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Skyfall: 1 year later
Now that Skyfall has been out for 1 year, how have your opinions on it changed since your first viewing?
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Comments
After watching it again, I noticed the glaring plot holes (Silva's London plot, ughhh).
I'm still halfway through my first "Bondathon" so my rankings aren't set in stone.
It's not even Craig's best - that accolade belongs to Casino Royale - but it's an improvement for sure on Quantum of Solace. It's a good Bond release - but nothing great. There was a lot of hyperbole at time of release, but after the three aforementioned viewings, and even now, I still insist it's an OK watch, but it simply can't compare to real legends material such as From Russia With Love, On Her Majestys Secret Service or The Spy Who Loved Me for example. Craig as always, makes it work, and rises above some tepid and shallow characters, that I found no more interesting this time around. It works on an action level, and Daniel Kleinman does his best work yet, and it also possesses a finale worth waiting for, even if it culminates in a disappointing ending
Good Bond, but not great Bond. Seven and a half out of ten, but it's by no means a poor release
Skyfall delivers to us some of the greatest casts of talent both onscreen and off, the performances and visuals of the film alone things of legend. At this point in Dan's era we have come to know Bond more and more deeply (in some regards more vastly than ever before), and seeing him develop from a reckless agent to a crowning achievement of M's tutelage before our very eyes is powerful. Bond and M's relationship reaches its peak in this film, and ends with absolute power in one of the franchise's most moving moments. Through beautiful themes/motifs like that of dragons, bulldogs, and the antiquated against the age of the new, Skyfall presents itself masterfully in front of us as a piece of reflective art. There are issues, as with every film under the sun, but what works here really works. At the center of this film is a heart that has beaten steadily since 1962, through sleet and snow, success and failure. The journey of this franchise mirrors Bond's own struggles in the film to rise beyond the obstacles set against him, and claim his still existent relevancy in the espionage world.
Inside Skyfall is not only my favorite scene in the franchise, but one of my favorite moments in cinematic history. While casual moviegoers only see Bond running to save M while she recites Tennyson, I see something more. As Bond runs towards M's location and Newman's powerful score blasts, I can't help but get emotional, because the scene not only exemplifies all that Bond is as a man, but all this franchise has become. Bond is a man tested by time and enemies both foreign and domestic, internal and external, yet he never gives in, no matter how battered and exhaustive he becomes. The same can be said for the franchise, which has endured just as 007 has, through the good and the bad. In just this one little scene, Mendes and co. have summed up a character and his franchise in the most meaningful way imaginable by the human brain. In the collective complexity, dedication and passion it pays to the character of Bond and the 22 films that came before it, Skyfall showcases that it is more than worthy of its shining commercial and critical success, as well as its title as a piece of high cinematic art.
Now it ranks at number 8 on my list of Bond films. When it's good it's great and when it's not so good it is still ok. It doesn't plumb the depths of Diamonds are Forever nor does it scale the heights of Casino Royale. It's a middling Bond film, but damn good fun.
Definitely my favourite Craig film and top 10 for sure. I'm not going to type out a new review but I've edited my old one to reflect how I feel now
http://mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/4494/skyfall-2012#Item_15
SF did kick me out of my suspension of disbelieve when I saw it first and that has not improved since I saw it last on dvd. The movie has it moments but suffers for me in the poor plotting.
Do you care to qualify that? If anything, I'd say the complete opposite is true, going by rankings on this site.
Bah! When I was your age LTK had been my favourite for 11 years :P
At the time of it's release, I thought this was a very important film as far as the history of the series. A 4 year gap had ensued since the somewhat disappointing Quantum Of Solace, which despite the box office was taken to task by the critics and media, thus affecting more potential viewers and somewhat damaging all the goodwill the Craig era had engendered after a genuine Fleming and series classic in Casino Royale. There was somewhat of a bad taste for many that had lingered for too long. And of course, there was the golden anniversary to consider. The newly resurrected studio, in desperate need of some successful films to get them back on the financial feet, had high expectations as well. And as for the hardcore fans and general public, not only did they appear to want to see the bad taste washed away, they also wanted to now see the classic Bond return with a sense of normalcy. The professional who did not kill without reason and did his job without personal motivations. The man who had a sense of wry humor, who enjoyed the company of a beautiful woman, an ice cold martini, exotic travel and all the usual amenities, etc. And his usual colleagues like Q and Moneypenny.
Looking back one year later, for me Skyfall generally succeeded in most of these areas. Does it have it's flaws? Of course. Bond's survival of the fall during the PTS is iffy, but we've seen much worse and fans excuse it so why not? It doesn't have a terribly original storyline and the London scenes are poorly written up until the time we hear Dench reciting Tennyson while Bond races to save the day. Otherwise, it has so many great things going for it that it's fairly far fetched and mostly illogical to dismiss and criticize the film out of hand as anything less than one of the better films in series history. It starts with the phenomenal performances of the two leading actors here, Craig and Dench. A classic and manic type of villain who hasn't been seen in quite some time, played by an Academy Award winner no less who deserved another nomination for this performance as well. A stunningly beautiful and memorable Bond girl, unfortunately a sacrificial lamb, but one who outshined more than a few leading ladies in her few minutes on screen. The depth of detail in the characterizations for nearly every character here is compelling and makes you pay attention as a viewer, which is one of the hallmarks of a film's overall greatness and one's that should have earned it a Academy best film nomination as should have for Casino Royale. Skyfall's flaws don't and should not overshadow all of these things in a logical examination and overview. The best cinematography in the history of the entire series is seen here, and certainly no small feat as lushly filmed as Bond movies almost always are. A classic Academy Award winning title song, one that comes with both well thought out and yet haunting imagery to go with it that sets the stage. And finally, when so many films of this length can drag in parts, this film doesn't. It grabs you like Krazy Glue from the opening and never lets up until the very end, which reminds everyone what they wanted to see all along in this era- Daniel Craig playing a normal Bond, and he does so triumphantly and proudly throughout most of the film and most especially in the end.
Looking back, I can safely say for myself that the film has aged gracefully like a fine wine should. And it makes me eager for BOND24 in much better ways than it's predecessor. It's not a top 5 film, but in many ways I feel it is still a top 10 film and it will stand the test of time and become a personal favorite of those now and of future generations to come.
I got no real sense of betrayal from Bond, as if he'd taken the hit, survived the fall, and saw this his opportunity to take an unexpected holiday (Ferris Bond's Day Off)...
But wait, he sees on TV that he's NEEDED again! Okay, back to it then! Bye what's your name, nice shaggin' ya!
And Silva with the hitherto flawless plans who didn't bring enough men or firepower for home-alone Bond? That's just silly.
Yes, there is a lot to like about SF, but it's really not top shelf Bond IMO. It's a middling Bond for me, but I like it more now then at the beginning of the year...
You can see all of the anger and bitterness in Bond in the brilliant scene in M's apartment.
I just see a lot of lazy writing in SF.
Maybe that's why I like QOS so much, there was an organic sense to it; there wasn't time to sit around and wonder what cool thing they could work in- it just pounded out the tale.
Indeed. Both powerful and yet humorous at the same time. Brilliantly and realistically acted. A true capsule of their relationship at that moment.
That seems to happen a lot actually. Things that are popular normally (Brosnan, TSWLM, GF) get a mixed reaction on this site.
I don't think you will find as many Bond best ever comments are you think there were and if you did a new poll the reception would still be very positive. As it said, evenly matched with Casino Royale.
If you can't handle farfetched plots, it's hard to imagine you being a Bond fan, or even a fan of Fleming for the matter of it. But plot likelihood aside, SF mops the floor with QOS, and I'm not even a QOS-hater.