Bond 23: Skyfall

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  • #61
    Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

    Originally posted by pjc View Post
    I'll see your Helen Mirren and raise you one Irene Ryan ...
    You're sick.

    (Wait ... is she floating in the cement pond?)
    "I am the story itself; its source, its voice, its music."
    - Clive Barker, Galilee

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    • #62
      Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

      Could have been worse, I could have said Mrs Hathaway.

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      • #63
        Keeping it real...

        If the 007 film producers & the Brocoli(check spelling) family wanted to "keep it real", they'd use more non-white & middle-eastern/Asian actors to be in the SIS-MI6 service. In real life, many covert ops & intel missions by the UK are now conducted by British citizens from all backgrounds.
        Agents & special ops actively look for qualified British citizens with language skills and those who can "blend in" better than 6'02" white guys in tuxes.

        The new, official Bond novels have characters like this. The novel Q is a MIT grad with a India background.

        Bond also totes a Walther PPS .40S&W sidearm, . In the Skyfall lobby displays, Craig aims a regular Walther PPK .380acp.

        Beefy
        I'd rather get bank credit, than screen credit.

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        • #64
          Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

          Another great review from the UK:

          http://thequietus.com/articles/10478...-mendes-review

          The countdown has begun!

          - Bill
          Free Script Tips:
          http://www.scriptsecrets.net

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          • #65
            Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

            Good. Means it can't be any worse than QoS ... or was that PoS.
            "I ask every producer I meet if they need TV specs they say yeah. They all want a 40 inch display that's 1080p and 120Hz. So, I quit my job at the West Hollywood Best Buy."
            - Screenwriting Friend

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            • #66
              Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

              Originally posted by wcmartell View Post
              Another great review from the UK:

              http://thequietus.com/articles/10478...-mendes-review

              The countdown has begun!

              - Bill
              Working on that new chapter yet, Bill?

              Bill Martell's book The Secrets Of Action Screenwriting waxes lyrical about the intelligence written into Casino Royale. With the release of Skyfall, Martell will need to add a whole new chapter celebrating what's great about this movie.
              "Tact's just 'not saying true stuff.' " - Cordelia Chase

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              • #67
                Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

                Saw is last night. Vast improvement on QoS, but Casino Royale edges it in my opinion. It's a beautifully shot film and some great acting (for a Bond movie), but I think the plot is a bit thin/drawn out. The action sequences have the typical nonsensical stuff thrown in to embellish, which would work in a tongue-in-cheek Moore or Brosnan Bond film, but these new gritty bonds, not so much.

                There is also a huge amount of Nolan influence, many nods to Dark Knight and even Inception. Bardem is almost the Joker in certain scenes. It also felt quite long. Music was great, cinematography from Deakins was stunning.

                I was a bit annoyed at the high percentage of green screen, but then I guess you can't get away from that in movies these days. Almost all shots of Craig running down a street looked CG for some reason, like his face was too well lit.

                It felt very traditional, very British. A great homage to the classical Bonds that came before.

                8/10
                Last edited by CrackDown; 10-28-2012, 01:24 AM.

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                • #68
                  Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

                  Saw it last night too. Imax in Sheffield was heaving - busiest I've ever seen it.

                  **potentially mild spoilers below**

                  I wouldn't say I was disappointed, but I certainly expected more after all the positive reviews. Felt like a set of disparate scenes linked by some threadbare, convenient plot points (a stretch even by Bond standards), sprinkled with a fair bit of unnecessary fan service.

                  My main problem was that it took far too long to introduce Javier and get the story really moving. And his master plan, which all the characters kept reminding us he'd spend years plotting, was a bit rubbish.

                  I think Casino is a vastly superior film and after watching QoS last weekend, I'd actually say it's the Craig Bond film i've enjoyed the least.

                  Probably a 6/10 for me. Entertaining for a Friday night but won't linger long in the mind.

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                  • #69
                    Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

                    I was a bit underwhelmed too... 7/10

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                    • #70
                      Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

                      It was very good. Not Casino Royale good, but very good nonetheless. Unfortunately I suffered some surprise headache during the film, which took some of the enjoyment away. I might enjoy my 2nd watch on BR better.

                      It's a good personal story for Bond, but relatively low on stakes otherwise. Barden's villain didn't work for me as well as it has worked for others, but the cyanic pill revelation was great. I hoped for a more consistently dark and tortured character, his playfulness was sometimes a bit jarring IMHO. Mind****ing Bond with creepy playfulness was fine, but when he did only for camera, or for no reason at all, it just felt like empty posturing.

                      Also his genius master plan ended up being rather half-cooked. He could have easily done something with far more devastating results, kind of shame that the film didn't go for it.

                      Naomie Harris was fine, but the chinese girl was better. I hoped to see more of her, there was definitely more story to tell with her. But of course, Judi Dench is the real Bond girl here, and she's great, as expected.

                      The 3rd act is terrific, and suitably apocalyptic in its visuals.

                      The action scenes are all expertly handled, but there isn't really anything to rival the opening and middle set pieces in Casino Royale. Those were amazing. The action in this one is really solid, but not great. At least it's mostly filmed with good clarity, and not edited to oblivion (Looking at you, Quantum Of Solace).

                      Cinematography in general is the best in the entire series. It's a really handsome film.

                      All in all, a massive step up from Quantum Of Solace.
                      Last edited by tuukka; 10-27-2012, 10:57 AM.

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                      • #71
                        Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

                        Originally posted by pabloamigo View Post

                        Probably a 6/10 for me.


                        You actually liked QoS more? Wow. I know i should judge with my own eyes but that's depressing. Was so looking forward to this.
                        "I ask every producer I meet if they need TV specs they say yeah. They all want a 40 inch display that's 1080p and 120Hz. So, I quit my job at the West Hollywood Best Buy."
                        - Screenwriting Friend

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                        • #72
                          Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

                          A huge disappointment. I wouldn't even call the movie good. It was extremely lacking in imagination. I was bored. Bored! QoS didn't even bore me.

                          This will remain spoiler free until the bottom--I'll call it out.

                          The cinematography, on the other hand, was beautiful. The direction and performances were good. The script, however, not so much.

                          The technical wizardry and "hacking"... dear God. If you feel even slightly worn out from every season of 24, Mission Impossible 4, Firewall, CSI, etc, you'll find yourself sighing at Skyfall. The complete opposite of how grounded Casino Royale was. This film goes way beyond suspension of disbelief, for which I have plenty. In Skyfall, the antagonist can hack everything to make anything happen. The set pieces and surprise "foiled again!" moments are pulled out of Skyfall's ass. All of nowhere. There was no need for cleverness, because the antagonist magically knows he'll be in every situation he's ever in and has the perfect plan to counter it. It's like playing Rock Paper Scissors. You throw out rock. Your opponent hacks into your rock and it explodes. You lose. It's not entertaining when there are no limits.

                          I don't remember QoS that well, but I didn't hate it like everyone else hated it. I thought it was OK. But I think I feel about Skyfall how others thought about QoS. Don't want to rewatch it again. There's nothing of value beyond some exceptionally stunning imagery. The reviews are shocking to me.


                          SPOILERS TO FOLLOW





                          Couldn't stand how our villain's entire motive is a personal beef with M. That's all we have on the line: M. And she dies anyway. Bond failed. Could have just started the movie with M being killed. Or killed her in the MI6 explosion. Then ended the movie. Because the result would be the same.

                          He has an army of henchmen that will follow him on any mission, even when it's storming into a government building to commit mass murder. He has his own ****ing island no world government seems to have an issue with. He has access to helicopter while in the UK. Though those things are only issues to me just because the rest of it was garbage.

                          And not subtle, by the way. When the villain is captured half way through, we all knew he was escaping. But instead of a SURPRISING way to escape... nope. He hacked them. Computers did it. As soon as I saw him in that cell, I whispered to my friend "So, he had planned to be captured all along." Yup. For no apparent reason, I might add. He could have just killed M any other way. Instead he wanted to be captured so he could escape and kill her. OK. That makes about zero sense. If the justification is "well he wanted access to MI6," that also makes no sense. He hacked them earlier in the movie already. And he had no use for their information at this point. His end game was to kill M and kill himself.

                          What a cop out for a script. Mendes deserved something better. He had no opportunity to create suspense, surprise us, thrill us, etc. The best set piece of the film was also over 10 minutes in.







                          END SPOILERS
                          Last edited by Writerperson12; 11-09-2012, 09:10 PM.

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                          • #73
                            Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

                            Though its far from a Bond masterpiece I have to say I enjoyed it more than QoS because of Javier and the much needed spark he supplied in an otherwise okay entry. I don't even remember the villain in QoS. The direction was solid, the dialogue corny at times and there were some scattered half baked scenes. But its main problem is its overall coldness. There's something that Craig's Bond miserably lacks -- a genuine, believable sense of humor. If not for Javier's performance I'd probably get as much enjoyment out of this as watching HURT LOCKER. It has its share of suspense but nothing to match the all out fun of THE SPY WHO LOVED ME or GOLDFINGER. Craig is just not that kind of Bond. 7/10 from me.

                            SPOILERS AHEAD





                            Was it just me or was Javier's character a mash up of Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lechter and Raul Julia 's character in KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN?




                            END SPOILERS
                            "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
                            -Maya Angelou

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                            • #74
                              Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

                              I agree. Some of the Bond mythology died with Craig I think. His Bond is not much more than simply tough. Anything in the way of wit or charm seems perfunctory or forced.
                              "I ask every producer I meet if they need TV specs they say yeah. They all want a 40 inch display that's 1080p and 120Hz. So, I quit my job at the West Hollywood Best Buy."
                              - Screenwriting Friend

                              Comment


                              • #75
                                Re: Bond 23: Skyfall

                                Saw it in IMAX. Thought it was great!

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