product of its time. As you say it was different for Bond certainly, and some like it, some don't.
I didn't recall any comparative blockbusters if I'm honest. I think it adds a ghostly feel to the entire picture, which was clearly intentional. I don't believe for a minute that either Mendes or Van Hoytema were motivated by creating a palette in line with current trends. I can accept it's not to everyone's taste, but it's clearly a decision based on the material not to be 'on trend'.
Fully agree here.
I just watched the 3 Damon Bourne movies and with regret I feel embarrassed for EoN and Mendes at how easily those movies are still besting Bond in this day and age with the exception of CR. Bourne Ultimatum shockingly uses 6 locations, Berlin, Paris, London, Madrid, Tangier and New York and pull it off marvellously, transporting audiences to these places wuth the believable atmosphere and authenticity a film should. There's nothing lazy about the approach to film making that goes into Damon's Bourne films and I think this is an underlying problem with Bond especially with Mendes at the helm. There's too much coasting on the Bond brand to really do something creative and immersive that is clearly leaving a number of people dissatisfied.
I love Bond but I'm fair and acknowledge credit when and where it's due and I maybe in the extreme minority here but I thank God Bourne is back because I know I'll get the action thriller I want to see and even moreso I hope the new Bourne film will facilitate Bond to make the needed changes that have been hurting the films.
Look, Bond films are not Bourne films. And I said it on many occassions, whereas Bourne and other franchises so easily get compared with 'Godfather Bond', it never works the other way around. If Bond takes something from Bourne's playbook, for example the action style in QOS, then people will dislike it. It's a bit unfair.
Hence why I think sequences like this will always stay truly Bond....and will, luckily never be used in Bourne films. Bourne films and Bond films are entirely different:
Dr. No:
From Russia With Love:
The Man With The Golden Gun:
There's nothing too deep about above introductions uttered by the leading villains. But they tremendously worked. The parabels, the sinister comparisons, it's oozing 'Bond'. And now read these transcripts:
Skyfall:
SPECTRE:
This is quintessential Bond, James Bond. And I actually think Mendes really knows how to return to this sinister and sometimes quite psychotic villain introductions. These parabels, comparisons, etc....can really lift up the reasoning behind the villain. And IMO that worked tremendously in SF, though it also worked in SP.
As long as EON stay true to what makes Bond unique, but draw from the excellence that comes from these two franchises in particular (which in my view is tight narratives, believable and outstanding action, superior tension filled scenes, & increasingly excellent use of locations) we will be ok.
I gave a perfect example for that.
But you know why Bourne and also Mission: Impossible are not copying these kind of 'typical Bond scenes' to their franchises? Because there existence is more related to....'doing things differently than Bond'. Moreover, if someone asks to delete those wonderful villain introductions from the Bond franchise then it's no Bond anymore.
Bond doesn't need M:I or Bourne. Bond = NO Bourne. And EON already stays true to what makes Bond unique.
As for the action in QoS, the shakey cam quick cut edits weren't pulled off the same way Greengrass instructed the same editor to do his films. There's a very clear difference in the editing and filming styles of the action. Also, if Bond is accused of copying it doesn't help when you abandon the visceral action being copied for something more pedestrian again. Stick with it, afterall, it's a realistic and appropriate style of combat for someone in Bond's line of work. Hell, you see the same and better fights in other movies and on TV. The TV show Hannibal had a few visceral fight scenes that are significantly better than what the Bond films give us.
What people don't like is underwhelming material wether it be in the screenplay, action, acting, music or locations and if they want things to stay mediocre just because they don't want to be seen copying the competition who are doing a better job, risking quality prigression then fine, stick to your mediocrity and goodwill of 50 years while the rest of the world moves on. SP disappointed many people and they expressed why either with their opinions or their money and in many cases both.
You think? SP is breathing down the neck of Avatar in the all time UK Box Office (smashing JW) and is closing on $800m worldwide. Everything is relative, as such SF's BO may make this appear like a disappointment, but I don't see it that way. It's about to pass last year's surprise hit GOTG at the worldwide BO and has already beaten 'Winter Soldier', another highly rated action/thriller from last year. It's also going to end up about $100m+ clear of RN and has probably grossed about double that of the highest grossing Bourne (I'd have to check). Not saying there's nothing to learn from the competition, but to suggest it's been a disappointment to many people is skewed imo. You don't make $800m with a Bond film that has largely disappointed, it doesn't have the inbuilt audience of a Transformers etc.
I wanted to see SP a minimum of 7 times but I've peaked at 4 viewings, that's just me personally because as fun and entertaining as the film is, it's shortcomings are too conspicuous for me to sit through another 3 viewings any time soon, while everything, both positives and negatives are fresh in my head.