Skyfall

[Marlow]

OK, I can't be the only one wetting the bed in fervid anticipation of the newest Bond flick! Reviews say it's as good as ANY of the early classics (Goldfinger being the hallmark). But the most amazing fact so far is that it hasn't even debuted yet in Box Office Heaven (USA), and has already earned

$287,000,000

It even has an outside shot to surpass The Avengers $1.5 BILLION take!

[mump boy]

Bond's are not my kind of thing, i'd only seen 1 before last week when i watched Casino Royal and Quantum of Solace in preparation for Skyfall. I thought Casino Royal was rubbish but rather enjoyed Quantum of Solace as for Skyfall i won't tell you much but i though it was excellent in till the last 20 mins which are very odd but more than made up for by the last 2 mins !!

[Rog]

I'm a huge fan of the Daniel Craig James Bonds, and I would say Skyfall is the best of the three. It is quite different to the first two though - this is very much the "Empire Strikes Back" of Bond films as they are really up against it this time. Javier Bardem is the first great baddy Daniel has had to face, and he's a real tough customer. Judi Dench has a lot more to do as M, there are plenty of in-jokes and nodding references to the last 50 years, and as for the last 20 minutes that have aroused comment, in my view they really heighten the tension. Best of all is Daniel Craig himself - the best Bond of all, even including Sir Sean. Overall I would say Skyfall pips Prometheus as my film of the year (so far). Weird coincidence - Prometheus stars Noomi Rapace, and Skyfall features her ex-husband Ola Rapace. Not bad for two Swedes venturing into Englisg language cinema!

Only disappointment - Her Majesty doesn't reappear as a Bond girl.

[mump boy]

I HATED Prometheus

I forgot to say how AMAZING Javier Bardem was

[Marlow]

I forgot to say how AMAZING Javier Bardem was

I understand he brings a homoerotic vibe that makes this Bond Bad Guy . . . unique.

[Rog]

There are surprising edges to all three lead characters, but discovering them for yourself will be part of the fun!

[bambam]

I'm a huge fan of the Daniel Craig James Bonds, and I would say Skyfall is the best of the three. It is quite different to the first two though - this is very much the "Empire Strikes Back" of Bond films as they are really up against it this time. Javier Bardem is the first great baddy Daniel has had to face, and he's a real tough customer. Judi Dench has a lot more to do as M, there are plenty of in-jokes and nodding references to the last 50 years, and as for the last 20 minutes that have aroused comment, in my view they really heighten the tension. Best of all is Daniel Craig himself - the best Bond of all, even including Sir Sean. Overall I would say Skyfall pips Prometheus as my film of the year (so far). Weird coincidence - Prometheus stars Noomi Rapace, and Skyfall features her ex-husband Ola Rapace. Not bad for two Swedes venturing into Englisg language cinema! Only disappointment - Her Majesty doesn't reappear as a Bond girl.

Look, haven't I explained this to you guys enough already? Daniel Craig is not the best Bond, because he is not James Bond. Sean Connery was James Bond. This is not a Bond film, since he is not in it. End of argument. I don't wanna hear anymore about this so-called Bond film.

[Marlow]

Look, haven't I explained this to you guys enough already? Daniel Craig is not the best Bond, because he is not James Bond. Sean Connery was James Bond. This is not a Bond film, since he is not in it. End of argument. I don't wanna hear anymore about this so-called Bond film.

I used to be True Believer also, but something about Daniel Craig leads me to think even Sir Sean approves. Forgive me father, for I have sinned.

[mump boy]

I forgot to say how AMAZING Javier Bardem was

I understand he brings a homoerotic vibe that makes this Bond Bad Guy . . . unique.

Because i only like gay characters

[lonewolf]

I too have become a Daniel Craig convert.
I think I have seen all the "Bond" films/movies and post-Connery Bond pretenders.
In retrospect, all the tall, dark, suave, urbane chain-smoking Bonds strike me as actors playing a character tounge in cheek with lots of help from M-1 special effects.
Daniel Craig comes across a "real" Bond-type character.

[Marlow]

Because i only like gay characters.

You do? Well that's not very evolved of you! I think 'unique' is interesting.
(yes, I got your snide little dig - not even gonna take the bait.)

[Rog]

Sean Connery was the only Bond I took seriously before Daniel Craig... and most of his Bond movies were made before I was born, so I had no interest in the films anymore. I was familiar with Daniel Craig however, and when I heard he had been cast I was intrigued, as he seemed the last actor to take over a franchise role. Basically, for an actor of his quality to become involved I knew they must be aiming to up the ante bigstyle.

Sean was great, but in my view Daniel is even better - that killer (pun intended) combination of a mean look and a really tight physique make him seem a more believable assassin, and his films have given the character more depth (another strength of Skyfall) than before. It's a testament to Daniel's ability that he holds central stage throughout this new movie despite Judi Dench and Javier Bardem giving it full blast with two amazing performances.

Bambam, give Skyfall a chance, it's a great movie.

[bambam]

Sean Connery was the only Bond I took seriously before Daniel Craig... and most of his Bond movies were made before I was born, so I had no interest in the films anymore. I was familiar with Daniel Craig however, and when I heard he had been cast I was intrigued, as he seemed the last actor to take over a franchise role. Basically, for an actor of his quality to become involved I knew they must be aiming to up the ante bigstyle.

Sean was great, but in my view Daniel is even better - that killer (pun intended) combination of a mean look and a really tight physique make him seem a more believable assassin, and his films have given the character more depth (another strength of Skyfall) than before. It's a testament to Daniel's ability that he holds central stage throughout this new movie despite Judi Dench and Javier Bardem giving it full blast with two amazing performances.

Bambam, give Skyfall a chance, it's a great movie.

If you think Craig has a better physique than Sir Sean, you might want to know that in 1953 he was in the top finishers in the junior division of the Mr Universe pageant. Connery got his start as a bodybuilder in Scotland.

Might be a great movie. Not a Bond movie.

[Marlow]

Might be a great movie. Not a Bond movie.

Then we ain't got no beef. You enjoy it your way; we'll enjoy it our way.

[Rog]

Sean Connery was the only Bond I took seriously before Daniel Craig... and most of his Bond movies were made before I was born, so I had no interest in the films anymore. I was familiar with Daniel Craig however, and when I heard he had been cast I was intrigued, as he seemed the last actor to take over a franchise role. Basically, for an actor of his quality to become involved I knew they must be aiming to up the ante bigstyle.

Sean was great, but in my view Daniel is even better - that killer (pun intended) combination of a mean look and a really tight physique make him seem a more believable assassin, and his films have given the character more depth (another strength of Skyfall) than before. It's a testament to Daniel's ability that he holds central stage throughout this new movie despite Judi Dench and Javier Bardem giving it full blast with two amazing performances.

Bambam, give Skyfall a chance, it's a great movie.

If you think Craig has a better physique than Sir Sean, you might want to know that in 1953 he was in the top finishers in the junior division of the Mr Universe pageant. Connery got his start as a bodybuilder in Scotland.

Might be a great movie. Not a Bond movie.

It's not a question of a better physique - Sean looked fantastic in his prime - but Daniel has that cagefighter/boxer look, and Sean didn't. Daniel's physique is a better fit for the conception of Bond as an all-action assassin. For the record, I would be happy to look like either!

[bambam]

You know how couples kid around about their "exception" list - if you had the chance, who would sleep with if you could, and we'll give you one exception. My wife and I would joke about that and for her, the answer was always Sir Sean. Even at 80 she thinks he's hot.

[shivfan]

Sean Connery was a bit before my time...I grew up watching Roger Moore, and I liked him, until I saw Pierce Brosnan, and to date, the Irishman remains my favourite Bond!

I was not too keen on Daniel Craig at first, but I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed 'Skyfall'....

[Marlow]

Saw it last night . . . WOW . . . it's got everything a true Bond fan would want! As someone who has seen each one in its first theatrical release (all but Dr. No on its first weekend of release!), and as one for whom the Bond franchise is THE franchise of my life, Skyfall is a fitting tribute to the "50 years of Bond" that this year celebrates. It has plenty of (appropriately used) allusions to all that has gone before, but it has a very 21st Century sensibility about it. Bond is back where he should be, as a cold-blooded assassin, in Her Majesty's Secret Service. It's the best explanation of his bond (pun!) with M and how he sees himself in her eyes. I was as 'thrilled' as I ever have been by a movie, and as someone who loves going to the movies, that's saying a lot. There is, of course, no message, just pure entertainment.

Via-a-vis the other movie I saw this week, Lincoln is the superior film, but Skyfall is, by far(!), the better movie.

[Per Andersen]

It's not a question of a better physique - Sean looked fantastic in his prime - but Daniel has that cagefighter/boxer look, and Sean didn't. Daniel's physique is a better fit for the conception of Bond as an all-action assassin. For the record, I would be happy to look like either!

bambam is absolutely right. Skyfall might be an excellent movie but it is not a James Bond movie as Connery is the only James Bond.
And Cagefighter? Bond was never supposed to look like a Cagefighter.
Ian Fleming who knew a thing or two about Bond said he looked somewhat like Hoagy Carmichael.

Daniel Craig is an excellent actor but he looks more like Vladimir Putin than Hoagy Carmichael.

[BruceFlorman]

Daniel Craig is an excellent actor but he looks more like Vladimir Putin than Hoagy Carmichael.

My wife, who is Russian, agrees with you. She says that Daniel Craig looks like a "businessman" from Tver.

[Marlow]

Ian Fleming who knew a thing or two about Bond said he looked somewhat like Hoagy Carmichael. Daniel Craig is an excellent actor but he looks more like Vladimir Putin than Hoagy Carmichael.

Craig's suitability to play Bond (Fleming's infatuation with Carmichael's 'look' aside) has little to do with the shape of his face or leanness of his body (Craig looking more compact that Connery - and make no mistake, I also would rather look like Connery than Craig), it has to do with the way he plays this suave, sophisticated, amoral killing machine. Connery and Craig have it in equal measure, but I am much more convinced of Craig's innate cruelness than Connery's. Craig acts like the issue-laden orphan he is, Connery looks like an upper-crust British elite. Connery played him as hero, Craig as anti-hero, and the demands of the job call for more of the latter. JMHO.

[bambam]

bambam is absolutely right. Skyfall might be an excellent movie but it is not a James Bond movie as Connery is the only James Bond.

I have always thought Per was one of the smartest people on this board.

[Marlow]

With the USA initial take at 90 MIL, the world gross is already over
HALF A BILLION!!!

Biggest Bond opening ever. Avengers, here we come?

[Daisy]

Biggest Bond opening ever. Avengers, here we come?

I know a couple who hardly ever go to the movies. But they're going to Skyfall tonight.

bambam is absolutely right. Skyfall might be an excellent movie but it is not a James Bond movie as Connery is the only James Bond.

I have never really considered that the actor is that important. They're all Bond movies to me. It's like The Doctor keeps changing but the plots are similar, after all, it's still Dr Who inside each incarnation of his body.

[jeremyp]

Finally saw it. Entertaining, if ludicrous. You could drive a Tank through the plot holes. MI-6 is going to let M go to Scotland with one agent and let Bardem trail them and NOT have a waiting committee? I like Craig, always have, but these movies have shifted away from the Bond of old. The humor is mostly gone, the lines when spoken by Craig are not droll the way Connery, Brosnan, could do them. We already have a humorless spy/bad ass in Bourne, do we need another one? MI-6 as a spy agency just doesn't work anymore, especially in modern themes. The fact that this one is making big $ impresses Marlow but it's never of concern to me. I found "Flight" and "Argo" way more engaging and entertaining, and I'm really looking forward to the on killing Bin Laden, a real story about spies and special ops and intrigue.

[Marlow]

The fact that this one is making big $ impresses Marlow but it's never of concern to me.

But it kinda of is to the producers . . .

[lonewolf]

Finally saw it.. entertaining but I agree with jeremy, the plot strains credulity..I had to come home and wiki to follow the plot.. the new-fangled gadgets in the old movies are old hat now......and I still don't know how Craig survived the fall in the opening seqence..

[Marlow]

I still don't know how Craig survived the fall in the opening sequence.

a. it wan't Craig
b. Being shot and falling 100 feet can't hurt Bond any more than electrocution, choking, knives, and heart stoppage can't slow down Jack Bauer!
c. He read the script, saw it was only the beginning, and paced himself.

Criticizing a Bond movie for its credibilty is like saying too much of the action in Moby Dick is at sea!

[lonewolf]

Well, that clears that up..
Now, please tell me shooting up Bonds car and blowing up the old homeplace was all computer graphics.

[Marlow]

please tell me shooting up Bonds car and blowing up the old homeplace was all computer graphics.

"No vintage Aston-Martins or Scottish ancestral homes were harmed in the making of this motion picture."

[jeremyp]

I still don't know how Craig survived the fall in the opening sequence.

Criticizing a Bond movie for its credibilty is like saying too much of the action in Moby Dick is at sea!

I can't agree fully. No doubt our modern heroes can survive anything and perform super humanly, it is fiction after all, but the holes in the plot cannot be put down to anything but lazy writing/directing. Perhaps it is a failing of mine to only go along with suspended disbelief for so long. I've given it up for politics why can't I do it for entertainment? I must remind myself of my grandson's advice: "It's the movies and they can do anything they want."

[kuha]

Finally saw Skyfall a couple days ago. Definitely enjoyed it, and also agree with the general consensus that Craig is the second best Bond ever. My only real gripe is that he seems to inhabit the role in a strictly physical way (extremely well of course). What we had with Connery was that plus a real sense of wit and pleasure as the Bond character.

In this new movie, I liked the way the end brought the whole franchise back to the beginning. On the other hand, thought the "we're all too old for this" stuff was repeated too many times--and contradicted the more playful closed-circle idea of the ending.

[jeremyp]

In this new movie, I liked the way the end brought the whole franchise back to the beginning.

Including morphing Miss Moneypenny's race. Must be an alternative reality kind of thing. And will Craig develop a Scottish accent?

[Marlow]

Including morphing Miss Moneypenny's race. Must be an alternative reality kind of thing. And will Craig develop a Scottish accent?

They've done well with that sort of thing. M changes sex, Q de-ages 40 years, Felix Leiter changed color also.

[bijanc]

Moore always struck me as too effete and pretty for fisticuffs, though he was believable as "The Saint". Too tongue-in-cheek f/ my taste (I'm a Connery fan). If one looks at Ian Fleming's sketch of how he imagined Bond to look, the character somewhat resembles Timothy Dalton.
Fleming wanted David Niven to portray 007.

The author eventually warmed so much to Connery, he worked some Scottish ancestry into his later novels.