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I thought it was the baddies codename for some evil plan like 'operation Grandslam' or something.
Bit underwhelmed when it's revealed it was the name of Bond's childhood abode!
That's okay, Bond wasn't enthused about it either.
Do love that scene. "M."....."Bitch."
The scene on the Dead Island, beginning when Silva takes Bond outside and "Boum !" is playing, up until "Latest thing from Q Branch, called a 'radio'" to me is like it's own entire little Bond film, and one of my favourite sequences in the franchise.
I know I've made basically this same post repeatedly before but it remains true and want to make sure the new people know it too ;)
The way Q is dressed in the National Gallery immediately springs to mind, as does the shooting scene with Bond and Kincade.
And, "I always hated this place."
Obviously these won't make everyone laugh, but I enjoy (to name but a few):
Bond collapsing after all the MI6 staff leave who are evaluating his strength. It's a rare moment from Bond where he lets the audience see just how hard he's trying to act on top of things, while his grip is slipping. I find it both amusing and striking, a perfect testament to how devoted and dutiful he is.
I love the image of Bond racing to the tube and leaping on it, as the civilians of London look on.
The look of anger Bond gives when Silva blows up the DB5.
The look of disgust Silva gives Bond after 007 stabs him with a knife, after which he falls limp on the floor.
My guess was a crashing satellite.
Pretty much this. I'm so nostalgic for it. I've never left a cinema feeling better than I did after SF and I love it more and more each time I stick it on.
I've noticed that as well. It's either top 10 or bottom 5 for people, it seems.
That being said I stand in Skyfall's corner everytime, I love it flaws and all. I can see it is a divider in the fanbase.
Some people really do hate it, I'm not sure I dislike SP as much as SF is by some, my disappointment of SP derides from it was such a missed opportunity.
Initially I thought this of QOS and still do to some degree but SP far spectacularly fumbled the ball in my view.
When I went to see CR I was pretty much against all of it: Craig, his german dubbing voice, the general idea of totally rebooting the franchise. Yes, I was disappointed by DAD - while I liked (and still like) the first half, the second half of the film was just sh**. And then came the b/w intro, the titles, the Madagascar scenes ... and I was in awe. It just blew me away - all of it. LeChiffre, Vesper, Mathis, Felix ... so well cast, such a wonderful script, an awesome soundtrack. I left the cinema and it was an instant classic for me.
Then QoS came and I *hated* (and still hate) the insanely fast cut action sequences. The car chase brought me in an angry mood, the first scene with M, Mr. White and so on calmed me down - but during the Selena fight I realized they were really going to make me angry with this movie and this is why I left the cinema with a mixed feeling: I liked (and still like) the story (even many rate it too thin) and the pure rage that Bond feels and expresses, I like Camille, the return (and death) of Mathis (strong scene!), love the plane fight and so on. But I had (and have) mixed feelings about the movie - just and only because of the (insane) editing. The rest I liked then and still today. But it was (and is) not on par with CR.
Then we had to wait 4 years - and my only thinking was: Please let them have abandoned the editing style of QoS and return to CR-like editing or similar. I should have been expecting some kind of art-house Bond since Mendes became the director but all I really cared about was the editing (since it ruined the previous movie for me that much). And I was not let down at all: I just love the PTS - it was so great, so well done. And then there were the cufflinks :-) Very small thing but I realized: Yeah, great to have things like that back. I loved (and love) the visual style, appreciated the new Q a lot, cheered Bardem's entry and was really excited during the showdown. It all worked very well for me.
When I left the cinema I was not sure what to think at first. I did not realize until I guess the first viewing in my home cinema that not CR but SF changed my reception of James Bond forever. Putting aside the world of espionage I realized, I can totally relate to the underlying themes and motifs. When Bond is "enjoying death", I totally "get" it, when he questions himself, does not allow Tanner to see that he can not keep up with the training anymore, when M assigns him the job to hunt down Patrice and he actually knows he is not ready but does it ... because he just "has to" - I just get it. SF is the movie when Daniel Craig became "my" Bond, the Bond of "my" time so to speak. While CR still has the better script and best action sequences I have seen to this date in any Bond movie, and while GF and TB will forever remain my TOP 1 and 2 it was and is SF that changed it all for me. And I like the humourlevel it has - it's there but not at all over the top. I think it suits Craig and the way he portrays Bond just right.
OT: After SF
Then came SPECTRE: I don't need that much of an underlying "message" (like SF) in any movie to come now - but I definitely appreciate to see some background information about Bond (which is why I like the Oberhauser information - without the unnecessary foster brother thing) like in the novels, find the out-of-office connection to Moneypenny great (loved realizing he was a bit jealous because of her obviously having a man in her bed), great to see Bond's appartement. I appreciate Bond's more serious relationships to women (Vesper, Camille and Madeleine) - while it's good to see he still has his "time off" with Fields and so on.
Based on this experience comes my wishlist for Bond 25 (based on the novels OHMSS and MR): I want him to meet the woman he wants to marry - but first give her more depth as in SP so the ineviteable loss of her has some believeable meaning (for Bond and the audience). Make something out of the fact that Madeleine is White's daughter and make a connection there. Limit locations but explore them a lot - adding a more-explored remote site. Bring back Felix, Q, Moneypenny. Let Bond meet another woman (either based on or even named Gala Brand ... or bring back Camille?) who is there for him after he loses Madeleine - during the action and make the ending match the book (MR). Make believeable connections to Bond's past (that's where the Camille idea came from) - but not forced and use it as a as a story-driving element. Let Bond interact with local supporters (Mary Goodnight as in the book LALD?). Maybe some underwater action. Mix it with humour - but the kind of humour that feels true to Craig (SP was too much in some areas - some worked great). Try to achieve action sequences as hard as in CR (and QoS) but also some that let us see a big fight.
I love the whole first part of the film up to Silva's island. Its an intriguing story, Bond being 'dead' is well done and the dialogue sparkles in so many good scenes.
The writing in the film then suffers as we are led to believe Silva was captured on purpose in a re-run of the plot from TDK. Apparently knowing he was going to be put in an odd glass prison (ala Hannibal Lecter) and that Q was going to plug his laptop into the MI6 mainframe at the exact moment he expected for him to escape. Then also knowing the exact moment Bond would catch up to him and where to plant an explosive to bring a tube train down on Bond's head!
Its lazy scripting and for me damages the credibility of the film to have such glaring inconsistencies.
The film picks up again after the shootout at the tribunal. Great to see the DB5 make another appearance (and for them to drive down New Cross high street near where I was born!) and I really love all the scenes in Scotland, even if the whole plan seems pretty dumb and results in M's demise....!
Great performances from Craig, Dench and Fiennes and I rather liked Naomie Harris in the film.
I don't think Bardem fulfilled the potential he had to be a real threatening Bond villain. He was dangerous and scary in No Country For Old Men. In this he's quite camp and although insane, offers little threat.
So overall a flawed Bond film, but still better than any of Brosnan's or Moore's output, all due respect to them.
I don't understand any of these criticisms. It's a 'go-to' Bond spectacle film for me. Supremely well crafted, beautifully shot, & exceptionally well acted with some cracking one on one dialogue & character scenes.
In my view it's a credit to the entire team & represents the best of the Bond ethos, reimagined for the times we live in. The ending is such an uplifting moment, because the film itself suggested a restoration of relevancy and a resurrection.
Cracking film.
Well said that man. So happy I got to experience it on the big screen.
Yeah, there is a lot of 'eh?' moments in the film unfortunately....
Those too....
That's how i see it @pachazo...
A little less, granted. But it's still my least favourite scene in the film.
The other thing is while Silva is gloating halfway up the ladder why doesn't Bond shoot him then?!!!
It cant be worse than Bond falling,not even tensed up,off the bridge in the PTS and living ?
Surely the fact that he wasn't tensed up saved his life..?
At that speed and height and the way he entered the water his spine would have snapped,but we digress,and even though i created this thread (among tonnes of others) it is a Bond film and as TF said,an appreciation thread...
I like the film a lot but I can also point out it's minuses to balance my assessment.