SPOILER ALERT - Skyfall Media Reviews Thread

Surely one film out of 23 providing some insight on Bond's family and where he grew up can't be a bad thing. Not even all of Fleming's novels were straightforward "Bond goes on a mission" adventures. Compare Diamonds are Forever to You Only Live Twice. Completely different stories and plot structures.

Judging from the reviews, particularly the comments on Craig's performance, Skyfall will feature an interpretation of Bond closest to the world-weary, imperfect 40-something year old spy from Fleming's later novels, from TB to TMWTGG.

GeneralGogol wrote:

Surely one film out of 23 providing some insight on Bond's family and where he grew up can't be a bad thing. Not even all of Fleming's novels were straightforward "Bond goes on a mission" adventures. Compare Diamonds are Forever to You Only Live Twice. Completely different stories and plot structures.

Judging from the reviews, particularly the comments on Craig's performance, Skyfall will feature an interpretation of Bond closest to the world-weary, imperfect 40-something year old spy from Fleming's later novels, from TB to TMWTGG.

This is what is exciting me so much about Skyfall, as I love how Bond's character changes in the last few novels.

Yeah, but one look at SF's writing credits leaves me running for the hills.

Lazenby. wrote:

Yeah, but one look at SF's writing credits leaves me running for the hills.

You never know this time round Laz.

The overwhelming positive reviews have given me some hope.

You know, I'm starting think Lazenby's approach to SKYFALL is a healthy one. Prepare yourself for the absolute worst. A steaming pile of shit. TWINE on steroids. TWINE PART 2: THE REVENGE. Then when you sit down at the cinema, hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I'm going to try myself.

Largo's Shark wrote:

You know, I'm starting think Lazenby's approach to SKYFALL is a healthy one. Prepare yourself for the absolute worst. A steaming pile of shit. TWINE on steroids. TWINE PART 2: THE REVENGE. Then when you sit down at the cinema, hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I'm going to try myself.

The gunbarrel business is probably the only thing irking me right now about SF.

It sounds like this time round Mickey and Babs got quite a few things right with the film itself, but couldn't resist one more slap in the face to the fans along the way.

Loomis wrote:

Cpt Sir Dominic Flandry wrote:

I just want a normal Cubby Broccoli style Bond movie with a handsome charming Bond and some fun.

Indeed. However, that sort of "fun-for-all-the-family" Bank Holiday/Christmas Day Bond film died out in the 1980s - A VIEW TO A KILL was probably the last one.

I love Dalton and both of his films, but his era did bring a new regime of would-be seriousness to the series that has stuck around ever since, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. The rot did not set in with "Babs" - the truly lighthearted, unpretentious Bond movie has been extinct for a quarter of a century.

And half of Bond's lifespan in the film industry.

GeneralGogol wrote:

Surely one film out of 23 providing some insight on Bond's family and where he grew up can't be a bad thing. Not even all of Fleming's novels were straightforward "Bond goes on a mission" adventures. Compare Diamonds are Forever to You Only Live Twice. Completely different stories and plot structures.

Judging from the reviews, particularly the comments on Craig's performance, Skyfall will feature an interpretation of Bond closest to the world-weary, imperfect 40-something year old spy from Fleming's later novels, from TB to TMWTGG.

Yup, Fleming was definitely throwing away the formula of the earlier novels as he became disinterested and wanted to do something new with Bond, for better or worse. I actually enjoyed YOLT a lot even though it breaks conventions as there's literally no thriller elements until the last quarter of the book, but I enjoyed reading the character interactions and how Bond is handling himself after the events of OHMSS. Hopefully the way it's done in SF works.

Also, is all this talk about Bond having a childhood trauma about the death of his parents?

Pretty sure.

Yep. It is. One of the reviews made that pretty clear, talking about how Bond is now yet another character who is haunted by the deaths of his parents (said review stated that this worked very well in the context of the film itself, but wondered if it might have negative consequences for future installments).

---

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Also, I'd love for the Moneypenny-deniers to come on out of the woodwork, kneel before Gravy, and apologize for ever doubting.

I saw that Baz-whathisname in the Daily Mail did a bit of a victory lap in his review on that issue. But I wouldn't hold my breath for anyone to "kneel before Gravy" and admit error.

Harmsway wrote:

Yep. It is. One of the reviews made that pretty clear, talking about how Bond is now yet another character who is haunted by the deaths of his parents (said review stated that this worked very well in the context of the film itself, but wondered if it might have negative consequences in the future of the franchise).

How very Batman. Seems Bond even has his own Wayne Manor in the shape of the Skyfall lodge.

I guess the Christopher Nolan Bond film is upon us.

I do think SKYFALL will be a pretty decent flick, all told, but some of these things'll take some getting used to. And I still can't fathom why Gareth Mallory isn't Miles Messervy.

That's because Albert Finney is the new M at the end of the film.

Lazenby. wrote:

That's because Albert Finney is the new M at the end of the film.

Is this a joke? If so, I'm having trouble picking up on the sarcasm.

Finney plays the caretaker of the Bond family estate.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

I think the point, though, is that EON continues to do what some people around here swore they'd never do. Some people are in denial that we're going to have our first bisexual Bond by the time the next actor or two takes over the role, because the audience is being softened up precisely to expect that and to not react negatively to it. .

This is all the stuff my wife and I expected to happen if Tom Hardy got the role. We think he is a really great actor, but are completely opposed in considering his suitability (she thinks Bond in century 21 SHOULD be bi-sexual, and I'm thinking is it time for divorce?)

GeneralGogol wrote:

Surely one film out of 23 providing some insight on Bond's family and where he grew up can't be a bad thing. Not even all of Fleming's novels were straightforward "Bond goes on a mission" adventures. Compare Diamonds are Forever to You Only Live Twice. Completely different stories and plot structures.

Judging from the reviews, particularly the comments on Craig's performance, Skyfall will feature an interpretation of Bond closest to the world-weary, imperfect 40-something year old spy from Fleming's later novels, from TB to TMWTGG.

I think we already got that with Dalton. Except for CR with its nature of evil chapter, which seems written for Dalton, I pretty much always imagine Dalton in the later books, when reading OHMSS and YOLT and the later short stories. I don't think of anybody in particular when I read GOLDEN GUN except picturing Bernard Lee throwing up an arm as somebody tries to assassinate him.

I don't get the impression Craig's Bond has been through enough to merit the meltdown of the later Fleming novels, and he sure hasn't succeeded enough to merit giving him the chance to get better again.

Well, SKYFALL is meant to take 4-6 years after QUANTUM OF SOLACE, so I guess of lot of it depends on being to buy that Craig Bond has been to hell and back since.

Since drama is supposed to be about the most important events in a character's life, then whatever takes him to hell and back is probably the story that should have been told, rather than what we get.

Hell and back was just a turn of phrase, but.... never never mind. I'll let someone else explain it.

Harmsway wrote:

Yep. It is. One of the reviews made that pretty clear, talking about how Bond is now yet another character who is haunted by the deaths of his parents (said review stated that this worked very well in the context of the film itself, but wondered if it might have negative consequences for future installments).

Which film, 24, or 25, will deal with Bond being haunted by his uncle touching him inappropriately when he was 10 years old? Which film will deal with Bond's emotional baggage that resulted from the death of his cat, Sprinkles, when he was a small boy? :roll:

Several reviews I've skimmed over have mentioned the effect that THE DARK KNIGHT has had upon SKYFALL. Either these reviewers have been reading this message board for the past 6 months, or else there really is something to it.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Except in this film the hints are not subtle. According to one review, in the interrogation scene Silva runs his hands across Bond's chest and then strokes his legs and knee, asking him if 'his training ever prepared him for something like this?' and Bond replies 'What makes you think this is my first time?' There's also one review that inferred, or intimated, that Silva plans to keep Bond alive as his own personal sex slave (but that may just be me reading too much into their vague hints).

One of the reviews I was reading (I forget which one) seems to suggest that Silva's actions in this interrogation scene are aimed at bamboozling Bond by doing the completely unexpected, i.e. apparently coming on to him rather than, say, hitting him, threatening him or whatever. The idea being that our hero knows how to deal with violence or intimidation, being well used to both, but will be lost at sea.... adrift in the event of another bloke making a pass at him. His cool reply of "What makes you think this is my first time?" shows that he sees through Silva's little ruse and won't be "weirded out" by him.

Under this scenario, it may be the case that Silva isn't gay but just pretending to be gay in the hope of freaking out Mr Bond, whom Silva doubtless knows to be a notorious and rampant heterosexual.

On the other hand, it may be that Silva is gay. It may also be that Craig's Bond (while evidently vastly preferring women) has had some sexual encounters with males in his time.

Like much else in Bond, I guess it'll all be up to interpretation.

There's a rumour going around that Silva kisses Bond in their final fight, supposedly being turned on by it all.

Largo's Shark wrote:

There's a rumour going around that Silva kisses Bond in their final fight, supposedly being turned on by it all.

Sounds like somebody saw Bob Rafaelson's BLACK WIDOW way way back and riffed on it.

Geez, what writer likes to take his big moments as recyclings from 20-30 year-old movies? (oh, alright, this is the last one - I've been bashing Logan for months, I know. But I'm so pissed off now that going on about it is just going to make me even harder to take than usual (and no that is not a Bond double entendre), so I'll lay off (and that is not a double entendre either.)