Based on buzz, promo & ticket sales, 'SkyFall' will be today's 'Thunderball'. Read why:

Gustav_Graves

I sincerely think so. I shall tell you why:

--> Regarding style, cinematography and fashion this Bond film continues where 'Casino Royale' left us. Berenice Marlohe already told us she was heavily inspired by the 'grandeur' of Dame Shirley Bassey. She looks a bit like Vesper Lyndt when looking at her fashion choices, but it has just this extra, typical over-the-top like Bond-attitude. For example, Severine smokes cigarettes with re-usable filters. Domino did the same in 'Thunderball':
--> Bond's fashion is much more influenced by the 1960's then the previous two films. Costume designer Jany Temime is probably going one slight step further into creating this 1960's feel than her predecessor Lindy Hemming. Bond's suits look even more slimfit and his ties are smooth and very small. Love it.
--> It seems that finally with Severine we have a true mistress on board, ready to be sacrificed completely by the villain. This was almost the case with Domino in 'Thunderball'. Even more so with Andrea Anders in 'The Man With The Golden Gun'. Remember, the last time we had such a vulnerable, but intellectually verbally dominant mistress, being mentally (and physically) abused by the villain, was.....'Tomorrow Never Dies' and IMO that wasn't the best effort.
--> The Bond music. With 'From Russia With Love' we did not really have a true Bond song as leading main title theme. With 'Casino Royale' we had a Bond song, but I felt the music department was still searching for that new sophisticated approach regarding Bond music. I thought John Barry really nailed his music efforts in 'Thunderball'. The same now with 'SkyFall'. Adele's theme brings me back the mystery, luxury and grandeur of Tom Jones and Nancy Sinatra.
--> Having seen the trailers, it is obvious that Bond is back in the casino. A famous trademark of Bond. I am not sure if 007 plays another game of poker or if he starts playing baccarat. But the production design looks impressive. The casino scene looks sophisticated, just like in 'Casino Royale', 'Dr. No' and indeed 'Thunderball', but now with an Asian touch.
--> Silva's plot seems a bit more complex than just a high stakes poker game raising money for terrorists. I have a gut feeling this deserted Japanese island where Silva's brings Bond and Severine has to do with a larger, more villainous plot. Perhaps the big computer racks/servers on this picture have something to do with it:
Perhaps Silva's plot extends the level of a simple revenge on MI6-officers. Perhaps the 'sky will fall' literally, by his attempt to destroy important defensive satellites by computer. I think such a plot is as deadly as hi-jacking atomic bombs. Something Largo did in 'Thunderball'.
--> Silva uses a luxury yaught as his primary means of transport to bring him to his deserted Japanese/Chinese island. It's not a motor yaught like Largo's Disco Volante, but it surely is a luxury sailing yaught.
--> I still don't know if QUANTUM has an important role in 'SkyFall', but it surely looks like Silva is in much better control of his scheme compared to Le Chiffre and Greene. Those latter two looked a bit like assistants of a larger executive villain. A bit like Grant, Klebb and Kronsteen in 'From Russia With Love'. Silva looks more like Largo and a modern day Blofeld in one.
--> 'Q' is back! Just like 'Q' was fully present in 'Goldfinger' and 'Thunderball'. Okay, he's younger and perhaps less like the good old Desmond, but he IS back. Also 'M' is back, but she is being taught a big lesson by Mallory. Just like the Home Secratary's sneering remark pointed at 'M' in 'Thunderball'. And perhaps Mallory will be the new 'M'.
--> Much of the story is set in Whitehall. Just like 'Thunderball' at the start when the entire 00-section is being briefed.
--> And the gunbarrel is back at the start! It will be Danny's first time shooting at us cinema-lovers, just like it was Sean's first time in 'Thunderball'.


So in short, I think it's a perfect continuation of the atmosphere created in 'Casino Royale', with one distinct difference: The larger-than-life elements of typical Bond films are back, but in a nuanced way and in small doses. Similarly with 'Thunderball' following up 'From Russia With Love'. 'Thunderball' was indeed larger-than-life, but Bond never becamse silly. IMO Sean Connery was at his best in 'Thunderball', engaged in a much more dangerous plot executed by the villain, just like Daniel Craig's Bond in 'SkyFall'. Bond IS back!

lewisblake

I think you make some great points - I think that Craig's reinvigoration of the Bond films has been with 1960s Bond movie pastiche in mind - down to style, colour palette to a certain extent, and even subtle and some not so subtle homages here and there. And so rather than any one film chiming on chord directly with a corresponding Connery Bond film - I'd say there are a number of aspects Craig's Bond movies have used inspirationally taking from the Connery Bonds e.g. Field's suffocated by crude oil is obviously a pastiche of Goldfinger - there's even a black actor playing Leiter in Craigs era, something lifted from Never Say Never Again of course - for QUANTUM read SPECTRE basically etc etc etc
I'd say Skyfall sounds as if it is also a mesh of influences from most of the Bond franchise - but still with a distinct stand-out 60s pastiche in particular; Craig wears Tom Ford 60s styled suits - the (re)introducing of Q proper -

Bond is presumed dead as he then operates under a 'second life'

- ...and Silva strikes me as a mix of Emilio Largo from Thunderball and Never Say Never Again, but with the funds and operational capacity of Dr. No. As I've mentioned Nolan's subtle homages to Bond films in another thread - I think Silva seems to have a Joker-esque quality as well e.g.

there is a picture of Silva disguising himself as a policeman on the tube - Silva seems to be captured at some point perhaps by choice as the Joker was

etc

So to agree with you - I do think the Craig Bonds are sort of corresponding with Connery's Bond's - but not one by one, rather in a mix and match pastiche sort of way.
With that in mind - in Craig's next 2 (or 3) Bonds, are we due to see;
+ QUANTUM become SPECTRE?
+ Blofeld's origins and reprisal played by a new actor?
+ Bond stumbling into an evil lair?
+ and I think we'll then see Nolan take over the franchise from Mendes after the next film where he'll add in homages to OHMSS; maybe Tom Hardy as Blofeld? A snow base ski attack sequence? Bond getting further training in martial arts to take a mission in Tokyo? etc
+ Nolan may even take the Bond franchise into another actors era - not restarting the franchise, but doing one film with Craig and then doing another 2 films with Michael Fassbender or Tom Hardy as Bond? - keeping this corresponding movie synchonicity thing in mind - Nolan would probably actually choose Tom Hardy as Bond because Lazenby was more of a physical brutish Bond and Hardy could play Bond similarly.

Have I just mapped out the near future of the Bond franchise? lol

002

if anything than its The World is Not Enough, Never Say Never Agian and You Only Live Twice but with the shades of Licence to Kill

thelivingroyale

The story reminds me of YOLT, TWINE and Mission Impossible 1. MI6 attacked, agents names missing, Bond "dead", etc. I could be wrong when I see the film but that's the vibe I get from the trailers.

0iker0

lewisblake wrote:

I think you make some great points - I think that Craig's reinvigoration of the Bond films has been with 1960s Bond movie pastiche in mind - down to style, colour palette to a certain extent, and even subtle and some not so subtle homages here and there. And so rather than any one film chiming on chord directly with a corresponding Connery Bond film - I'd say there are a number of aspects Craig's Bond movies have used inspirationally taking from the Connery Bonds e.g. Field's suffocated by crude oil is obviously a pastiche of Goldfinger - there's even a black actor playing Leiter in Craigs era, something lifted from Never Say Never Again of course - for QUANTUM read SPECTRE basically etc etc etc
I'd say Skyfall sounds as if it is also a mesh of influences from most of the Bond franchise - but still with a distinct stand-out 60s pastiche in particular; Craig wears Tom Ford 60s styled suits - the (re)introducing of Q proper -

Bond is presumed dead as he then operates under a 'second life'

- ...and Silva strikes me as a mix of Emilio Largo from Thunderball and Never Say Never Again, but with the funds and operational capacity of Dr. No. As I've mentioned Nolan's subtle homages to Bond films in another thread - I think Silva seems to have a Joker-esque quality as well e.g.

there is a picture of Silva disguising himself as a policeman on the tube - Silva seems to be captured at some point perhaps by choice as the Joker was

etc

So to agree with you - I do think the Craig Bonds are sort of corresponding with Connery's Bond's - but not one by one, rather in a mix and match pastiche sort of way.
With that in mind - in Craig's next 2 (or 3) Bonds, are we due to see;
+ QUANTUM become SPECTRE?
+ Blofeld's origins and reprisal played by a new actor?
+ Bond stumbling into an evil lair?
+ and I think we'll then see Nolan take over the franchise from Mendes after the next film where he'll add in homages to OHMSS; maybe Tom Hardy as Blofeld? A snow base ski attack sequence? Bond getting further training in martial arts to take a mission in Tokyo? etc
+ Nolan may even take the Bond franchise into another actors era - not restarting the franchise, but doing one film with Craig and then doing another 2 films with Michael Fassbender or Tom Hardy as Bond? - keeping this corresponding movie synchonicity thing in mind - Nolan would probably actually choose Tom Hardy as Bond because Lazenby was more of a physical brutish Bond and Hardy could play Bond similarly.

Have I just mapped out the near future of the Bond franchise? lol

I don't want Nolan to direct Bond. Nolan is a great director and I love him, but his Bond movies would be remembered as Nolan's Bond the same way that The Dark Knight Triology is remembered as Nolan's Batmans. I don't want that for Bond. The Batman in 1989 is not remembered as Burton's Batman but as Michael Keaton's and Jack Nicholson's. That's what I want, the actor playing Bond and the main villain should be more important than any director, and that's not going to happen with Nolan behind the cammera.

Gustav_Graves

Having said that....it would be nice to hear from everyone with which classic Bond movie we can compare 'Skyfall' with after seeing the trailers.

'Casino Royale' was my personal 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' match-up.

M_Balje

Octopussy. The place you wil atleast hope you can go rank the movie.
Goldeneye. The villian you love and hate. Mommy is very bad. The hechman.
Tomorrow Never Dies. I get a TMWTGG and TMND vibe from those china pictures. Bond smooth. Some of action. But also the dificulty/hidden lessen's/connection to the real world. Mabey later on the movie wil be credit as Tomorrow Never Dies Legacy.
The World Is Not Enough. Beautifull locations, Bond girls, M/Bond relation ship, the hechman, humor, drama, Adele title song wil be disliked and liked like Garbage and CR Cornell. Beautifull production design/cinematopgraphy.
Die Another Day. The media proganda go about Q, Adele. Eve be a bit like Jinx, but with a better result.
Casino Royale. Beautifull locations, The editing, mabey a bit of the violence of the movie and DC, plot holes with drama we don't understand (and never will or later on..) and DC, means hard humor.
Quantum Of Solace. The mysterie/hidden things to previous-next Bond movie or later on/hidden humor/lessen's. Done! is now already a classic. Beautifull production design/cinematopgraphy. No David Arnold and that mean no Techno. Also mabey more scene's without music.

Like Dr No on FRWL in Bond 24 we wil see/feel the connection, so it wil be stanalone but also it not be a standalone.

battleshipgreygt

M_Balje wrote:

Octopussy. The place you wil atleast hope you can go rank the movie.
Goldeneye. The villian you love and hate. Mommy is very bad. The hechman.
Tomorrow Never Dies. I get a TMWTGG and TMND vibe from those china pictures. Bond smooth. Some of action. But also the dificulty/hidden lessen's/connection to the real world. Mabey later on the movie wil be credit as Tomorrow Never Dies Legacy.
The World Is Not Enough. Beautifull locations, Bond girls, M/Bond relation ship, the hechman, humor, drama, Adele title song wil be disliked and liked like Garbage and CR Cornell. Beautifull production design/cinematopgraphy.
Die Another Day. The media proganda go about Q, Adele. Eve be a bit like Jinx, but with a better result.
Casino Royale. Beautifull locations, The editing, mabey a bit of the violence of the movie and DC, plot holes with drama we don't understand (and never will or later on..) and DC, means hard humor.
Quantum Of Solace. The mysterie/hidden things to previous-next Bond movie or later on/hidden humor/lessen's. Done! is now already a classic. Beautifull production design/cinematopgraphy. No David Arnold and that mean no Techno. Also mabey more scene's without music.

Like Dr No on FRWL in Bond 24 we wil see/feel the connection, so it wil be stanalone but also it not be a standalone.

Not necessarily, alot of Newmans work, especially in action/thrillers is pretty electronic.

PrinceKamalKhan

Have avoided all SF spoilers but I would loooooove a modern Bond film of TB's quality.

Gustav_Graves

PrinceKamalKhan wrote:

Have avoided all SF spoilers but I would loooooove a modern Bond film of TB's quality.

At least the theme song 'SkyFall' is this year's 'Thunderball' no ;-)?

PrinceKamalKhan

Gustav_Graves wrote:

PrinceKamalKhan wrote:

Have avoided all SF spoilers but I would loooooove a modern Bond film of TB's quality.

At least the theme song 'SkyFall' is this year's 'Thunderball' no ;-)?

Haven't listened to it yet. I'd like my first time to hear it to be in the cinema when I see the film the first time.

Gustav_Graves

PrinceKamalKhan wrote:

Gustav_Graves wrote:

PrinceKamalKhan wrote:

Have avoided all SF spoilers but I would loooooove a modern Bond film of TB's quality.

At least the theme song 'SkyFall' is this year's 'Thunderball' no ;-)?

Haven't listened to it yet. I'd like my first time to hear it to be in the cinema when I see the film the first time.

Then you should do that PrinceKamalKhan, but song-wise you will NOT be disappointed this time around :-).

lewisblake

it's being made available today (5th) right?

Gustav_Graves

Yes, check this:
<youtube>

But DO NOT press play if you do not wish to hear it :-).

lewisblake

aahh perfect!!!!!!! cheers! :)

DRESSED_TO_KILL

I hope Silva's plot isn't too over-the-top and unrealistic, Keep the story simple , Thats why Casino Royale was so good, it didn't have to rely on over-the-top stunts constantly and kiddy action. Basically what I am trying to say is keep Skyfall realistic.
Pierce Brosnan could have been an excellent bond, but he was fed kiddy scripts with over-the-top villains, it got out of hand. Brosnan could have portrayed bond as a Ruthless,Conniving,Arrogant bastard , instead EON tried making him a super-hero...they totally took the wrong route with Brosnan

Gustav_Graves

DRESSED_TO_KILL wrote:

I hope Silva's plot isn't too over-the-top and unrealistic, Keep the story simple , Thats why Casino Royale was so good, it didn't have to rely on over-the-top stunts constantly and kiddy action. Basically what I am trying to say is keep Skyfall realistic.
Pierce Brosnan could have been an excellent bond, but he was fed kiddy scripts with over-the-top villains, it got out of hand. Brosnan could have portrayed bond as a Ruthless,Conniving,Arrogant bastard , instead EON tried making him a super-hero...they totally took the wrong route with Brosnan

Seeing him shoot members of the parliamentary commission is kinda....straight in your face and never camp.

Ludovico

Strange, I always thought that Bond 23 should be more akin to Thunderball than Goldfinger, for many reasons. The only thing that seems really similar to Goldfinger is that Skyfall is a standalone. but a lot of it seems very much like Thunderball: a French Bond girl, a good deal of it set in the UK, a villain at least partially modeled after Largo (and Mediterranean like him), etc. And doesn't this question of Silva about a hobby sound like Largo telling Bond about fishing as his passion?

scouse007

Skyfall reminds me in it's style of FRWL and FYEO and could will have elements of Bond's family history as did Carte Blanche, as there is a connection with M and Bond's past and what's to say she wasn't involved in the death of his parents and Silvas parents.

I think this film will be more about revenge against M and it is reminding me of Icebreaker and Double Shot. Icebreaker in the sense of a disillusioned bad guy as is Count Konrad von Glöda and in Doubleshot Domingo Espada and his desire for revenge.

I do think to celebrate 50 years of James Bond and Daniel's Craig's Bond is Bond starting out we cannot have as we did in DAD references to past films, so they will do this by certain shots that look similar to past Bond films. The scenes in Scotland look very similar to FRWL and who's to say they don't mention for example at the end of the film, your next mission is going after Dr No. This would bring Daniel Craig's Bond into the Bond timeline.

As for Christopher Nolan directing Bond and Tom Hardy as Bond I agree with previous mentions, it would a Nolan film and not a Bond film.

Gustav_Graves

Having read/seen all the spoilers about Silva: I think we do have our 'Heath Ledger ownss The Joker' moment with Bardem.

Seeing Silva create havoc in the parliament building at Whitehall, shooting members of Mallory's intelligence commission and even killing Severine likes she's a plain piece of shit is simply......nasty and psychotic.

Javier Bardem may very well be the most psychotic and ruthless Bond villains ever since Christopher Walken as Zorin shot so much life out of people, literally and figurarly speaking.

Bondbro

Calling it right now:

Javier Bardem's character is Bond's brother.

Gustav_Graves

Bondbro wrote:

Calling it right now:

Javier Bardem's character is Bond's brother.

You silly boy :-P.

scouse007

The idea Silva is Bond's brother is silly as the plot would be similar to Star Wars. Thus, when Bond's parents are killed he is sent to live with Aunt Chairman and Silva to Spain and M watches them like Ben Kenobi and Bond is stirred into MI6 and Silva want's M to accept him as she accepts Bond and he decides to get revenge. Very Freudian I know and if this is the reason for revenge, then bring on Bond 24.

I would guess Bond and Silva are similar age and I think the connection is Bonds and Silva's parents or Silva was MI6 and was left to die on a mission when he could have been saved by M and wasn't and maybe the mission was to do with Bond's parents.

We could speculate on this and that is the excitement of Skyfall as it is not based on an Ian Fleming Story despite having elements of Fleming, so there is no story to compare it to.

Whatever the connection is I want it to be shocking as I want M's past to be as this would be a new element in the Bond Films, as we never really get to know much about M and this excites me to the mystery of who M is.

Gustav_Graves

Well, having seen all the reviews and so many 5 stars, I am seeing stars myself :-P. Moreover, I really think 'Skyfall' is bound to create a buzz that is truly 'Thunderball'-esque.

thelivingroyale

I'm not sure I'll like it as much as TB, but it does seem really successful on a TB level.

Shardlake

As TB is easily the biggest grossing Bond film as adjusted for inflation what do we think in the idea of Skyfall being a considerable jump in box office takings, could we get closer to billion dollar Bond than we have ever done before?

Samuel001

We'll get closer but only to $750 million at the max, I feel. still Bond may just beat The Amazing Spider-Man, a shock for Sony but boy, I bet they'd be happy.

Stranger things have happened though. The performance of Skyfall may shock us all.

Gustav_Graves

thelivingroyale wrote:

I'm not sure I'll like it as much as TB, but it does seem really successful on a TB level.

That's what I mean. Off course the movies are different, but taking into account the buzz surrounding both movies, 'Skyfall' might well be the money machine that 'Thunderball' once was.

Shardlake

Yeah but if Skyfall takes people by surprise the way TDK did everyone after BB respectable box office, surely the chance of Bond 24 especially if Mendes returns to be a monster hit like we've never seen before with Bond.

Samuel001

That does seem the only way to go. Mendes is open to returning, so it seems to be a case of he needs to, in order to have another high quality film. As we know, this film sets up future films, so could be seen as a part one of sorts. Who in their right mind would turn down part two?

Gustav_Graves

Samuel001 wrote:

That does seem the only way to go. Mendes is open to returning, so it seems to be a case of he needs to, in order to have another high quality film. As we know, this film sets up future films, so could be seen as a part one of sorts. Who in their right mind would turn down part two?

Hey Samuel. I was reading the Skyfall-preview in Empire Magazine. Sam Mendes has already said that he loves to return for Bond 24. And in my opinion, he should return. Also for himself, exploring his director skills on these kind of franchise films can be very exciting.