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James Bond 23: Skyfall FILM Discussion


Greg1138

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One of the things I love about the series is its ebb and flow from pure entertainment to seriousness. I think the back-and-forth between those different sides is a big part of what has kept the series vital all this time.

With that in mind, I'd theoretically like to see the series swing back toward the breezier style of things. Not as far as Moonraker, maybe, but maybe as far as Goldfinger. And I think all the pieces are in place for that to happen now.

Really, though, all I want is for the movies to be good; how they accomplish that, and with what tone, is of no consequence to me provided that the result is good.

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I don't mind seriousness, and I don't know why people think the Craig movies are devoid of humor. Hell, half of Silva's intro was humor. I prefer the tone they set up now (which seemed to be how Brosnan's career as 007 started, before veering off into Moore territory), so let's keep it this way, hopefully.

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Maybe I need to rewatch this, as I was in absolutely terrible mood when I watched it. I've never felt so detached watching a movie in a while, so this slew of praise is making me think perhaps was wrong with me

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when Dave and I saw it the other night we were surprised to see Rita Wilson and Tom Hank's sitting on the same row in the theatre with us, she has family in the area. Tom made several of us laugh when near the end he said out loud, there's no crying in a Bond film. I certainly had a tear in the corner of my eye.

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Maybe I need to rewatch this, as I was in absolutely terrible mood when I watched it. I've never felt so detached watching a movie in a while, so this slew of praise is making me think perhaps was wrong with me

I was hungry as heck first time watching Prisoner of Azkaban. I hated it.

Now I really like it.

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One thing that was lame about this film, and what I will never be able to forget, is that Bond is drinking Heineken. Horrible choice!

Karol

Agreed on that! Awful beer and not Bondian

How dare you!

You've hurt my national pride!

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One thing that was lame about this film, and what I will never be able to forget, is that Bond is drinking Heineken. Horrible choice!

Karol

Ah, but they even handled that reasonably well; he's obviously not in a very good place during that scene, and he certainly doesn't look too happy to be drinking a Heineken. I agree with you in principle, though.

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when Dave and I saw it the other night we were surprised to see Rita Wilson and Tom Hank's sitting on the same row in the theatre with us, she has family in the area. Tom made several of us laugh when near the end he said out loud, there's no crying in a Bond film. I certainly had a tear in the corner of my eye.

wow that's cool.

Tom hanks is a lousy cinema goer though. Shhhhhhhh! Silence! ;)

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I'm still not sure why a couple of people felt the last act did not feel like Bond...

Does anyone want to put forth an explanation? Was it the machine guns and mercenaries?

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No, it was the graveyard and chapel that reeked of being filmed on a stage, and the feeling that you are watching some sort of Sleepy Hollow remake, with Silva looking like a vampire.

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I thought the opening scene was very, very over the top but this has been by far my favorite movie this year. Compared to the last two Craig-Bond movies I felt a much more significant depth to the plot. I saw some similarities to the portrayal of the villain to the Joker in the Dark Knight, maybe it was just because they were both nuts. However, overall I thought this was a excellent movie.

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Boy you really set out to hate this film.

That couldn't be farther away from the truth.

I picked up quite a few comments in the theatre foyer afterwards making similar remarks. My friend with whom I was seeing the film even called the chapel bit a "B-movie ending". While this is certainly a bit too harsh, I'm far from beinig alone.

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Boy you really set out to hate this film.

That couldn't be farther away from the truth.

I picked up quite a few comments in the theatre foyer afterwards making similar remarks. My friend with whom I was seeing the film even called the chapel bit a "B-movie ending". While this is certainly a bit too harsh, I'm far from beinig alone.

No, you are alone. Or at least in a very small group of people.

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Boy you really set out to hate this film.

That couldn't be farther away from the truth.

I picked up quite a few comments in the theatre foyer afterwards making similar remarks. My friend with whom I was seeing the film even called the chapel bit a "B-movie ending". While this is certainly a bit too harsh, I'm far from beinig alone.

Never read any of the Fleming novels I guess. Nor seen For Your Eyes Only, which has a far more ho-hum ending than Skyfall.

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I'm reading Casino, and Bond is already quite different from the movies. It seems Skyfall is the closest to Fleming we've ever had. But I don't understand how the ending of Skyfall at the church could be seen as B-Movie?

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I'm reading Casino, and Bond is already quite different from the movies. It seems Skyfall is the closest to Fleming we've ever had. But I don't understand how the ending of Skyfall at the church could be seen as B-Movie?

*Shrugs* The only thing in this movie that looked remotely B-Movie was the Komodo dragon.

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The komodo dragon was the only bad special effect in the entire film. Otherwise, the special effects were PERFECT! Really impressive.

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Well part of it is the film had just a hair over 500 CGI shots. Anything they could do for real they did.

The norm for a movie of this type these days is around 1200-2500.

Jurassic Park, just to compare, had less than 60 CGI shots I think.

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The komodo dragon was the only bad special effect in the entire film. Otherwise, the special effects were PERFECT! Really impressive.

You know what my favorite asthetically pleasing scene is? The one in shanghai, where he's tracking patrice. God that scene was so gorgeous.

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Yeah I thought the Komodo looked good enough. The cheapest moment for me was all the CGI choppers over the deserted island. I dunno, that scene was just too much cheese for me, and so unlike the rest of the film.

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The "b-movie"ness of the ending explained: b-movies were necessarily cheap and therefore prone to extensive use of inexpensive sets. Therefore, since the chapel set was somewhat plain and dingy-looking, it might -- to some -- feel like a b-movie set.

I don't know who on earth would be watching that scene and actually thinking "This looks like a b-movie," though, what with the superb performances and the gorgeous Roger Deakins cinematography. There will undoubtedly be people who decide to not enjoy the movie purely because it is the contrarian thing to do; maybe those people might be looking down their noses and thinking "b-movie," but I don't know who else would be.

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Why a mastermind like Bardem who spend lengths to explain how you can wreak havoc just by pressing a key on a computer now needs a big chopper and a guerilla army to storm a scottish manor did cause minor headaches, though.

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Why a mastermind like Bardem who spend lengths to explain how you can wreak havoc just by pressing a key on a computer now needs a big chopper and a guerilla army to storm a scottish manor did cause minor headaches, though.

I thought that was the point in the context of the film's universe: Skyfall Lodge is off the "grid" so to speak.

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The komodo dragon actually looked rather good.

no it didnt.

It lacked a lot of shaders and crap like that. it was noticeable CGI, many films have already had very good CGI animals. The komodo looked like CGI from ten years past or more.

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What i mean is: why should a tech mastermind go there himself? it would make much more sense to let the henchmen abduct them - which would have sported another Bond finale in the baddie's lair and then kill them there.

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I have a question. It seems that I can't find a babysitter and go to see this with the wife. So, anybody...babysitting? Old Inky? :joke:

Ok, the real one: They lowered the rating from 16 to 12 here in Finland, do you guys think it is ok film for a twelve-year old boy?

I do not want make that mistake again what was with the TDKR, too much a neck breaking fiesta...

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Probably more apt to compare it against Casino Royale. The level of violence is similar to that of CR (without the ball torture scene). No blood, a few onscreen deaths but nothing like TDKR in my opinion. Tone, which I believe should be factored in, is more serious than CR.

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That couldn't be farther away from the truth.

I picked up quite a few comments in the theatre foyer afterwards making similar remarks. My friend with whom I was seeing the film even called the chapel bit a "B-movie ending". While this is certainly a bit too harsh, I'm far from beinig alone.

It was just very theatrical. B-movie ending would be the wrong description.

The komodo dragon actually looked rather good.

no it didnt.

It lacked a lot of shaders and crap like that. it was noticeable CGI, many films have already had very good CGI animals. The komodo looked like CGI from ten years past or more.

I didn't notice anything weird about it. I'm glad I didn't because it seems to have spoiled the experience for you.

I'm still not sure why a couple of people felt the last act did not feel like Bond...

Does anyone want to put forth an explanation? Was it the machine guns and mercenaries?

Well, at least it wasn't a nuclear explosion or an exploding oil platform.

There's been so many machine guns in previous Bond films... Increasing violence since the 1970s... Skyfall was almost moderate...

I don't get that criticism either...

One thing that was lame about this film, and what I will never be able to forget, is that Bond is drinking Heineken. Horrible choice!

Karol

Ah, but they even handled that reasonably well; he's obviously not in a very good place during that scene, and he certainly doesn't look too happy to be drinking a Heineken. I agree with you in principle, though.

You barely saw the beer! But anyway... We could complain about the use of product placement in Bond films in general. But Bond with Heineken is better than no Bond at all.

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