Skyfall

For talk on Movies, TV, Music & Books

Moderator: Forum Moderators

Post Reply
bomberesque
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Posts: 1100
Joined: November 26th, 2004, 22:23
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Skyfall

Post by bomberesque »

An expanded version of the small review I posted in mini-reviews. We've been away for a week for a massive family love-in in the saaaf of france, hence the gap.

Mrs B and I were skiving off work celebrating the last day of her radiotherapy last week when we realised that Skyfall had opened but not yet premiered here in Brussels, they call it the "avant premiere" apparently. we had intended to spend the afternoon getting drunk, but decided to put that off in favour of some bondage (so to speak)

so, to the movie. Well, it was certainly better than the last one (which wasn't really a movie, lacking the traditional beginning - middle - end that I believe you're supposed to have in these things) and closed the circle that they had opened with the last two, implying a return to the "good old" bond movies. Daniel Craig continues to be a good Bond, but runs ... if not like a girl then like some sort of wooden mannequin. Xavier Bardem was, as you would expect, an excellent villain, although I think they didn't give the character enough ambition. Bond villains should be bent on world domination, rather than simply
Spoiler:
revenge against their old boss
. The first meeting between Bardem and Craig is a very well played indeed, including something I don't think we've ever seen in a bond movie before, a male villain flirting (quite faaabulously) with Bond. The third act is a backwoods defense of the shed type of thing and, to be honest, I thought it lacked something but there you go, at least it contains exploding helicopters. Oh, and I think that they've (finally) got hold of how to do product placements without allowing them to get in the way of the film (I was *really* worried about the Heineken product placement, but narf it was hardly noticeable in the movie itself). New Q is OK, but I think they missed a trick to give him a smartphone (one, if not the major theme of the movie is Bond being over the hill), but perhaps they couldn't tie up a placement deal with anyone but symbian and just didn't have the front.

All in all pretty entertaining which is, frankly, what you want. As far as rebooting the franchise, it's no batman begins but it'll do, I think this bodes well for the future, something I really didn't expect to be thinking or saying. Also, they do destroy a DB5, which (CGI or no) was pretty painful to watch. I also must profess a personal interest as my cousin was in the film as Xavier Bardem's isolation guard.

I recall I gave it 7/10 in mini-reviews. I see no reason to change that.

:starfull: :starfull: :starfull: :starfull: :starfull: :starfull: :starfull: :starempty: :starempty: :starempty: 7/10 it is then

I may at some point sit down with some beer to watch the 3 Craig movies back to back in an attempt to make sense of QoS in context with the other 2, but I don't hold out much hope of that happening and/or being successful

btw, I know I'm an ex active member turned lurker who now pops up every so often with a movie review or technical request and then dissapears again. Sorry about that but I'm just not playing many games at teh moment (although I did fire up X3 TC recently ... I wish I'd done that sooner) and this is the only way I could think within my current constraints to keep contact with you guys. great job on new widgets for the forum btw although I would echo a call for the return of the 5cheduler. never know I may hay-splat into ARMA one day if I could see when people are playing from my lurk-tower
Dog Pants
Site Moderator
Site Moderator
Posts: 21653
Joined: April 29th, 2005, 13:39
Location: Surrey, UK
Contact:

Re: Skyfall

Post by Dog Pants »

Always good to see your reviews Bomber, you lurk as much or as little as you like. I've not seen any of the Craig Bond films, so this doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I kind of like how he looks like a thug though, since Bond is not a nice man.
bomberesque
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Posts: 1100
Joined: November 26th, 2004, 22:23
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: Skyfall

Post by bomberesque »

Cheers dp. Craig is a good bond. Casino Royale definitely worth your time
friznit
Heavy
Heavy
Posts: 5147
Joined: October 3rd, 2005, 21:51
Location: South of England
Contact:

Re: Skyfall

Post by friznit »

Watched. Twas good, though I needed a pee halfway through. He grins like someone whose been told to smile for the camera.
Jimmington
Badger
Badger
Posts: 107
Joined: October 29th, 2011, 19:59
Contact:

Re: Skyfall

Post by Jimmington »

Well, a delayed Bond viewing which is a rarity for me considering the amount of Bond related merchandise I have stacked up, but finally got round to watching it on the television last night.
Short review after sleeping on it:
It is gash. In fact I actually feel quite insulted by it.

I am not sure if anyone is interested in why I came to this view, but I will bore you with it anyway.
1) The villain is David Walliams
2) It is really nondescript - *the* car in it gives you a warm glow, but other than that there is nothing to take away from the film.

It does not really strike me as a Bond film, the villain is basically a bloke with PMT, it drags like a dead body in places, and
Spoiler:
he doesn't even do his job well in the end as he fails.
I loved CR, thought it was really well done and followed the Bond "rules" fairly well, but I will admit I loved the original style of outlandish crazyness combined with smarm and dolly birds. This is not bad as a standalone film, but it could be a Bourne film or some other action thriller type thing, it does not scream Bond at me, but it is all down to what you want out of a film. In fact I actually thought the last 5 mins after the main action was the best bit of the film by miles.

I guess I measure it by what I remember from a film [Bond specifics here]. You could name a film and I could immediately come back with an iconic moment:
Russia With Love - Train fight
Live and Let Die - Boat chase
Golden Gun - Spiral jump
Skyfall - David Walliams doing his "My Simon" routine....

Each to their own I guess.

p.s. your spoiler button does not work - i had to do it manually. /huff
Chickenz
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Posts: 1155
Joined: December 8th, 2005, 20:06

Re: Skyfall

Post by Chickenz »

Goldeneye?

I also felt pretty 'meh' once it was over. Will watch it again as I felt the same after Casino and Quantum.
Jimmington
Badger
Badger
Posts: 107
Joined: October 29th, 2011, 19:59
Contact:

Re: Skyfall

Post by Jimmington »

Chickenz wrote:Goldeneye?

I also felt pretty 'meh' once it was over. Will watch it again as I felt the same after Casino and Quantum.
Goldeneye - Dam jump
Post Reply