Official James Bond Thread

[ChrisIII]

I wonder if they'll pick up the Quantum stuff in future film. Goldfinger, Connery's third was a self-contained story (Although it would influence pretty much every later Bond), while all the other 1960s stories dealt in some way with SPECTRE. So this could be a similar thing. However I heard Jesper Christensen will probably not want to do Bond again, he hated working on the last two.

Same thing with Felix, Wright isn't in this one from what I've heard but the other "Felixes" weren't in a lot of Bond films either (In fact I'm pretty sure the character sat out most of the Moore era until he was reintroduced in the Dalton era, and nothing about Felix is in the Brosnan movies, where we had to settle for Joe Don Baker instead).

[Tandaemonium]

Got back from the midnight premiere...

DAMN. What an amazing movie. It's very not a Bond film in the Bond formula way, but very much a Bond film in spirit and presence if that makes sense.

I'm going to have to rewatch to get a better gauge of where Skyfall falls in my Bond film rankings which currently include The Spy Who Loved Me, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and From Russia With Love in the top 3 spots. It easily surpasses Casino Royale. I also haven't decided if Javier Barden surpasses Goldfinger as a Bond villain, but he's DEFINITELY instantly an iconic Bond villain.

Purvis and Wade did an excellent job writing and Sam Mendes totally just owned Martin Campbell. Thank you Mr. Mendes for returning Bond and just the action/adventure pacing and editting to a place where we don't need to hide pedestrian filmmaking with shaky cams and epileptic cuts. Amazing cinematography and DP work...it's been awhile since we've seen actual globe trotting beauty at this level. It's always easy to find beautiful locations and just point and shoot...you can't really mess that up, but Mendes and company really understood how to maximize those shots and framings.

As for the homages and nods to Bond history at every level...every filmmaker needs to take notes from this movie. THIS is how you do it without coming across pandering and heavy-handed. You don't need to drop catchphrases and names to get fan cred and cheap praise. Trying not to spoil here, but I'm heavily hinting at Bond history in many, many ways here.

Lastly...if these Craig films ever were intended to segue and line-up with all the past other Eon Bond films, this movie seamlessly makes that transition to every single one of them.

ETA: IMO, Skyfall currently beats out both TDKR and The Avengers as far as genre movies I've seen this year.

[ChrisIII]

Not sure about the 'seamless' thing, the old films still take place largely in the Cold War setting and then there's Felix meeting Bond earlier than Jamacia in CR and also Judi Dench as two Ms who look the same. Then again Bond movie continuity has never been solid at all.

I kind of like the 'video game' explanation (From Goldeneye Reloaded and 007 Legends) lately that Craig Bond presumabely has gone on or will go on the same missions as Connery-Brosnan but slightly differently.


In other words, Craig is sort of the Earth-2 Bond :)

[Mia]

Got back from the midnight premiere...

DAMN. What an amazing movie. It's very not a Bond film in the Bond formula way, but very much a Bond film in spirit and presence if that makes sense.

I'm going to have to rewatch to get a better gauge of where Skyfall falls in my Bond film rankings which currently include The Spy Who Loved Me, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and From Russia With Love in the top 3 spots. It easily surpasses Casino Royale. I also haven't decided if Javier Barden surpasses Goldfinger as a Bond villain, but he's DEFINITELY instantly an iconic Bond villain.

Purvis and Wade did an excellent job writing and Sam Mendes totally just owned Martin Campbell. Thank you Mr. Mendes for returning Bond and just the action/adventure pacing and editting to a place where we don't need to hide pedestrian filmmaking with shaky cams and epileptic cuts. Amazing cinematography and DP work...it's been awhile since we've seen actual globe trotting beauty at this level. It's always easy to find beautiful locations and just point and shoot...you can't really mess that up, but Mendes and company really understood how to maximize those shots and framings.

As for the homages and nods to Bond history at every level...every filmmaker needs to take notes from this movie. THIS is how you do it without coming across pandering and heavy-handed. You don't need to drop catchphrases and names to get fan cred and cheap praise. Trying not to spoil here, but I'm heavily hinting at Bond history in many, many ways here.

Lastly...if these Craig films ever were intended to segue and line-up with all the past other Eon Bond films, this movie seamlessly makes that transition to every single one of them.

ETA: IMO, Skyfall currently beats out both TDKR and The Avengers as far as genre movies I've seen this year.

I agree with you on everything except the bit about the Avengers (which I found silly). SF was one of the best and most satisfying fims I have seen in a long time. I didn't think that anything woud impress me as much as Casino Royale. But Sky Fall did.

[Schnitzy Pretzelpants]

I agree with you on everything except the bit about the Avengers (which I found silly). SF was one of the best and most satisfying fims I have seen in a long time. I didn't think that anything woud impress me as much as Casino Royale. But Sky Fall did.

I just saw a matinee, and was truly impressed.

I never thought I would enjoy this film as much as I did. I think, barring nostalgia changing my mind, that this may end up being my favourite Bond film.

I like the fact too that it entirely builds and plays off of the relationship between Dench's M and Bond's Craig, but at the same time that you don't need to have seen the previous two for this one to work.

I think Bardem may even trump Gert Frobe for top villain.

Deakins cinematography makes this one of the best Bonds to look at too, and Thomas Newman's score was such a refreshing break from David Arnold (whom I like, but was so tired of with his John Barry impersonation).

I said after seeing Casino Royale that it was the Bond film that I had been waiting for close to 20 years. Now, though I still love Casino Royale, that I may have rated it based on diminished expectations, because now I have to say that Skyfall is truly a Bond that I don't know how they will top.

Mendes, Craig, Logan, Purvis, Wade - and Deakins, frankly - have made a Bond that can be taken seriously. A good and solid film that happens to be a Bond film, as opposed to a good Bond film.

[Chiasm]

I saw Skyfall last night and was immensely disappointed. I truly don't get the love so many are giving this movie.

I get that with any James Bond movie you have to have a bit of suspension of disbelief but I'd at least like them not to utterly insult my intelligence with most convuluted nonsensical plot in a long time. The sheer amount of utter implausibility of A happening to cause B which leads to C which leads to D which leads to E and so on was absurd. Seriously, how does Silver know that MI6 is going to move into the tunnels? His plan relies on him getting caught and being brought to those tunnels. Then how does he get out of his cage. When did he have time to set the bomb to crash the train in the tunnels? How did his troops know to be waiting for him at the certain spot at the correct time since the timing was utterly and 100% dependent upon something outside of Silver's control - Q hooking up Silver's computer. Etc, etc, etc. Utterly absurd. I'm only touching on the tip of the iceberg in terms of how many details had to go exactly a certain way for it to happen the way it did.

And then the ending. Bond utterly and completely failed in his endgame mission. He couldn't have screwed it up worse yet MI6 welcomes him back like nothing happened and he didn't just 100% **** up completely and fail in his mission.

Easily the worst Bond movie I've seen and I just saw Moonraker a few weeks ago so thats really saying something.

I don't even know how to rate the Daniel Craig era now. Casino Royale is IMO the best Bond movie ever. Quantum of Solace had moments but was only better than average. Skyfall was horrible. I really fear what a 4th one will be like if this is the trend.

[The Batman]

I get that with any James Bond movie you have to have a bit of suspension of disbelief but I'd at least like them not to utterly insult my intelligence with most convuluted nonsensical plot in a long time. The sheer amount of utter implausibility of A happening to cause B which leads to C which leads to D which leads to E and so on was absurd. Seriously, how does Silver know that MI6 is going to move into the tunnels? His plan relies on him getting caught and being brought to those tunnels. Then how does he get out of his cage. When did he have time to set the bomb to crash the train in the tunnels? How did his troops know to be waiting for him at the certain spot at the correct time since the timing was utterly and 100% dependent upon something outside of Silver's control - Q hooking up Silver's computer. Etc, etc, etc. Utterly absurd. I'm only touching on the tip of the iceberg in terms of how many details had to go exactly a certain way for it to happen the way it did.

He was taught by the Joker from The Dark Knight.

[ChrisIII]

There's reports that Craig's fourth and fifth will be a connected storyline. Some journalists are saying this is 'a first' but Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace were very connected, and the Connery/Lazenby films did have sort of a loose story arc with SPECTRE and Blofeld (With the exception of Goldfinger).

[Muggs]

There's reports that Craig's fourth and fifth will be a connected storyline. Some journalists are saying this is 'a first' but Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace were very connected, and the Connery/Lazenby films did have sort of a loose story arc with SPECTRE and Blofeld (With the exception of Goldfinger).

It's more to to with the fact that John Logan has been re-hired to write the next two and there's reports that they will be filmed back to back. And Craig has got 2 more films left on his contract.

[thwhtGuardian]

I saw Skyfall last night and was immensely disappointed. I truly don't get the love so many are giving this movie.

I get that with any James Bond movie you have to have a bit of suspension of disbelief but I'd at least like them not to utterly insult my intelligence with most convuluted nonsensical plot in a long time. The sheer amount of utter implausibility of A happening to cause B which leads to C which leads to D which leads to E and so on was absurd. Seriously, how does Silver know that MI6 is going to move into the tunnels? His plan relies on him getting caught and being brought to those tunnels. Then how does he get out of his cage. When did he have time to set the bomb to crash the train in the tunnels? How did his troops know to be waiting for him at the certain spot at the correct time since the timing was utterly and 100% dependent upon something outside of Silver's control - Q hooking up Silver's computer. Etc, etc, etc. Utterly absurd. I'm only touching on the tip of the iceberg in terms of how many details had to go exactly a certain way for it to happen the way it did.

And then the ending. Bond utterly and completely failed in his endgame mission. He couldn't have screwed it up worse yet MI6 welcomes him back like nothing happened and he didn't just 100% **** up completely and fail in his mission.

Easily the worst Bond movie I've seen and I just saw Moonraker a few weeks ago so thats really saying something.

I don't even know how to rate the Daniel Craig era now. Casino Royale is IMO the best Bond movie ever. Quantum of Solace had moments but was only better than average. Skyfall was horrible. I really fear what a 4th one will be like if this is the trend.

Those are more or less how every Bond film works though. Hating Skyfall for the reasons you listed is like hating Batman because capes are impractical, you either buy into it or you don't.

[Lancerman]

Those are more or less how every Bond film works though. Hating Skyfall for the reasons you listed is like hating Batman because capes are impractical, you either buy into it or you don't.

Thats pretty much what I was gonna say. You can legit chalk up every Bond film to coindcidence.

[Davideaux]

Is it necessary to see Quantum of Solace before seeing Skyfall? Are they at all interconnected?

[Mia]

No you don't have to to see QOS. In fact I sort of got the impression that bits of CR and QOS have been ret-conned out. Mostly due to
spoilers:

Bond's being burned out and tired near the start of the film. CR gave off the impression that it was Bond's first mission. But in SF you got the impression that he was at the game of being a spy too long and was just tired of it all. Although you could also ascribe that to the fact that Bond was a seasoned miltary man before he joined the service

end of spoilers

I saw Skyfall last night and was immensely disappointed. I truly don't get the love so many are giving this movie.

I get that with any James Bond movie you have to have a bit of suspension of disbelief but I'd at least like them not to utterly insult my intelligence with most convuluted nonsensical plot in a long time. The sheer amount of utter implausibility of A happening to cause B which leads to C which leads to D which leads to E and so on was absurd. Seriously, how does Silver know that MI6 is going to move into the tunnels? His plan relies on him getting caught and being brought to those tunnels. Then how does he get out of his cage. When did he have time to set the bomb to crash the train in the tunnels? How did his troops know to be waiting for him at the certain spot at the correct time since the timing was utterly and 100% dependent upon something outside of Silver's control - Q hooking up Silver's computer. Etc, etc, etc. Utterly absurd. I'm only touching on the tip of the iceberg in terms of how many details had to go exactly a certain way for it to happen the way it did.

And then the ending. Bond utterly and completely failed in his endgame mission. He couldn't have screwed it up worse yet MI6 welcomes him back like nothing happened and he didn't just 100% **** up completely and fail in his mission.

What's implausible about it when it's been shown that Silva was a computer genius and a master strategist and had years and years to plan.
Plenty of leaders throughout history from Alexander the Great to Napoleon have employed the same method.

[Dudebro McTypo]

Skyfall made me enjoy an Adele song...that's a feat in of itself.

One could argue that this is the best Bond movie ever, and I would be inclined to agree. You can't go wrong with Scorpion Shots and Komodo Dragons!

And can we just give Javier the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor already?

[ChrisIII]

I think the only thing Skyfall carries from Quantum is the same actor as Tanner/Chief of staff.