Posted on 11/11/2012 7:02:59 PM PST by EinNYC
Thumbs up - 'Skyfall' Review: 23rd Bond Film Goes Small ... with Big Results
The newest James Bond film keeps the globe trotting to a minimum - and the Bond Girls' clothes mostly on. The gadgets consist of a radio transmitter and a pistol that can only be fired by its owner. And, shockingly, the villain doesn't have designs on ruling the world or even blowing it to smithereens.
Welcome to "Skyfall," and if it sounds like the Bond formula has been shaken and stirred, think again. The new film pays serial homage to the franchise, features a breakneck chase scene in its opening moments and offers a peek into the main character's past that only enhances the experience.
In short, we've already forgiven them for "Quantum of Solace."
Thumbs down - The latest James Bond film lacks the preposterous fun we’ve come to expect from 007.
With Skyfall, the transformation of James Bond from the steely womanizer of the old Ian Fleming spy novels and the early Sean Connery movies is complete. Reinvigorated six years ago in the wake of the first two Bourne films, with dour Daniel Craig stepping into the role, Bond is now a thoroughly modern hero, his emotional vulnerabilities here rounded out with mortal concerns and even mommy issues. This may be a shrewd market calculation in a relentlessly sensitive age, but it undercuts the preposterous fun of the Bond world—which had grown too preposterous over the years, it’s true, but is nevertheless missed in its complete absence.
and why didn’t the girl take out the Muzzie on the train with a SECOND shot?
Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Mencken never did learn the difference between pleasure and happiness.
Probably because a guy who is living thru the NY city mess and waiting hours for gas does not need some nanny, nanny, boo-boo chiming in. It’s one thing to go by your mral/ethical code & it’s a whole other for people trying to parent other adults. As far as I’m concerned he can also have a 32oz. cola, double cheese gravy fries, & any other thing he desires w/ his movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is Hoyyweird????????????????
moral........sorry.
Hehe, good observation, but he did come up with a good turn of the phrase now and again.
Very cool! I love the look of these old theaters...they have character. In our theater, they have these huge Chinese prints of some mandarin bureaucrat, he on one side of the screen, his wife on the other side, floor to ceiling. They were apparently brought back by the original owner in the 1930’s or something like that. How they have lasted all these years I don’t know, because the theater went through some tough times, you couldn’t sit in some seats because they were broken, others might have water dripping from a leak in the ceiling, etc.
About 5-10 years ago, they did a significant interior upgrade, put in new seats, fixed the leaks, new sound system, etc.
The only thing I like less than the big chains, are the big chains who try to design their theaters to kind of “look” old. It doesn’t work, and all you get is a theater that looks like it was designed as a Disney tourist attraction, or worse.
I’ve been involved in auto and motorcycle racing since I was 11 years old.
Not sure why you would draw the connection between movies and racing, other than a few like “Cars”.
It’s a British movie nothing to do with Hollywood.
I haven't seen Skyfall yet; but, I don't doubt your interpretation of the message. Actually, it seems to me that I've heard that same message many times, on this very forum.
Do you remember this song?
“Why did everything
Every little thing, every little thing
With you and me have to be so political?”
I've boycotted so many movies in recent years, and vetoed so many TV shows that my wife might soon be humming that tune. I try to set it all aside, now and again.
The villain was made out to be a terrifying, remorseless figure, but turned out to be nothing of the sort, just petty and a bit sociopathic. It was like a TV drama episode that had been stretched to fit a movie running time.
Not up to the standards of the previous Craig movies for me. I give it a 2 or 3 out of 5 stars; 2 out of 5 compared to other Bond films and 3 out of 5 for action films in general.
I agree with your assessment. Most of the other bond films at least had a plot of sorts. The plot here was very weak. It was almost all action. Much of the "plot" made no sense.
I would characterize the "plot" as a series of weak excuses to justify the action scenes.
As an example, censored to prevent a spoiler, what possible reason would there be to send one man on a mission, with virtually no backup, that the fate of the entire service is known to hang on?
I would argue that this was not the case in the other Bond films. True, the fate of the world might turn on his actions, but he was not deliberately put into that situation, knowing that, by his superiors, in previous films.
>> “the more I appreciate an interlude of mindless” <<
.
I get all the mindlessness I need from the evening news.
>> “Do you remember this song?” <<
.
No, I have no idea who might even have sung it.
Politics is about life, and shunning politics is a cop-out.
>> “As an example, censored to prevent a spoiler, what possible reason would there be to send one man on a mission, with virtually no backup, that the fate of the entire service is known to hang on?” <<
.
LOL!
Sounds like the Romney campaign. - And the fate of the world indeed hung on it :0(
Completely unlike any other Bond movie, this Bond is settled in a period of time, in UK history and his own life. Pre-Craig, any Bond movie can be seen in any order, because the character himself has no real arc of development. This had changed with Craig's films, and they take it the furthest here.
The film has a theme besides the plot, of aging and being relevant in today's world, layered in several different ways, that other Bond films do not have. The film called into question the entire existence of MI6, and M gave a thought out rebuttal to the question.
I really liked the Bond girl and her story. Bond films often have Bond girls who have divided loyalties or switch loyalties, with no particular explanation. This one, with one conversation, really gives depth as to her tragic life and desperation, and why she does what she does. This Bond girl could never exist in a Roger Moore Bond film. The actress does an impressive job with the part she is given and absolutely makes the most of it.
But the main thing is that the film really isn't about Bond as much as it is about M. This is Judi Dench's film. Judi is now blind, and must have other people read her scripts so she can learn her lines. So due to the fact of having Judi as M for the last six films and the arc of her life seems the main driver of how this film was written. Bond was "rebooted" dramatically when Craig started with Casino Royale, but Judi Dench stayed on. Now it is effectively being rebooted again.
“I get all the mindlessness I need from the evening news.”
Mindlessness — yes. Escapism — no.
I guess every Bond has a stinker or two.
Moore had Moonraker and View To A Kill
Dalton had License to Kill
Lazenby never really had a chance, though the plot for his film was actually not that bad; he just didn’t have the experience as an actor.
Connery had Diamonds Are Forever
Brosnan had Tomorrow Never Dies
And now Craig has Skyfall. Maybe by getting his stinker out of the way sooner, Craig can now get back in the saddle with some stronger films.
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