Because I don't really care.
Skyfall - Grading & Discussion
- Thread starter Agent Richard07
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They did but how different is Silva from Silver when said out loud? The credits say Silva though.
http://www.metro.co.uk/film/917199-...ean-connery-cameo-would-have-been-distracting
So it looks like, as I suspected, Sean Connery was considered, albeit briefly, for the role of Kinkaid in Skyfall. Mendes decided, rightly, IMHO, that he would be too distracting in the role.
So it looks like, as I suspected, Sean Connery was considered, albeit briefly, for the role of Kinkaid in Skyfall. Mendes decided, rightly, IMHO, that he would be too distracting in the role.
For me it was distracting that it wasn't Sean, after all that build up.
I saw the movie last night. I wasn't blown away, but I enjoyed the ride. The story had a lot of elements we've seen before... Bond disappears/goes rogue/embarks on a mission that's personal. Done already. The fundamentals that make up a Bond movie though, were a mixed bag with a lot of them being pretty strong. Here's my breakdown...
The Title: I'm glad we didn't get a "Die Another Tomorrow Never Dies" kind of thing.
The Cover Song & Opening Montage: I wasn't impressed with Adele's song. It was too generic. Nothing about it really stood out. I can't hum it, it didn't add a distinctive sound or feel to the movie and I can't even remember it now. The montage was pretty good though. I love it when Bond ends up in a seemingly fatal situation just before the opening sequence starts, with a little of that worked into the montage. That has yet to get old for me. And graveyards? Made me think of Brosnan wanting a Bond ghost story. I thought it was just there for style, but it made sense in the end.
James Bond: I liked seeing Bond fleshed out and humanized a little more, the way they've been doing with the Craig films already. This time, he's not in tip-top shape but he still has a boss who has faith in him. I also liked the line about his substance addiction and his dislike of authority. It added some good rationale to the aforementioned story elements we've seen before. We also got a glimpse into his past. Not a lot, but enough to make an impression. All in all, he's not the caricature he was becoming with the Brosnan films. Craig is starting to age though. Hope he doesn't turn into Roger Moore crica A View to a Kill. Still, I like Craig's ruggedness. Bond isn't supposed to be a pretty boy.
The Villain: I don't think Bardem will go down as one of the most memorable villains, but he did play the part to perfection. He was a pretty disturbing psychopath indeed, with just enough style and eccentricity to be a proper Bond villain. Now that you mention it, he does remind me of the Joker. I especially liked his gay/bisexual infatuation with Bond and the maniacal laugh after he put his teeth in. Those were moments that stood out for me the most. It might have been interesting if they went further with the gay/bi infatuation bit, but then I figured that any sort of "rape" would be too much for a Bond movie. The audience might have ended up just as traumatized as Bond himself.
The Bond Girl(s): They didn't give us the classic Bond Girl & romance, but they did remind us that he's a womanizer with just a brief scene. They also threw us a little something with Sévérine, but she got killed off pretty quickly and unexpectedly didn't she? No matter, the real Bond Girl was something a little different… Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny. Giving a classic character a substantial role with a twist and more of a background was a real treat. I was looking forward to seeing her in a Craig film and this was a great way to introduce her.
Locations: They made London look too cold and drab, but I agree with what Garak said about Shanghai. The scenes there were shot very well and it did look like the coolest place in the world. Reminded me of Blade Runner a bit.
Gadgets: A gun and a radio. Basic but effective. Even more fun though was our gadget man, the new Q. Ben Whishaw as a younger Q that was more like the IT guy from Covert Affairs was a fresh and welcome way to go. Works for me just fine. We also got to see the old Aston Martin. It was a nice little homage. Too bad it was destroyed.
Other Stuff: I didn't know that Sean Connery was up for the role of Kinkaid. It's funny because when he showed up, I too thought… Wouldn't it have been a hoot if he were played by Sean Connery? Then I figured that it might have been too distracting.
I also liked the ending. We have Bond back and ready for duty, a new M that reminds me of the classic ones, Moneypenny, and Q. It took three movies, but Bond as we know it has finally come together. I look forward to the next two installments. A two-parter should be fun.
The Title: I'm glad we didn't get a "Die Another Tomorrow Never Dies" kind of thing.
The Cover Song & Opening Montage: I wasn't impressed with Adele's song. It was too generic. Nothing about it really stood out. I can't hum it, it didn't add a distinctive sound or feel to the movie and I can't even remember it now. The montage was pretty good though. I love it when Bond ends up in a seemingly fatal situation just before the opening sequence starts, with a little of that worked into the montage. That has yet to get old for me. And graveyards? Made me think of Brosnan wanting a Bond ghost story. I thought it was just there for style, but it made sense in the end.
James Bond: I liked seeing Bond fleshed out and humanized a little more, the way they've been doing with the Craig films already. This time, he's not in tip-top shape but he still has a boss who has faith in him. I also liked the line about his substance addiction and his dislike of authority. It added some good rationale to the aforementioned story elements we've seen before. We also got a glimpse into his past. Not a lot, but enough to make an impression. All in all, he's not the caricature he was becoming with the Brosnan films. Craig is starting to age though. Hope he doesn't turn into Roger Moore crica A View to a Kill. Still, I like Craig's ruggedness. Bond isn't supposed to be a pretty boy.
The Villain: I don't think Bardem will go down as one of the most memorable villains, but he did play the part to perfection. He was a pretty disturbing psychopath indeed, with just enough style and eccentricity to be a proper Bond villain. Now that you mention it, he does remind me of the Joker. I especially liked his gay/bisexual infatuation with Bond and the maniacal laugh after he put his teeth in. Those were moments that stood out for me the most. It might have been interesting if they went further with the gay/bi infatuation bit, but then I figured that any sort of "rape" would be too much for a Bond movie. The audience might have ended up just as traumatized as Bond himself.
The Bond Girl(s): They didn't give us the classic Bond Girl & romance, but they did remind us that he's a womanizer with just a brief scene. They also threw us a little something with Sévérine, but she got killed off pretty quickly and unexpectedly didn't she? No matter, the real Bond Girl was something a little different… Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny. Giving a classic character a substantial role with a twist and more of a background was a real treat. I was looking forward to seeing her in a Craig film and this was a great way to introduce her.
Locations: They made London look too cold and drab, but I agree with what Garak said about Shanghai. The scenes there were shot very well and it did look like the coolest place in the world. Reminded me of Blade Runner a bit.
Gadgets: A gun and a radio. Basic but effective. Even more fun though was our gadget man, the new Q. Ben Whishaw as a younger Q that was more like the IT guy from Covert Affairs was a fresh and welcome way to go. Works for me just fine. We also got to see the old Aston Martin. It was a nice little homage. Too bad it was destroyed.
Other Stuff: I didn't know that Sean Connery was up for the role of Kinkaid. It's funny because when he showed up, I too thought… Wouldn't it have been a hoot if he were played by Sean Connery? Then I figured that it might have been too distracting.
I also liked the ending. We have Bond back and ready for duty, a new M that reminds me of the classic ones, Moneypenny, and Q. It took three movies, but Bond as we know it has finally come together. I look forward to the next two installments. A two-parter should be fun.
We already had sexual sadism ventured on a naked Bond with the rope/testicles torture scene in Casino Royale; this would have been too reminiscent of that scene for one thing.
Apparently that rumour has been debunked by Craig.
That's actually a great relief!
I enjoyed it quite a bit but there was one massively tone deaf moment: James Bond fucks a sex slave. WTF? I realize they didn't intend it to be anything weird but it really was if you think about it. There's no way she'd be like, yes, man I just met, come have sex with me even though I've been abused these past years repeatedly by Javier Bardem. That was really stupid.
Other than that, I liked it. Bardem was phenomenal.
Other than that, I liked it. Bardem was phenomenal.
Or here was a woman who's been used/abused choosing to make love with a man who she saw as something different, and as a potential white knight who would save her from the monster she was enslaved by. You could also look at it as a woman for whom sex is the only power she has (as illusionary as that might be) who feels she has to sweeten the deal with her potential savior (though personally I suspect it's the former).
It is at least slightly more romantic than the similar situation when Bond shagged Andrea Anders in The Man with the Golden Gun.
or when Bond stacked the deck against Solitaire.
Oh well. Either way is good.
After the extended intros for the new M and Moneypenny (and Q, but the series gives a pretty clear idea of what sort of role he'd play going forward), I'll be interested to see if they have more to do going forward. Particularly in Moneypenny's case.
Just got back from it. Obviously better than Quantum of Solace, no contest there, but I think overall I liked Casino Royale just a LEETLE bit more, although there are individual aspects of this I liked better (Silva's definitely a way better villain than Le Chiffre for instance.) The first half of the movie was a little "meh" since it was pretty much going full-on formulaic Bond, but it went off the rails once Silva was apprehended. Did the Scotland stuff at the end remind anyone else of the end of Patriot Games? I was surprised the Bond family crest (as seen in OHMSS) or "The world is not enough" motto didn't appear anywhere.
A-
I saw it last night Had a lot of fun watching this one.
and I must say I've never heard an "F" bomb dropped in a Bond
Movie, (WTG 'M').
the word association scene was fun.
Examiner: " 'M' "
Bond: "Bitch" (looks at one way mirror)
I saw it last night Had a lot of fun watching this one.
and I must say I've never heard an "F" bomb dropped in a Bond
Movie, (WTG 'M').
the word association scene was fun.
Examiner: " 'M' "
Bond: "Bitch" (looks at one way mirror)
I like the Bond/M relationship in the Craig films. It reminds me of the books even if the film M is a woman. Judi Dench is almost exactly as I imagine Sir Miles Messervey (M) in the books. John Pearson fleshed this out nicely in his unofficial biography of 007 and it rings true here also.
Nice touch that the new M is named Sir Mallory.
Nice touch that the new M is named Sir Mallory.
Excellent movie, might well be my favourite Bond movie (keep in mind, I've only seen Brosnan's run and Craig's run). Daniel Craig has really cemented himself as the badass Bond this time around. Hell, for that matter, everyone in this movie has a badass vibe to them.
This movie has a lot of cool moments that just left me grinning like an idiot. My favourite is probably the fight on the train at the beginning, Bond using a tractor to fling cars at the bad guy and then ripping a portion off the train and jumping on, immediately straightening his jacket and casually strolling is quite possibly the textbook definition of awesome.
This movie has a lot of cool moments that just left me grinning like an idiot. My favourite is probably the fight on the train at the beginning, Bond using a tractor to fling cars at the bad guy and then ripping a portion off the train and jumping on, immediately straightening his jacket and casually strolling is quite possibly the textbook definition of awesome.
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Except for the Brosnan flicks (which I have no like for whatsoever) I've enjoyed near all the Bond films to some extent or other, but the earliest Connery Bonds as well as Craig's Casino Royale and Skyfall take the prize as the definitive film Bond for me. They've got the right vibes.
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