James Bond: Skyfall

[jamespowers]

I'd agree with you that Craig is Bond. To my thinking, he's the most authentic one to Fleming's true version. The question is, how many more films will Craig do? And who on earth can possibly follow in his footsteps? We shall see...

The textbook Bond look right from Fleming's descriptions:

Doesn't look one bit like Craig.

 

[AmateisGal]

The textbook Bond look right from Fleming's descriptions:

Doesn't look one bit like Craig.

I wouldn't say Craig looks like what Fleming describes - BUT, his portrayal is spot on as far as the character.

 

[AntonAAK]

Cartoon villains, cheesy Bond-girl names and volcano lairs are not going to bring audiences into the theatres anymore.

Very true. Blofeld may have tried many times but it was actually Austin Powers who killed off that Bond. He had to be re-invented to be taken seriously.

I liked the new film a lot. A good mixture of tradition and invention. Let's hope they can build on it.

 

[Edward]

I've read a lot of reviews which savaged Skyfall for having, at its centre, a protagonist who is a selfish, emotionally crippled, misogynist. It's certainly true that Bond is a vile creature. Of course, that always seemed rather the point to me. Bond is a product of his environment. He is a nasty man with a nasty mind trained to do a nasty job, by and for people whose own motives are likely less than pure. I would be of the opinion that this is exactly as Bond should be.... but then of course I don't presume him to be a hero. He is an anti-hero, and it is great to see him finally portrayed as such. Moore's Bond, now there's all kinds of offensive.

I will have to say that it felt very good to see a character dress exactly like I do in "Skyfall." Unfortunately that character was Albert Finney's!

That's the role I'd have adored to have seen Connery in.... or even a tiny cameo. If only the story had allowed or him to be the agent who "kills" Bond - he has always said "I'd love to kill that damn James Bond". lol

I enjoyed it, not as much as I did Casino Royale, but then again that's my favorite. As for Craig, he's my kind of Bond. His portrayal of a relentless, ruthless, cunning wrecking ball on a gov't leash tempered by just enough sophistication as called for is spot on. And, he looks the part of a soldier-spy with 20 some odd years in dishing it out and taking it back along the way.

Yes.

Very true. Blofeld may have tried many times but it was actually Austin Powers who killed off that Bond. He had to be re-invented to be taken seriously.

I don't know... it felt to me that Bond ran out of steam much longer ago than that... the Moore films became increasingly ridiculous, Dalton was no better, and by the time they reached Brosnan it was too late for even knowing self-parody to save them. Austin Powers worked (best in the first one, acceptably in the second, and..... well, it was very threadbare by Goldmember) because it parodied so much more than Bond. By 1997, Bond was so ridiculous that a parody of Bond alone would have been barely distinguishable from the real thing.

 

[AntonAAK]

I don't know... it felt to me that Bond ran out of steam much longer ago than that...

Indeed, but it didn't stop them making them or for them being a ridiculous as ever (ice-palaces, invisible cars, Xenia Onatopp!). But post-Powers people will not swallow that stuff any more. They had to go for something a bit more gritty and realistic and luckily that took them closer to the original character. Re-booting with an actual Fleming story helped and with possibly the best actor to play the part.

Quantum of Solace aside it bodes well for the future. I hope.

 

[Edward]

Indeed, but it didn't stop them making them or for them being a ridiculous as ever (ice-palaces, invisible cars, Xenia Onatopp!).

Oh, now, let's be reasonable... she can stay. I like strong women. The rest of though was ridiculous.

But post-Powers people will not swallow that stuff any more.

True.... I don't know if Powers can really claim to have been behind that change, but it certainly reflected it. I felt sorry for Brosnan, really. Unlike Moore, Lazenby and Dalton h wasn't utterly rubbish as Bond, but he didn't have much of a chance with the material he was given. The Rupert Murdoch guy was an interesting one, the first real attempt to break away from the played-out Cold War scenarios. Shame that didn't get a better take. The basic concept of the Big Bad being unaccountable corporations rather than the (increasingly less powerful) nation state was fun.... Also a cute irony: capitalism becoming the ultimate villain. Role reversal. That I'd like to see them do with Craig.

They had to go for something a bit more gritty and realistic and luckily that took them closer to the original character. Re-booting with an actual Fleming story helped and with possibly the best actor to play the part.

Quantum of Solace aside it bodes well for the future. I hope.

Yes, Quantum I tried to watch twice and lost interest both times.... Casino was grand, though, and Skyfall fun. What I liked about Skyfall was that having successfully rebranded, they had the confidence to make it a bit more Bond and a bit less Bourne than previously. Loved the Aston, though I hope they leave it at that and don't fall into the trap of making a gadget film again. They could have been much subtler about some touches, but that said it was for the mainstream, so it was never going to be as arty as some of us might like.

 

[AntonAAK]

Oh, now, let's be reasonable... she can stay. I like strong women.

My comment was about her name and no slur on her character or other attributes. Actually I think the name's quite funny too but was indicative of the continuation of the Carry on Bond -like Roger Moore days (oo er).

True.... I don't know if Powers can really claim to have been behind that change, but it certainly reflected it.

To be fair to him I don't believe that he has ever made such a claim. The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely my own and are not the views of Mr Mike Myers, New Line Cinema, its parent, affiliate, or subsidiary companies.

I felt sorry for Brosnan, really. Unlike Moore, Lazenby and Dalton h wasn't utterly rubbish as Bond, but he didn't have much of a chance with the material he was given.

I agree. I think he was quite good but did have some rubbish material to work with particularly towards the end.

A

 

[The Good]

The textbook Bond look right from Fleming's descriptions:

Doesn't look one bit like Craig.

Hoagy Carmichael doesn't look like Daniel Craig (and James Bond is supposed to look like Carmichael), yet I find that Ian Fleming's sketch somewhat resembles Craig. Maybe it's the eyes and facial expression.

Was James Bond really not taken seriously in the '90s? I thought Pierce Brosnan did pretty good as Bond, but he was in two weaker movies at the end. Austin Powers was kind of funny, but people seem to remember it a bit too well, drawing associations especially when Bond or the '60s are mentioned. Not all of the 1960s was like that, and the early Bond films weren't all that tacky either.

 

[AmateisGal]

Was James Bond really not taken seriously in the '90s? I thought Pierce Brosnan did pretty good as Bond, but he was in two weaker movies at the end. Austin Powers was kind of funny, but people seem to remember it a bit too well, drawing associations especially when Bond or the '60s are mentioned. Not all of the 1960s was like that, and the early Bond films weren't all that tacky either.

I actually really liked Goldeneye. I thought it was pretty good, considering. But yeah, when they did the disappearing car and all that in the last one with Halle Berry, they went too far.

 

[Doctor Damage]

A rather liked the clothes Bond wore at the end, the Barbour jacket that seemed to be laying about the old house in Scotland. The jacket has since gone on to sell out all over the world, which makes me nervous since I would hate to see Barbour get as popular as say Burberry.

Too late for that!

- - - - -

I'm enjoying the posts in this thread and it makes me regret missing the film when it was in theatres - I simply never got around to going.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

That's the role I'd have adored to have seen Connery in.... or even a tiny cameo. If only the story had allowed or him to be the agent who "kills" Bond - he has always said "I'd love to kill that damn James Bond". lol.

Tim theory is that this role was written for Connery in case he wanted to participate in the 50th anniversary. Pure Tim theory!

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Too late for that!

At least very few people in the country know of it!

Btw, and for the record, "For Your Eyes Only" was a very good Moore film. It was the most like classic Bond. It was much less reliant on gadgets and much more on story. Bad bad score though. Disco days, what can you do?

 

[The Good]

At least very few people in the country know of it!

Btw, and for the record, "For Your Eyes Only" was a very good Moore film. It was the most like classic Bond. It was much less reliant on gadgets and much more on story. Bad bad score though. Disco days, what can you do?

I agree, For Your Eyes Only was one of the best Roger Moore films. Bond was more serious in that one, and even kicked a man off a cliff. I actually like the score though. The track titled "Runaway" that plays during the ski chase is my favorite in the movie, although I know how dated it is.

 

[jamespowers]

At least very few people in the country know of it!

Btw, and for the record, "For Your Eyes Only" was a very good Moore film. It was the most like classic Bond. It was much less reliant on gadgets and much more on story. Bad bad score though. Disco days, what can you do?

[video=youtube_share;lXO8wWDf2EA]http://youtu.be/lXO8wWDf2EA[/video]

The skiing scene wasn't bad either.

 

[Edward]

Tim theory is that this role was written for Connery in case he wanted to participate in the 50th anniversary. Pure Tim theory!

Seems very plausible to me. Connery really does appear to have genuinely retired - or at least not to have been offered a role that would tempt him back out for one more film. Shame he didn't get to go out on one he enjoyed (starting to believe I'm the only person who enjoyed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen...).

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Seems very plausible to me. Connery really does appear to have genuinely retired - or at least not to have been offered a role that would tempt him back out for one more film. Shame he didn't get to go out on one he enjoyed (starting to believe I'm the only person who enjoyed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen...).

Thanks! The part seems to have Connery's stamp on it.

I agree. Many actors' final films tend to be less than their high-points. Harrison Ford seems destined for that sort of denouement.

 

[Chasseur]

I finally saw this and was pleasantly surprised. After Quantum I almost gave up on Craig as Bond. I felt the beginning car chase/action sequence was very poorly done and I almost stopped watching the film. Made me think I was watching some re-hash of Borne meets Ronin and not in a good way... The song and title sequence were excellent and then I realized I was watching a Bond film. Story and characters excellent, Bardem was wonderfully creepy as the villian. The abandoned city sequence with dueling pistols and Charles Trenet's "Boum" playing in the background was brilliant (though I was sad that lovely lady died...). Ralph Fiennes is a welcome addition and being an aficionado of all things related to Scottish field sports the final sequence was wonderful. Having the Aston Martin was icing on the cake!

 

[MisterCairo]

It appears to be the case that I am one of the few, very, few, people who actually enjoys Quantum of Solace!

Oh well, Strawberry Fields forever...

 

[Benzadmiral]

I bought the DVD of "Skyfall" yesterday, on sale at Target for $10. Perhaps this week or this weekend I'll set myself up to watch it straight through.

 

[AmateisGal]

It appears to be the case that I am one of the few, very, few, people who actually enjoys Quantum of Solace!

Oh well, Strawberry Fields forever...

I actually liked Quantum of Solace, too (not as well as Skyfall and Casino Royale), though the whole evil plot to steal the world's water was sort of far-fetched. But I enjoyed how Bond's character was motivated by revenge. I think it was more of a character-driven movie than plot-driven.