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Amph 007 Skyfall

Discussion in 'Community' started by DarthLowBudget, Apr 19, 2010.

  1. The_Four_Dot_Elipsis

    The_Four_Dot_Elipsis Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2005
    I wonder if at any stage people will appreciate it's not the camerawork in Quantum that's the problem, it's the editing.
     
  2. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    From what I recall, it's partially a combination of both: the shakycam wouldn't have been as terrible if the editing had gone for longer shots, but the editing would have been perfectly fine on it's own if the camera hadn't been so shaky as to make Jason Bourne lose his lunch. The boat sequence in QOS is particularly offensive with that combination.
     
  3. Evil Incarnate

    Evil Incarnate Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 18, 2003
    Was anyone else annoyed with the poorly tied bow-tie that Bond sported at the casino? No? Okay, I'll leave.

    Evil.
     
  4. Merlin_Ambrosius69

    Merlin_Ambrosius69 Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 4, 2008
    Saw it Friday night with my wife. We agree it was very, very good, better than QoS but not quiiiite as good as CR.

    I was thrilled by the first and third acts and some of the second, though I thought the long middle portion rambled a bit and took itself too seriously, as though it were a compelling drama, when we wanted more shoot-outs or car chases and less chit-chat. I don't mind the villain's complex plot -- he's insane, after all -- but there were a few things that didn't seem to make much sense, such as
    how Silva escaped and killed two guards, exactly, or for that matter why MI6 thought it was a good idea to lock him up in a computer-controlled cage when he's already shown he can hack M's personal laptop.
    But minor grievances aside, I thought the filmmakers struck a sweet balance between old-school and new-school Bond; this feels like the same reality as CR and QoS, but it's a bit more whimsical and self-referential as in the Brosnan years, and isn't afraid to poke fun at itself, as with the "Go ahead and eject me" line, with Bond's thumb hovering over the button when we know, obviously, he isn't going to push it.

    There are some technical flaws, such as the inexplicably rotating flashlight supposedly held by Finney's character, which looked like the poorly-rendered CG effect it was, or several shots in which the CG Daniel Craig face pasted over the stuntman looked like a CG Daniel Craig face, or the rationale behind Bond emerging unaffected from a frozen-solid lake.

    But overall the style and technique are brilliant, the photography gorgeous, the score the best Bond score in ages, with its traditional instrumentation and echoes of John Barry's many superb cues.

    The two stand-out scenes for me (apart from entire, explosive third act) are the
    Shanghai skyscraper combatants scene, filmed in stylized silhouette and with rich colors and dreamlike organic shapes
    , and the dialogue between Severine and Bond at the bar, which was *&!%$@* riveting like few other scenes of dialogue in any 007 picture.

    Silva was a passably eeee-vil villain, suitably psychotic and even freakish among the Bond rogues' gallery, performed with gusto by the always entertaining what-his-name, and with a bizarre and unexpected
    homoerotic turn
    that helps to make this a very unusual and unforgettable film, even amidst its various flaws.
     
  5. Jabbadabbado

    Jabbadabbado Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 19, 1999
    Great opening weekend! No question this is going to pass Casino Royale and become the most successful Bond movie ever, unadjusted for inflation at least.

    But that's not saying much. Despite the character's iconic status, the Bond franchise is of sketchy profitability. The movies have always been extremely expensive to make and market, yet they never seem to come close to the megablockbuster status of the most popular movies. And part of that is because the movies never, ever waste an opportunity to insult the intelligence of the audience. That's part of the tradition though.

    Still, it's great that a Bond movie is finally having an opening weekend that resembles the opening weekend of an actual blockbuster.
     
  6. Adam of Nuchtern

    Adam of Nuchtern Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
  7. darthcaedus1138

    darthcaedus1138 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 13, 2007
    Finally getting to see it tonight! I am excite, since this is my first Bond in theaters. Hope I like it.
     
  8. Riven_JTAC

    Riven_JTAC Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2011
    I thought it was so-so. I give it a B-.

    I'll admit, I am an unapologetic Connery fan. But, I do give the other guys credit. I think Brosnan got the closest of any of the other guys to Connery. Craig, to my understanding, is probably the best at emulating the Bond of the books, but this is a rare case where I prefer a movie version to a book version. He is just not suave like Connery. Very stiff.

    Javier Bardem did play a good villain. As disgusting as it was, I actually kinda would've liked for them to
    explore the effects of the cyanide capsule a bit more.

    Naomi Harris did a good job despite limited screen time. Loved her. Also gives
    Moneypenny a great backstory.

    I never looked at my watch during the film, but it just seemed to drag on unnecessarily.
     
  9. George Roper

    George Roper Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2012
    I always thought of Brosnan as the closest of any of the other guys to Moore. Which isn't a good thing.
     
  10. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    [​IMG]
     
  11. Riven_JTAC

    Riven_JTAC Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2011
    Look, none of them are at all close to Connery on an absolute scale. Who do you think was closest to Connery? It sure as hell wasn't Lazenby ("This never happened to the other chap!"). Moore was... too fruity. Dalton was just blah. Brosnan, to me, was passable. Craig is very much not suave and has no charm... like, at all.

    EDIT: Maybe David Niven? :D
     
  12. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    Craig can be charming and suave when the role calls for it -- witness, oh, his flirting with Vesper on the train, or bantering with Le Chiffre when he's at the casino. But it's a mistake to think of "suave" as the whole picture -- Connery played a Bond who was suave and assured, yes, but also dark, dangerous, cruel, and indifferent. The role of the charm is to soften the fact that he's a brutal, callous killer. In that regard, Moore misses every mark but "indifferent," and Brosnan essentially plays a handsomer Moore -- he's quippy and sort of generically charming, but there's no actual charisma and no depth to the character -- no sense of danger, darkness, the brutal killer. Craig brings the most of the Connery package to the table -- he's a dark, brutal character, but with wit and charisma. Dalton comes close, too, but he doesn't have quite as much of the Connery cool as Craig. Watch Dr. No, FRWL, and Goldfinger again. Connery's Bond is charismatic and cool under fire, sure. But there's a lot more to him than one-liners and trick cars. If that was all it took, Moore would have been a great Bond. What makes the character is the rest of the performance, under the "Bond, James Bond" coolest-guy-on-the-planet caricature. Craig and Dalton's performances get that. Brosnan's doesn't. He's an empty suit.
     
  13. PRENNTACULAR

    PRENNTACULAR VIP star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Dec 21, 2005
    First Bond movie I've ever seen. I loved it!
     
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  14. solojones

    solojones Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 27, 2000
    I'm not sure how you've gotten through life like that, Prenn, but congrats!

    Well, I was not at all disappointed by this film. I loved it. I do think it could have been slightly tightened up in the first half of the second act, but my goodness was the beginning and the whole second half of this film amazing. Yeah there are a few small things here and there that I didn't like, but on the whole I loved it. I think Bond is at its best usually when there's a personal element to the story, and this certainly proved no different.

    Can I say that it's fascinating that this might be the only Bond film where, technically speaking,
    Bond fails to stop the villain. True, Silva didn't get to kill M himself and perhaps that's somewhat of a victory. But M did die, Bond couldn't save her, and that was an absolutely fantastic turn I didn't see coming. I was worried at several points in the film that she would die but come the end I thought Bond would be able to save her. Wow, that was effective and awesome and terribly sad.

    I very much prefer the smaller villain plot in this one. No world domination, no millions of lives at stake (though when you don't know exactly what he's going to do with his power in hacking MI6, those remain possible). In the end it was just a kill M/save M battle, and that was brilliant. Great send-off.

    Oh and just as I knew he would, Roger Deakins has provided the greatest cinematography in a Bond film ever. Of course that's not really surprising given that he's possibly the best cine ever.

    I'm not sure if I prefer this or Casino Royale because I haven't seen CR in quite a while. Maybe I'll watch it again before I go see Skyfall again. But overall, this is definitely a contender for my favorite.

    Oh, and a final note. At many points in this film I found myself thinking "this is why there should be an Oscar for stunt work."
     
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  15. Coruscant

    Coruscant Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Feb 15, 2004
    Awesome idea is awesome. Which points, though?

    The mansion burning down and the entire setting with the characters bathed in orange is still seared on my mind, even though I saw the film last Thursday. How much of that is thanks to Roger Deakins?
     
  16. DarthLowBudget

    DarthLowBudget Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2004
    Yes, this is what I've been saying forever. Its beautifully photographed but every shot is about four to seven frames too short.

    Anyway, Skyfall. Not sure where I'll be in a week but as of now its tied for my favorite up there with OHMSS and FRWL.
     
  17. Riven_JTAC

    Riven_JTAC Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2011
    I'm not saying that's the whole package. But on the scale, Craig is significantly more dark and brooding than he is suave/charming, whereas Connery was significantly more charming/suave. I'm not sure that Connery was all that cruel, either (though... uh... he may be so with Quarrel... a caricature of the time period?). He was dedicated to King and Country, yes. His conversation with Domino on the beach when he tells her that Francoise is dead is a great scene that shows the whole range of adjectives describing Connery as Bond. To me, Craig is a robot, but probably as a result of the story more than anything else. I do not like the storylines of any of his movies. Casino Royale was a darker Secret Service, which just doesn't do it for me. Quantum is wholly unmemorable. Skyfall was certainly unique, as described above, but merely slightly above average over the history of the Bond movies, to me, rather than great. I enjoyed several parts, but, on the whole, it just doesn't seem to me to be as great as a lot of the reviews it's getting.

    And you may be the first person I've ever seen defend Dalton.
     
  18. DarthLowBudget

    DarthLowBudget Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2004
    You've never seen anyone defend Dalton? I'm always defending Dalton. Hell, I even defend Lazenby.
     
  19. Darth-Seldon

    Darth-Seldon Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    May 17, 2003
    Just saw Skyfall. Easily the best Bond film since the high points of the Connery era. Not saying it trumps From Russia With Love, Dr. No or Goldfinger but it belongs at any list of the top Bond films. Before going to see it, I re-watched the Connery films (all except Never Say Never Again)--great film. A return to form.
     
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  20. DarthLowBudget

    DarthLowBudget Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2004
    In terms of its quality as a film its almost certainly better than Goldfinger. Goldfinger is a high quality confection, but Skyfall is a meal.
     
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  21. The_Four_Dot_Elipsis

    The_Four_Dot_Elipsis Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2005
    Brosnan's nowhere near as good as Moore. At least Moore has a thing that he latched on to and nails, for the most part. And when he wants to be serious he's better than Brosnan anyway.
     
  22. Riven_JTAC

    Riven_JTAC Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2011
    Skyfall is a meal because it dragged on.
     
  23. DarthLowBudget

    DarthLowBudget Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2004
    It's a meal because it explores character and theme as well as having action and suspense. Goldfinger is about stopping a guy from getting a lot of gold.
     
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  24. Riven_JTAC

    Riven_JTAC Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2011
    It was also a 1960s action movie and has to be viewed in such a context.
     
  25. Darth-Seldon

    Darth-Seldon Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    May 17, 2003
    Technically it was about a guy making the US gold supply radioactive but that's splitting hairs. Goldfinger, From Russia With Love and Dr. No are all classics. They created Bond and are judged on a different curve. I thought Skyfall was the best one since that time.
     
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