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Casino Royale had the free running/embassy bit (you could even maybe split those up into two), the miami airport bit and the finale. So one more set piece than SF, and the fist fights inbetween were longer (and more brutal).
I'm not trying to bash SF, I actually think it's better than CR, but I think @Zedidk is right when it comes to the action, there's not many set pieces at all.
CR had many more action set pieces and absolutely spectacular ones at that. The chase with Molaka, Miami Airport and The sinking house, are all better set pieces than we see in SF. I'm not having a go at SF as it does other things better than CR but for out and out set pieces CR trumps SF. Oh and fighting Patrice is not an action scene. It's an incidental fight, the Obanna stairwell scrap is better.
But CR had something SF didn't have: a story that really drew me in, a much better script, and actual screentime for the villain and Bond girl. I think Campbell understands the brand much better than the dramadirector Mendes.
I wasn't referring exclusively to Skyfall.
Now, I'm not saying that all Bond films should be like this - please no - I'm just saying that I liked it, and I hope it didn't spoil it for me with fist fights. The fight between Bond and Patrice in the Shanghai tower was so phenomenal, with the gun firing off from time to time to light up their faces for a brief moment.
You barely watched. You can't judge an opinion on such a miniscule part of a film. You really are missing out too. Brilliant films the whole lot of them.
I'll give them a watch soon. Christmas Break is coming around and I'll have a few weeks to kill so I'll give them a chance :)
Mister Plow. oh that's my name, that name again is Mister Plow! :))
I vehemently agree with this.
Skyfall is IMO the best Bond film since OHMSS. A Bond movie with a brain. Exciting, atmospheric . Mendes should come back for sure.
Best post I've read all day. :)
:-bd completely agree.
Your first point is a good one, they should theoretically be spy thrillers. The only problem is, it's only really FRWL that delivers that. Real spy's don't fight on trains or have cars kitted with machine guns. I get your point but Bond will always have expectations for delivering action as well as a thrilling spy story. Remember, he's the least spy-like spy ever. He's fantasy and that's why we love him, right?
Go back to the fights in OHMSS and see where the intense fight editing really started way before Bourne.
At least George looked like he could do some damage as opposed to Connery disgraceful looking build for NAF.
Whilst I largely agree with your points, I have to say Zekidk is right with regard to the action.
Obviously another QOS would be awful with incomprehensible action crowbarred in every 5 mins but we are definitely missing another big set piece.
The PTS is fine as is the climax but in the 2hrs in between we have what? A 30 second fight in a skyscraper, a 2 minute fight with the dragons, a brief shootout in the inquiry room and a chase in the tube which while tense and exciting has as its signature stunts Bond jumping on the back of a train, sliding down the escalators and then a (model) train smashing through the wall. For a Bond film that's not really enough.
The tube chase in terms of stunts was very lacklustre. After the PTS I was expecting this to he the other big stunt fest of the film but it never really materialised. I get the impression that after Turkey Gary Powell was largely twiddling his thumbs rather than pushing the envelope as Bond films need to do.
The PTS should be close to the best action in the film but around the end of the second act there should also be a WOW stunt. TLD cargo net and GE tank chase are prime examples of films that balance their action scenes well.
Don't get me wrong I loved the film but I feel the 'bumps' that Cubby always spoke of just weren't bumpy enough for what is expected from a Bond film.[/quote]
Campbell is far superior to Mendes when it comes to action scenes, no doubt, but I never thought the action scenes in Skyfall were poor. The tube chase was no French Connection, but it was not meant to be. The skycraper fight is meant to be short and at a time when Bond is in poor shape. Yes there is room for improvement. But I think the improvement is more about the quality of some of the action pieces/scenes than in the quantity of them.
And I actually forgot to leave my brain when entering the theatre for once. Sadly. So I became annoyed with the complete absence of logic in the movie. There are just so many parts that don't make any sense what so ever.
But I respect that you want the action removed from the Bond movies. Like I respect that some want war-scenes out of a war movie.
I think Zekidk, the one thing I agree with you on in your criticism of SF is that it could have done with one more action set piece. I'll go along with that too. I feel it could have had at least one more, to satisfy the fans who come to a Bond film to expect lots of action.
But I'm hazarding a guess that the budget was a lot tighter on this one after all the financial probelms EON had getting this film off the ground, so settled for more on characters and drama in the script, with Oscar winning actors, in the hope this would push the film with more sales by getting glowing reviews.
If that was the case, you have to say hats off to them. The plan worked!