Skyfall - Grading & Discussion

[Kelthaz]

Sure do. Scroll up a bit; it's in the first post.

[NCC-1701-B]

Ahh right yeah didn't see that! Though after the movie the face makes sense

[Dimesdan]

So we've just gotten in from watching Skyfall and my word, that was amazing.

And Bond will return! Amazing!

[Pauln6]

Well, it didn't knock From Russia with Love off its top perch for me but they did a lot of things right. The humour was knowing but fun. Eve was pretty much note perfect for me. Villain was OTT but in a good way - one of the best villains for years. It was nice to see a plot that didn't feel dominated by set piece chase scenes.

The timeline is still a bit wonky as Q is too young to be Major Boothroyd in Dr No. I know it's a soft reboot and Judi Dench was essentially playing a different character to Brosnan's M (which was implied in Casino Royale by dialogue that contradicted her intro in Goldeneye) but it would have been really nice if they could have crossed the t's and dotted the i's to bridge the gap.

If Craig had played Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service with the same depth that he brings to this effort, that movie would probably been a real emotional powerhouse as well as a cracking action adventure.

[Zion Ravescene]

Alan Partridge famously cried out "Stop getting Bond wrong!" They got it right this time, in several ways.

Brilliant performances from all the cast, including a memorably disturbing villain, nice humorous moments and tongue-in-cheek snippets of dialogue, exciting setpieces, and (very importantly) a catchy and memorable theme tune. It's up there with the best of the Bond films, and it's to its credit that it has a modern, multi-layered, subtext-filled storyline that, more than the '06 Casino Royale, seems further removed from the standard Bond formula we've grown up with than most others' attempts.

If there was one gripe, it's that it didn't have quite the same impact on me as Casino Royale when it came out - admittedly to produce the same reaction would be very hard to do. But it is a minor feeling - the film made the most of the two and a bit hours' running time, and by the time the final scene of the film took place (which in itself was a wonderful final tribute to the 50-year film series heritage) the action-packed opening in Istanbul seemed like an age away.

In short: Quantum of what now? This was amazing, and definitely worth all the hype.

[Starkers]

Saw it Friday morning and I really, really like it. To be honest I need to see it again to really figure out where it sits in the Bond pantheon for me, but going out on an early limb I think this is my favourite Craig Bond film, certainly the first one that wasn't embarrassed to be James Bond film, and despite its long running time I thought it was paced near perfectly (unlike Casino Royale) I was never bored and I could barely take my eyes off the screen, it had me entranced.

The humour was well done, the action scenes great, and the casting very good. The only downside to Bardem was that I wanted to see more of him!

I have few plot issues. Silva's plan

seemed ridiculously complicated, and they did seem to suggest that it was his plan all along (force MI6 underground, get captured and taken to the underground base, plant a bomb in just the right place to be useful etc etc.

I thought the Moneypenny reveal amusing, but seriously Bond worked with this girl in Turkey, she came out to Shanghai, was around all the time and we're supposed to believe he didn't know her name?

I'm being overly picky I know, and hell I re-watched Goldeneye the other day and that's full of holes too, doesn't stop me loving it.

I loved all the Bond references as well, like DAD only much more subtle:

the full stocked DB5 obviously, but the signature gun (Licence to Kill) Bond jumping on the back of the Komodo dragon (Live and Let Die) the radio transmitter looked very reminiscent of the tracking device in Goldfinger, and I thought Severine was a nice hark back to Andrea Anders, especially interesting given Silva seemed quite Scaramanga like (from the book especially given his sexuality) and when he took his teeth out Silva looked quite Jaws like...I'm sure there were lots more...

I thought Harris and Whishaw were great, and I've always been a big fan of Finnes...have to say, when he ducked and grabbed the gun did anyone else wish we'd got to see Finnes' take on 007? He is only 5 years older than DC after all!

With regard to M

for some reason her death didn't grab me. I guess they were going for an OHMSS resonance but I didn't feel it. Maybe if it hadn't been so obvious throughout that she was bowing out it'd have been better, and effectively her death means Silva wins. Looking forward to Finnes in the role though, and I thought Harris was very good as Moneypenny, I'm assuming they, plus Whishaw, will be back!)

Direction very good, no confusing action scenes this time. Soundtrack good, though seemed a bit of a pick and mix, and whilst I understood at the end why they shifted the gun barrel there again, I really hope it's back at the start next time. I liked the titles, though they took some time to warm up, I do wonder if we'll ever get a sequence as cool as Casino Royale again mind you.

I think Dench had the funniest lines as well

"You're not bloody well staying here" "Go on then, eject me!"

[N-121973]

I saw it this morning at my local Vue. I thought it was brilliant. I hope to see it again in the cinema. My only gripes were once more having the gun barrel sequence at the end of the film rather than the beginning (admittedly a very minor gripe but it has been ten years since a Bond film last started that way) and

there not being a Bond Girl

.
I thought the humour was good and the action sequences and I liked the fact that the film was predominantely set in Britain.

There is one more observation, is it just me or could anyone else imagine Sir Sean Connery in the Albert Finney role?

[Lonemagpie]

N-121973 wrote:

---

I saw it this morning at my local Vue. I thought it was brilliant. I hope to see it again in the cinema. My only gripes were once more having the gun barrel sequence at the end of the film rather than the beginning (admittedly a very minor gripe but it has been ten years since a Bond film last started that way) and

there not being a Bond Girl

.

There was - Dame Judi

[Emher]

^PRetty much. And perfectly so.

Lonemagpie wrote:

---

John Logan has signed on to pen the next two Bonds, which apparently are going to be a two-part arc, and may be shot back-to-back.

Oddly the report about it, when listing his credits, leaves out ST: Nemesis... (speaking of which, Stuart Baird edited Skyfall and proved yet again that he's a far better editor than director)

That sounds...awesome! At least the double-feature back to back bit.

And Baird really is a fantastic editor. After seeing the opening sequence I wasn't really surprised to his name in the credit sequence.


Great, great film. Best looking Bond film ever, and best shot action sequences in years. I could always tell what was going on.

A.

[Lonemagpie]

^ Yeah, Baird was also one of the editors on Superman The Movie, he did Lethal Weapon, Die Hard 2, and of course Casino Royale!

[Faldor]

They should get him to work on a Trek film then huh? :P

[Lonemagpie]

Faldor wrote:

---

They should get him to work on a Trek film then huh? :P

As editor he'd do well.

Oh, you can see a fuller review from me here:
http://www.syfy.co.uk/blogs/james-bond-skyfall-review

[Agent Richard07]

I see that the movie is doing well at the box office with $80.6 million already. Read more.

[Captaindemotion]

Judge Death wrote:

---

I thought Harris and Whishaw were great, and I've always been a big fan of Finnes...have to say, when he ducked and grabbed the gun did anyone else wish we'd got to see Finnes' take on 007? He is only 5 years older than DC after all![/SPOILER]

I've heard that he got an audition to replace Dalton and that Eon were initially keen but that he wanted to play the role as a cold-blooded killer, much like Dalton or, well, Craig. Ahead of his time, basically. He could probably still get away with it, but he'd probably need to do a Connery and get a toupee.

I really enjoyed the movie, even if the 'Best Bond ever' reviews do now seem a little over-stated. Like Judge Death I'd need to see it again to say where it fits.

Not to sound negative, but it's easier to list the things I didn't like than the ones I did like (of which there were many). They were mainly humour-derived. I actually do think that Craig has a good sardonic delivery which was used to good effect in CR. But man oh man, not even Eddie Murphy in his heyday could have made me laugh with the weak quips penned for DC this time out. Instantly forgettable. And when Bond jumped on the back of the departing tube train, I remember thinking "Please don't let the old couple on the platform say anything 'funny,'" But, no, someone had to say 'He's in a hurry to get home!' in a Cockney accent, like something from a Moore movie. Hilarious. Not. And Bond's follow-up line to the conductor was just as cringeworthy.

I like Ben Whishaw as an actor but while Q should be played a little tongue in cheek, all in all he was way too reminiscent of Moss from The IT Crowd. Tone it down next time out folks.

But these should be seen as minor quibbles when offset against not only Craig's strongest performance as Bond but easily Judi Dench's best one as M; it was almost a co-headlining role which she ate up. I thought her death was genuinely moving and you really felt the connection between the two. Bardem was great fun, mixing camp, menace and poignancy, the action sequences were fantastic, the cinematography was brilliant and it was lovely to see the Aston Martin onscreen (you fucker Silva, how could you?!). Not forgetting a nice supporting turn from Albert Finney (I wonder if they ever offered that role to Connery?!).

The end action sequence was very un-Bondian and all the better for that - almost like something from a Lee Child novel, while the final scenes with the new M and Moneypenny (the, er, Penny, dropped with me a few minutes before he asked her her name) set us up beautifully for the next outings.

James Bond WILL return. Just don't leave it so long folks!

[Starkers]

Captaindemotion wrote:

---

I've heard that he got an audition to replace Dalton and that Eon were initially keen but that he wanted to play the role as a cold-blooded killer, much like Dalton or, well, Craig. Ahead of his time, basically. He could probably still get away with it, but he'd probably need to do a Connery and get a toupee.

I really enjoyed the movie, even if the 'Best Bond ever' reviews do now seem a little over-stated. Like Judge Death I'd need to see it again to say where it fits.

Not to sound negative, but it's easier to list the things I didn't like than the ones I did like (of which there were many). They were mainly humour-derived. I actually do think that Craig has a good sardonic delivery which was used to good effect in CR. But man oh man, not even Eddie Murphy in his heyday could have made me laugh with the weak quips penned for DC this time out. Instantly forgettable. And when Bond jumped on the back of the departing tube train, I remember thinking "Please don't let the old couple on the platform say anything 'funny,'" But, no, someone had to say 'He's in a hurry to get home!' in a Cockney accent, like something from a Moore movie. Hilarious. Not. And Bond's follow-up line to the conductor was just as cringeworthy.

I like Ben Whishaw as an actor but while Q should be played a little tongue in cheek, all in all he was way too reminiscent of Moss from The IT Crowd. Tone it down next time out folks.

But these should be seen as minor quibbles when offset against not only Craig's strongest performance as Bond but easily Judi Dench's best one as M; it was almost a co-headlining role which she ate up. I thought her death was genuinely moving and you really felt the connection between the two. Bardem was great fun, mixing camp, menace and poignancy, the action sequences were fantastic, the cinematography was brilliant and it was lovely to see the Aston Martin onscreen (you fucker Silva, how could you?!). Not forgetting a nice supporting turn from Albert Finney (I wonder if they ever offered that role to Connery?!).

The end action sequence was very un-Bondian and all the better for that - almost like something from a Lee Child novel, while the final scenes with the new M and Moneypenny (the, er, Penny, dropped with me a few minutes before he asked her her name) set us up beautifully for the next outings.

James Bond WILL return. Just don't leave it so long folks!

I think Finnes wouldn't have had the predatory, animalistic nature of Craig, but he'd do seething resentment and sheer cold bloodedness as well as either Craig or Dalton. Ah well he's M now, and one hopes this is a long term thing, be nice if he stays M even when Craig's replaced (hopefully not just yet).

I didn't mind Bond's "Health and Safety" line, but yeah the couple on the platform were a bit Roger Moore, but given I'm quite a fan of a lot of Moore films this didn't bother me too much

Saw this again last night and, if anything, I enjoyed it more. I rated it A originally, but I really wish I'd waited a bit cos I think it does just sneak an A+. Silva's plan is still ridiculous but it bothered me less, and I found I enjoyed the finale more second time around. It is very atypical, but that isn't a bad thing. Funnily enough Mark Kermode said in his review that Bond turns into Straw Dogs, which asmused me because that's exactly what I thought the first time I saw it. It is a nice inversion of the usual ending, this is Bond's secret lair rather than the villain's.

This time I went with a friend who's heavily into IT, and specifically IT security, he was not impressed with Q's security procedures! He made the point about Q being quite Moss like as well, though he's less of a high functioning aspergic than Moss often appears to be.

This is definitely in contention for film of the year for me now, with this The Avengers and The Artist the top three, and yet another film that kicks the Dark Knight Rises further down my list I think.