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A few things: The nods to the previous Bond movies were much better than in Die Another Day: the car being the best. However, the bizarre that Bond is in in Istanbul, was that used in FRWL when Bond is first taken to Kerim Bey? If so then that is awesome.
I thought (unless I misread it completely) that the plot was similar to Goldeneye: A one time British operative turns rogue because of a failure on MI6's part to protect him.
I was kind of hoping with Silva's massive backing (a helicopter, small army and clear connections within the police force and possibly the British government) would have led him to be part of a Nationalist group intended on bringing down the British Government because of what was stated several times to be an antiquated view of the world (some of the ministers make this point about M).
I liked the end where M's new office looks like Bernard Lee's M's office from the 60's and 70's, which is clearly setting us up in the future.
Overall entertaining and as I told a couple of people who saw it already I think it will end up ranking alongside movies like FRWL, Goldfinger, OHMSS and Spy Who Loved Me as a Bond classic.
Yes, thats the Grand Bazaar. Possibly the best shopping experience in the world. If there is one city you should see in your lifetime its Istanbul.
I dont watch GE often but wasn't Trevelyans grudge against MI6 to do with the wartime decision to send the Liensk cossacks back to Stalin? I thought his fake death was a way of escaping MI6..
Yeah pretty much. His parents had converted to the British government then were betrayed and, after escapying Stalin's execution squads, lived in disgrace until the father killed himself and the mother.
I really liked it.... i am unsure if i would put it on the same level as Casino Royale - which currently sits #2 on my Bond list (behind From Russia With Love).. but i think i can easily put it at either #3 or #4... i think i got to see a couple more times before i form my concrete opinion on it.... there were definite Fleming vibes throughout this film - the final siege at Skyfall Lodge felt like it could've been the climax to one of the novels....... its a Bond movie that hits all the right notes when it needs to to remind you that it's a Bond movie - but it definitely continues on Craig's run, and forging it's own niche into the Bond world.. this is what i would expect a Bond film for the 21st century to be like.... and i do like the constant motif of old vs new throughout this movie - and it setting up the notion that due to everything being so advanced and new in the world of espionage, that maybe going back and doing things the old fashioned way is the way of the future - an interesting concept..
Every performance was on the mark - not one sub par performance delivered by anyone.. but I do believe Bardem stole the show - and even after 1 viewing, i've put him right up with Christopher Walken as my favorite villain(s)..
Direction and cinematography were absolutely amazing.. especially during the Shanghai and Macau scenes..
I was unsure about Newman's score for the movie - on it's own, it's merely 'okay', but i think it works really well in the movie itself, especially the parts where they are sailing to Silva's island..
there were some off CGI moments in the movie, that made wince just a little... and it wasn't to do with the Komodo Dragons or Helicopters - it was in the PTS, the way they digitally put Craig's face over the stuntman's... it just looked weird on certain shots.. it's not blatantly noticeable maybe to the average viewer, but i noticed it right away... nothing terrible, but just weird..
if i had to score this right now... easily a 9/10
Much like you I don't watch GE much either, so I couldn't remember all of the details. Not to get too much off topic, while Silva's grudge was against M personally for his torture and his inability to kill himself with cyanide, Trevelyn's was more "blowback" to use the old cold war term from something MI6 and England did before.
LOL How long does it take to arrive? We've had three films of Craig's Bond and you're saying "it will come" Heck, why not just start out with Bond having all the traits we admire? It's all rather sad for fans to see the Craig Bond films and say "well, the gun barrel will be back at the start of the next film" and guess what, when it's not back at the start, people say "it will be back in the next film!" And it's EXACTLY the same with Craig's interpretation of Bond. "Don't worry, he'll have more panache or charm or less angst in the next film." For God's sake, he's made THREE JAMES BOND FILMS! That's more than what Lazenby and Dalton did during their tenure as Bond.
What makes Craig so special he has an extended honeymoon period as a rookie (or jaded rookie) or unsophisticated Bond? If you hire someone to play James Bond, shouldn't he play the role (sort of) the way it was done since 1962? What makes Craig so special he can wait until his fourth James Bond film to become the rounded, assured non-angst version Cubby Broccoli/Harry Saltzman created back in Dr No?
It's a pity Skyfall is a huge hit because there is ZERO INCENTIVE for Eon to change their approach. Why do a Craig Thunderball/Goldfinger/Spy Who Loved Me type fantasy FUN James Bond film when the general public prefer a more dour angst-ridden 'M dies/Vesper dies/someone else close to Bond dies Bond film? Skyfall's success has killed off any chance of the classic Bond persona - the man you want to be, the man women love to bed - and the classic Bond FUN film ever returning. Of course if you love the new Craig era you'll say "I like the change." Fair enough, but some fans might want some of the original Bond back! I dunno, perhaps a bit more flair or coolness.
However on second viewing, I really got the essence of Craig's masterful performance. For instance, his acting when he find himself surrounded with thugs while Severine lays helpless just a couple of yards away is powerful. The use of the DB5 well done. The chase and fight sequences were thrilling. On the acting alone, Skyfall should win a couple of Oscars.
One last thing, I hope that "hommage to former Bond movies" will cease. I've had enough. Let's built some new classic moments.
That's how I felt about QOS, especially after CRs ending.
But even though some stuff was missing/different in SF I think it felt much more like classic Bond, especially with Craigs performance. And with Bond 24 I really think after SFs ending, it will actually be buisness as usual.
About the gunbarrel, I definately agree that it wouldn't have worked so well at the beginning. Bond has just been shot, he's presumed dead. It would take away from the omnious begining to suddenly have the gunbarrel as if it's business as usual. As far as everyone knows (in the movie) Bond is dead.
I'm not totally happy with Eve giving up field work since she wasn't that bad. Yes, she shot Bond, but it's not like it was an easy shot. On the flip side, it is nice to have Moneypenny finally.
I was surprised about M. I knew she was going to die but I figured Silva would kill her. Techinically, she died from wounds during the raid by Silva's men. So, he didn't actually kill her.
Did anyone else feel that Silva's death was slightly anticlimactic? They built this psycho up so well, I wish he and Bond had duked it out.
Agreed. I actually thought it would've been a good ending for Silva if M actually shot him and herself. But thats just my opinion.
I also thought for a moment that he was going to kiss her.
yes.. but in a way, i think it works - because while it was Bond's mission to stop Silva, the real tension was between Silva and M.. so as @tqb said, it would've been nice to see M deliver the fatal shot to Silva, and i half expected it too after Bond threw the knife into Silva's back.. i thought he would just laugh it off like "you've got to be kidding me.. a knife in the back?? (how old fashioned lol)" - and then M would shoot him and kill him before she died...... but, alas - we got what we got.. and it wasn't bad - much like Walken's laugh before he dies, Bardem's exaggerated painful grunts had me laughing a bit - whether it was intentional or not - it was genius considering his character. lol
it does.... but i think the difference here, is that the producers got themselves a competent writer, who took P&W's material and really crafted something terrific out of it.. they got an academy award winning director and cinematographer - not to mention an allstar cast list... they really set out to make this the best Bond they could - and they didn't worry about trying to shoehorn in the Bond formula check-list.. if it fit, then it fit - if it didn't, they didn't try and force it in for the sake of tradition and expectation.... they knew the type of movie they wanted to make from the start, and they stuck to their guns (much like CR) and it paid off - TWINE was a film that was trying to be 2 different things and failed.
that goes without saying lol.
*The PTS was AWESOME! (love the opening)
*Adele was okay, and the theme design was cool
*The action was top notch
*The sets and locations were great
*The cinematography was out of this world
*Dan can fill a damn suit
*Love Q to death, and his Bond interaction
*Who else got butterflies whenever the Bond theme played?!?!
*Great mix of dark drama and comedy
*The winks to past Bonds were great, and not in your face. I love how Bond tells Eve to stop touching her ear, like he did with Carter in CR. And the ejector seat bit was hillllarious!
The ejector seat*Wonderful dialogue
*Silva is so wonderfully theatrical, yet so very frightening (reminds me of The Joker)
*I was shocked how little Sévérine meant to the story, and how quickly she went away
*I was truly shocked at M's death (as soon as I saw her slump over in Skyfall when Bond asked if she was alright, I knew she was shot just by the way she was positioned). When Bond closes her eyes and kisses her head, I lost it. But real men cry, and Bond sure showed that
*The ending was really great, and the office reminded me of the days of Sean's Bond
*I wish more time was spent with Bond on his death-sabbatical
*The CGI Komodo dragons were too noticeably fake
*There didn't seem to really be a Bond girl this time, at least not technically.
*The gadgets were cool, yet not over the top
*The winks to Bond's past and his mom and dad make me really happy as a fan, and I hope that is explored more in the future
*Dan handled the funny lines well (AS ALWAYS!)
*The random sex Bond had at the beginning felt out of place, and had no reason to be there
*The moment with Bond and Silva alone on his island was awkward to say the least
*Bond was really clever throughout
*Kincade was amazing
*Seeing Bond fortifying his home was goosebump inducing!
*Exploring Bond's past and what Kincade said about him going into the bunker area when his parents died was touching. I feel more connected to Bond than ever before
*I loved seeing Bond's time off lounging affected his aim/thinking
Those are just the thoughts spilling out.
Saw it last night, and I must say - I agree with everything here. Can't really say what my favourite moments are just after first viewing, but the whole Shanghai sequence was great. :D
I felt a bit let down gadget wise. There was nothing we hadn't seen before. For Bond 24 I want some cool new gadgets.
I'm also surprised by that. I thought this forum would be exploding with reviews again by now.
@0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 is also American. But yeah I thought we'd be getting more feedback than this.