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SKYFALL: Is this the best Bond film?

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  • patbpatb
    edited April 4 Posts: 4,724
    Q plugging in the seized laptop in to the main network was utter bonkers and shows Q as a child like figure who failed GCSE IT studies which he does not deserve and undermines the character, the script needed him to be stupid to start the escape scene, that led to the underground train explosion, which was also bonkers and makes no sense. Before escape , M tells Silva he will be transferred to Belmarsh (a predicatable move from Silva's perspective), we could have seen Silva's team hack into the security vehicles during the transfer and he escapes, (car hacking is something new to Bond and something that's clever but easy for the audience to take in/relate to) Bond tries to give chase (action scene adding car chase to SF) but his "company car" is also hacked with Silva able to manipulate the car at will and Silva loving the ability to have Bond "on a piece of string"- a metaphor for showing how easily Bond and MI6 are being manipulated and justification for Bond to escape to the analogue environment of Skyfall. This removes some stupid stuff, shows a new form of cleverness from Silva (car hacking), and a better explanation as to why, later, Bond collects the DB5 as it can't be hacked. It also calls to a wider theme of how Bond adapts in the digital age ("I'll hazard I can do more damage on my laptop sitting in my pajamas before my first cup of Earl Grey than you can do in a year in the field." ) and further justifies/re-enforces the claim that, sometimes, the old ways are the best (the climax at Skyfall is 100% analogue) and "back in time" - a time where there was no digital tech for Silva to exploit his advantages
    PS I'm stretching things here but another issue is how easily Silva attacks M at the enquiry, she just sits there giving poetry whilst Tanner gets a warning for her to leave via his laptop and Bond runs to the enquiry rather than just phoning security to have the building locked down (again, they have to do this to create the iconic Tennyson scene. )So, my version...once Silva escapes, he asks his team in the fake police car "where is she", they tell him that she is giving evidence in a certain building, he orders for the building coms to be cut (explaining why Bond can't call them on their digital phone system and Tanner receives no warning) . Q informs Bond that the building has been isolated, adding more urgency to his sprinting and more evidence for him (and the audience) that they need to escape the digital environment (which Bond obviously does straight after the enquiry attack) in order to even up the game.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited April 16 Posts: 3,266
    Yep, some great stuff there, patb. I might have to headcanon as much of that into it as I can the next time I watch SF! Great account of Silva and his character/abilities/flaws by TripAces over the page, too.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,724
    @Venutius thanks for that, there are other issues to deal with. Pulling Silva into an analogue world makes sense BUT, it makes no sense for the MI6 team not to send any help. The team literally stand in front of monitors, planting breadcrumbs, knowing that Bond and M are on their own verses the might/cunning of Silva and his resources. This is bonkers. I was thinking, they could have left it a day or so to ensure Silva was "off the scent" (no breadcrumbs) and then sent a chopper from SAS or similar to rescue them. Silva tracks the path of the chopper (hacked into MOD radar/transponder) and sees the flight track heading to Scotland. The penny drops that Bond "has gone home", Silva's chopper shoots down the MOD chopper (more action and showing cold kills from Silva), tension upgraded as the audience are now ahead of Bond/M as they are expecting "the calvalry" but we know they are not coming. Bond realises it's not an MOD chopper as it comes over the horizon and we see the climax begin (but with none of the "Home Alone" tricks as they were not expecting Silva).
    PS to replace the "Home Alone" prep stuff, we could have seen more of Kincade as he was a great character. I would have loved to see the three of them play poker in the kitchen for buttons, (drinking Kincade's scotch) as a nod to CR and "the calm before the storm"
    PPS Kincade's dogs are killed by Silva's men, adding to the cruel image of Silva and creating empathy for Kincade's character.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited April 16 Posts: 17,778
    The bit that always gets me is that they know Silva has hacked MI6's systems etc. and Bond knows he wants to get to Scotland, so he tells Q to lay a trail of breadcrumbs which only Silva could follow. And he says this important bit of secret information... over the MI6 comms system. :D
  • patbpatb
    edited April 16 Posts: 4,724
    Yes, the whole "breadcrumbs" thing is just lazy writing, a clumsy tool to explain how Silva finds his way to Scotland . It's Bond's idea so he takes the responsibility for the plan failing in terms of M's death. It also removes tension from the audience perspective as we know in advance that Silva is on his way.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 17,778
    Nah that's way too harsh, it works perfectly well in the moment, not lazy at all.
  • 007ClassicBondFan007ClassicBondFan
    Posts: 2,504
    I actually liked how Q made that trail to intentionally lead Silva to Bond and M. It shows us Q actually being intellectual and knowledgeable as opposed to just outright telling us. Much as I love Desmond as Q, I don’t buy that he’s a genius in the way I buy Whishaw as a tech wizard.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,724
    The plan makes zero sense. Of all of the options available to Bond as he "kidnaps" M, the option he chooses (and confirmed by team) makes no sense. It's one thing to be forced into a situation by a set of circumstances, it's another thing for the hero to actually create and execute the plan that puts them into that situation. It's a good place to be "off grid" for a couple of days but to actually plan to confront and defeat Silva ? I just can't see it myself.
  • 007HallY007HallY
    edited April 16 Posts: 5,036
    I think it works well with the tube chase and courtroom shooting (and let's be honest, some of us would just say it's a TDK rip off if Silva hacked a truck/a chase broke out while being transported to prison and Bond stepping in! Sounds like a cool idea for another film though).
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