Skyfall: Is it REALLY Bond Balboa?

Drax wrote:

Saw it last weekend and was so affected by my experience that I haven't yet been able to gather my thoughts into an opinion of the film. I intend to watch it a second time when I get a chance to see if anything changes or becomes more clear.

It's not a film that I can honestly say I enjoyed in the way that I usually mean when I say I enjoyed a Bond movie. When I left the cinema after seeing Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace I was charged up and excited, having witnessed a lot of what I have loved about Bond since I was 12. I know the films have deep flaws, for me the most prominent being that CR is shallow and QoS has an excess of really stupid and unnecessary action sequences, however both films, driven fundamentally by assured and spot on performances by Daniel Craig, manage to channel enough of the traditional Bondian spirit that the old Bond fan in me is drawn back to watch them from time to time (QoS improving with repeated viewings much more than CR). Furthermore, and most importantly, I had a hell of a lot of fun watching them-- even the more morose QoS.

I'm not saying that Skyfall lacked traditional Bondian elements-- it contained them in abundance-- or that it didn't try to be fun. It's more that the whole thing felt like it was shrouded in this cold dark cloud of a man's consciousness of his own mortality-- which for me goes a long way in negating the sense of fun that has always been integral to my enjoyment of Bond movies. When I left Skyfall I felt quiet, somber and frankly a little depressed, and it's taken me a whole week to really understand why. I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy Skyfall or that I thought it was a bad movie, or even a bad Bond movie, but I found it to be significantly less "fun" than any of the other films, even. as I said, QoS. Skyfall shows Bond utterly run ragged and strung out more effectively than any other Bond film has succeeded in doing. When Bond first presents himself to M he looks like a bum straight off the street. Bond has never appeared this totally and completely vulnerable before...or this mortal. (This is in some ways the Bond we might have expected to see in the wake of OHMSS, utterly broken down by the loss of his wife.) One thing that I have realized in the last week is that my reaction to the tone of Skyfall may have been a lot more personal than anything I have ever experienced before watching Bond.

Fundamentally, Skyfall shows Bond going through a mid-life crisis. He's old, he's rugged and his abilities are not what they once were, and Mendes evokes this so well that I think it probably touched a bit of a nerve in me as, while I'm not as old as Bond in this movie, I'm definitely a lot older than I was when I was 12. In my heart of hearts when I watch a Bond movie I want to be taken on an escapist ride, not have the cold hard truths of life thrust into my face. Skyfall took that myth of Bond as superhero and shattered it completely-- here we see our hero's awareness of his own mortality squarely and more clearly than ever before, and we relate to it. Or at least I did. I spent most of my childhood fantasy life trying to imagine I could relate to Bond in some way-- be it his coolness, deadliness, smoothness with the ladies or whatever, but it was always just a fantasy. Watching Skyfall, for the first time, I truly related to the man on the screen, but not in a way that I ever would have expected or hoped for...or maybe was completely ready for. My one reservation about Mendes doing this film was that he's such a powerful director that I was afraid we'd wind up seeing more of Mendes than Bond on the screen, which I think is what happened a little bit. I'm not prepared to say at this point if all of this is good or bad-- Skyfall is certainly a magnificent piece of filmmaking-- but for me it's been a very different and new Bond experience and, again, it will take at least another viewing of this film before my opinions become really gelled and I can even attempt to rank it alongside the others.

A few other notes and observations. The film, as was to be expected, was stunningly shot and beautiful to look at. Some of the most amazing imagery ever contained in a Bond movie. There were some good bits of humor and Bardem was an engaging villain, though I think Anton Chighur set the bar so high that I
had no chance of being completely satisfied. The melodrama with Bond, M and Bond's past was handled much better than I had feared. The Kimodo Dragon scene was jarring and stupid-- I felt like I was watching Luke Skywalker and the guard thrust into the Rancor pit. This level of camp did not fit the serious and somber tone of the rest of the movie. Also, did the film have a score? I can't remember.

I can identify with a lot of that. We're of similar age after all, so that's not too surprising. Like yourself and Python, I too left the cinema unsure of a precise way of putting my thoughts into a fully-rounded review which would properly put across how I felt about the film. So I ended up just doffing one half of my cynical hat to it, while remaining cautious of getting too carried away by what I liked. It's a film which leaves viewers either pumped, sombre or a strange combination of both, it would seem. I too have only seen the film once but, despite that viewing being three weeks ago, the film has never been far from my thoughts.

It's only after reading your review tonight that Skyfall seems to have finally completely locked into place for me, and that's because your opinions, my own opinions, some of Sharky and Ambler's comments and one of the opinions Loomis expressed all came together to reveal exactly what Skyfall ultimately is, why it mostly works, why the film seems personal not just to Bond but to viewers of a certain age group, and why the film, despite it's celebratory ending, can still leave certain viewers feeling sombre and thoughtful. It's because the film follows a truly winning formula by which to present a more mature action hero in an age mostly dominated by facelessly unidentifiable and forgettable young male leads, to present him in a way in which his age peers can identify but also modernise his surroundings and scenarios enough to appeal to younger audiences too. This safe but cleverly unbeatable formula may seem slightly alien to some Bond fans, and this not only perhaps explains a few voices of discontent about Skyfall, but it also confirms why Skyfall feels slightly different from the rest of the Bond series, and this is all because this particular unbeatable formula doesn't belong to Bond at all, it actually belongs to Rocky Balboa.

Loomis of course mentioned Rocky Balboa in his Skyfall review a few weeks ago and, while I agreed with the couple of points he made as comparisons before thinking nothing more on them, it's only now that I've given this some real thought and realised that Loomis's comments were really only the "tip of the tentacle"....



SKYFALL: THE AUTOPSY
PART II
It Ain't Over Till It's Over


Skyfall not only works as an exciting modernisation of an existing franchise, but it also works simultaneously as a very solid re-stabilisation of it and an overdue re-establishment of core components, some of which made the franchise great to begin with. The skill with which this has been done has elicited many a plaudit for Sam Mendes and his team in recent weeks, and yes there are several things about Skyfall for which the likes of Mendes and Daniel Craig deserve praise. But, upon analysis, it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine that the key contributors to the creation of Skyfall (the writers, perhaps the director and, tellingly, execs at Rocky's recently unstable home studio of MGM) hadn't paid very close attention to Rocky Balboa beforehand.

Just stop for a moment and take a closer look at just how many core components, scenarios, scenes, themes and sentiments are shared by both Rocky Balboa and Skyfall:

- Both films open with music deemed as classic "old school Rocky/Bond" played over the credits (Rocky Balboa opens with Take You Back, while Adele's Skyfall is deliberately "classic old school Bond").

- Both films' opening credits feature heavy use of gravestones/cemeteries.

- Both films open post-credits with the central character at his lowest ebb. In both cases, his lifelong profession is no longer part of his life. Both characters are living alone and out of the spotlight of their lifelong profession.

- Both characters have no interest in romance or a meaningful relationship to ease their isolation, having both suffered the death of their most recent partner.

- Both characters are only lured back into their lifelong profession when their attentions are drawn to a news article on television.

- Both characters have to first pass tests to get "back in the game" in their professions. Rocky goes up before the board to get his licence back, Bond goes up before MI6 evaluators.

- Both of them initially fail their tests, but still end up "back in the game" anyway.

- Both ruling bodies go against their own rules to allow both Bond and Rocky "back in the game" (M allows Bond back despite him failing the tests, while the boxing commission go against their own rulings solely on Rocky's say-so to allow him back).

- Both characters do a few pull-ups, but it's clearly not as easy as it used to be for either of them, and neither of them get very far in doing such. They're both comparatively out of shape. They're both now being looked on as too old.

- Both characters have their attempts to get "back in the game" questioned, and both are advised to call it quits. Rocky's son wants his dad to back down through fear of failure, while Mallory asks Bond why he didn't just stay dead, fearing he's "lost a step".

- Both characters have an "ethnic companion" to accompany them in the second third of the film (Bond has Eve, Rocky has Steps).

- Both characters have a "close but no cigar" non-sexual relationship with their leading lady.

- Both leading ladies are revealed to be characters from the franchise's past. Both leading ladies switch to safe desk-bound jobs later in each film.

- Both characters have a close "down with the kids" young ally introduced to aid them (Steps, Q).

- Both characters' closest friend and co-star is a feisty old pensioner about to be "retired" (Paulie, M)

- Both characters have rousing speeches made to them or about them to herald their "rousing return to top form" (M recites Tennyson as our hero storms back, Duke makes his classic speech about building hurtin' bombs).

- Both speeches are intercut/followed by running through streets to stirring music. "Tennyson" is Bond's "Gonna Fly Now" moment.

- Both films have a main character deemed too old or unfit to remain in their profession pleading their case before a board with a passionate speech (Rocky, M).

- Both Rocky and Bond have their "fighting spirit" echoed by a small dog they acquire during the film (Rocky buys a small but determined underdog, Bond receives M's British Bulldog).

- Both characters have locations as very central characteristics of each film (Rocky is the streets of Philadelphia, Bond's equivalents here are London and Scotland).

- Both characters have a "crusty old-timer" companion making funny "old guy" quips and helping out in the hero's corner for the final battle (Paulie, Kincade).

- Both films share a "the old ways are best" sentiment/mentality (Rocky Balboa goes back to the elements which made the original film successful, while "the old ways are best" is a recurring sentiment in Skyfall).

- Both films bring back "crowd-pleasing" iconic instruments from our hero's classic past as a pumping prelude to the final battle (Rocky pounds the meat as an homage to vintage Rocky as "Gonna Fly Now" blares out, while Bond brings back the DB5 as an homage to GF as the Bond theme blares out).

- Both "villains" enter the "final battle arena" to a song blaring out to signify their entrance.

- Both heroes "win but lose" at the end of their final battles (Rocky accomplishes his mission, but loses the fight. Bond accomplishes his mission but loses M).

- Both films end on a "reflective on loss, but pumping" note (Rocky visits Adrian at her graveside before "Gonna Fly Now" pumps out, Bond reflects on M's death before entering the office then the Bond theme pumps out).

- Both films also end with visual nods to the legacy of each enduring franchise (Skyfall ends with the gunbarrel and the Bond 50 logo, Rocky ends with members of the public running up the iconic "Rocky Steps" in Philadelphia.

- Both films end with faithful renditions of their tried and trusted signature tunes.

- Both films absolutely thunder along to the anthemic sounds of disco king Bill Conti (shit, I was just dreaming out loud on that one. Oh well, Tom Newman did okay in my book....)


I'll also add that both films are the best thing to come out of their respective franchises in 25 years and, in this instance, if Bond was merely latching onto the actions of another franchise, it chose a very solid role model from which to do so. Skyfall's approach ultimately serves it well for the most part, and thankfully this time out Bourne and Arnold have left the building.


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Lazenby. wrote:

I'll also add that both films are the best thing to come out of their respective franchises in 25 years and, in this instance, if Bond was merely latching onto the actions of another franchise, it chose a very solid role model from which to do so. Skyfall's approach ultimately serves it well for the most part, and thankfully this time out Bourne and Arnold have left the building.

So much for TWINE, PART II: THE REVENGE

Really though, great points. I think SKYFALL has a lot more similarities with STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN. Protagonist seems worn out but in the end is rejuvenated and ready to go, a character dies by sacrifice, the villain is hellbent on revenge. Those are the biggies that come to mind, but I'm to tired to think further.

No bastard son for Bond of course, but who knows what Mike and Babs cook up next time. :shock:

Excellent points, Lazenby..

Admittedly, I originally didn't think that the ROCKY BALBOA subplot in SKYFALL (by which I mean the story thread that has Bond battling to regain his supposedly lost form as his colleagues look on with scepticism and hurtful remarks) worked very well, but after a second viewing I feel that the film handles this angle somewhat better than I'd given it credit for.

Until I read your list I had no idea that there were actually so many parallels between SKYFALL and ROCKY BALBOA! Consider also:

- Both films open with the MGM and Sony logos (or at least I seem to recall that ROCKY BALBOA does - it definitely features the MGM logo, anyway).

- The second shot of the SKYFALL teaser trailer features Bond running in a London park. He's in long shot, so it's difficult to tell exactly what he's wearing, but he appears to be clothed in more or less the exact same garb that Stallone goes running in in ROCKY BALBOA. This scene ended up being cut from the finished version of SKYFALL.

Thanks for the nod man...I'm glad someone was able to relate to what I was going through haha. You make some good points as usual, though I've never seen Rocky Balboa so I can't relate to a lot of what you've written here.