Content written by Tony Macklin. Originally published on October 26, 2012 on tonymacklin.net.
Here I go again.
Wanting better and unwilling to settle for less. It's a curse. Why can't I just sit on the edge of my seat or stand up and cheer?
At the end of the screening of Skyfall for critics and reviewers, there was applause. But not by me.
There are two basic criteria I ask of a movie. 1.) Did it deliver on what it tried to do? 2.) Was it worth doing?
I think Skyfall was absolutely worth doing, but it failed to deliver on what it could have been and should have been.
I think what chafes me the most is that it could have been so much better than the Bondian schlock it is.
Skyfall is a mixed bag of 50 years of Bonds and product placement.
Where have you gone, 007? Skyfall has transformed you from the human, vulnerable, mysterious, skillful spy into a Superhero Bond.
In Skyfall, James Bond is part Aquaman and part Road Runner, with some familial angst pilfered from Bruce Wayne. He's become an action toy.
In Skyfall, James Bond and one old woman and one old man destroy two attacking armies. He's now a walking -leaping, flying. plunging - video game. Say it isn't so, James.
As 2012's James Bond has accelerated his motion, he has decelerated his libido. Where are the vivacious beauties of yesteryear? In Skyfall, he has sex perfunctorily with two forgettable partners.
One presumed sexual encounter, cuts to a sky full of fireworks. That's a blast from the past. Is a cliche still a cliche if it's retro? You bet your contrivance it is.
Yes, Bond does shower with a female, but it doesn't wash the dustiness off the scene.
He says, "I like you better without your Beretta." She responds, "I feel naked without it." And without good dialogue. Scintillating foreplay it's not.
Skyfall is the gamy story of Bond (Daniel Craig) being shot, an enemy stealing a hard drive with a list of NATO operatives on it, the enemy being a former MI-6 agent (Javier Bardem) seeking revenge on M (Judi Dench), and Bond trying to come to her rescue as the terrorist former agent wreaks his lethal havoc.
But have no fear, SuperBond is here. He supposedly is damaged, but we don't for a second believe he won't overcome whatever ails him.
I don't have anything against superheroes, but James Bond isn't one of them. The best film I've seen so far in 2012 is The Dark Knight Rises. But I don't want The Dark Pawn Skyfalls.
Skyfall's director Sam Mendes is no Chris Nolan.
The cast does its able best with the floppy plot. But the writing by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan doesn't give them a human core or any subtlety to work with.
I argued vehemently that Daniel Craig would make a terrific James Bond when he was making Casino Royale (2006). A lot of people were dismissing him. His human steely resolve was palpable. But much of it has been discarded in favor of mayhem and conflagration. And Craig's gift for subtlety is gone.
Judi Dench, as always, is a stalwart M. Circa 80 minutes into Skyfall the villain appears and struts his stuff. Finally an interesting character. Javier Bardem plays Raoul Silva, a tormented villain who is prone to laughing. He is blond and deadly, which harkens back to Robert Shaw in From Russia with Love (1963).
The casting director dips into the Bourne franchise to get Albert Finney, who plays an aging caretaker in Scotland.
Naomie Harris - Thandie Newton would have been ten times better - is Eve, an MI-6 operative, who is only a match for Bond in the writers' minds. One of the credits of Ms. Harris is as a voice on a video game. This seems appropriate.
Berenice Marlohe as Severine has all the impact of an extra.
Ralph Finnes is agreeable as an agency honcho.
Roger Deakins, who also photographed Bardem's villainy in No Country for Old Men (2007) is artful. But the musical score by Thomas Newman is as intrusive as a bad laugh track.
The late Ian Fleming who created the original James Bond almost certainly is not Skyfalling.
He's probably spinning.
But JB is still human and alive. Unfortunately it's not James Bond.
The living, breathing JB is Jason Bourne. May he never Skyfall.
GE, this will be the mainstream review of people, not the BS being shoveled by Eon's paid off hacks The SAME theme comes through in these reviews: "Bondian schlock it is". FBF, this will NOT be anything of relevance the Monday after the weekend is over November 12 when Twilight premieres HUGE
Favorite Bond Movie: The Dark Knight Trilogy, Mission: Impossible, Kingsman: The Secret Service and The November Man or any upcoming actioners starring Pierce Brosnan (no, it's not James Bond which is good since it will help him expand his reputation as an actor especially in the action realm)
Favorite Movies: Star Wars Indiana Jones Star Trek The Dark Knight Trilogy Harry Potter Middle-Earth The Matrix Mission: Impossible The Mummy Jurassic Park Godzilla
bjmdds wrote:GE, this will be the mainstream review of people, not the BS being shoveled by Eon's paid off hacks The SAME theme comes through in these reviews: "Bondian schlock it is". FBF, this will NOT be anything of relevance the Monday after the weekend is over November 12 when Twilight premieres HUGE
Sadly it's still going to break records in the UK because I'm probably the only english user on the internet (if anyone else's here from the UK forget that bit) that seems to hate seeing an animated mr burns trying to be bond, I don't get our fixation with this guy, I really don't, I'm so tired of nothing but emo gritty crap everywhere ( I need some hope dammit), bond used to represent something worth fighting for now it's simply not worth fighting for anything.
Shaken, the UK is expected and a loyal advocate of their product. That is acceptable. The minions outside of the UK are another thing. This is a very weak BOND escapism plot......very weak, and sad..........you are not supposed to leave a Bond film in tears..........this is a depressing mess.
bjmdds wrote:Shaken, the UK is expected and a loyal advocate of their product. That is acceptable. The minions outside of the UK are another thing. This is a very weak BOND escapism plot......very weak, and sad..........you are not supposed to leave a Bond film in tears..........this is a depressing mess.
True I just really wish we weren't loyal to this now that it's all crapola on a stick.
As for leaving a bond film in tears, doesn't surprise Me, eon have lost the whole meaning of escapism and bond & left it in the toilet (ironically the first scene in cr has a toilet coincidence, I think not).
When we used to have decent and great bond films with great actors then this was fine but now...it's like cheering for jeremy kyle, it's lowest common denominator rubbish to Me.
bjmdds wrote:Shaken, the UK is expected and a loyal advocate of their product. That is acceptable. The minions outside of the UK are another thing. This is a very weak BOND escapism plot......very weak, and sad..........you are not supposed to leave a Bond film in tears..........this is a depressing mess.
Dark and depressing seems to be what's considered cool and realistic, unfortunately. Fun and escapism is a blasphemy to some Bond fans who take the films way too seriously for their own good.
bjmdds wrote:Shaken, the UK is expected and a loyal advocate of their product. That is acceptable. The minions outside of the UK are another thing. This is a very weak BOND escapism plot......very weak, and sad..........you are not supposed to leave a Bond film in tears..........this is a depressing mess.
True I just really wish we weren't loyal to this now that it's all crapola on a stick.
As for leaving a bond film in tears, doesn't surprise Me, eon have lost the whole meaning of escapism and bond & left it in the toilet (ironically the first scene in cr has a toilet coincidence, I think not).
When we used to have decent and great bond films with great actors then this was fine but now...it's like cheering for jeremy kyle, it's lowest common denominator rubbish to Me.
Great analogy Shaken. Cr-egg started to FLUSH the franchise literally down the toilet before Chris Cornell even sung a note
bjmdds wrote:Shaken, the UK is expected and a loyal advocate of their product. That is acceptable. The minions outside of the UK are another thing. This is a very weak BOND escapism plot......very weak, and sad..........you are not supposed to leave a Bond film in tears..........this is a depressing mess.
Dark and depressing seems to be what's considered cool and realistic, unfortunately. Fun and escapism is a blasphemy to some Bond fans who take the films way too seriously for their own good.
I think Bond fans are hungering for an escapism Bond film now........hungering for it.....and will sour on this dour mess known as Bond 23. You need a new Q, Bond, M, and MP all over again.......how ridiculous will that continuity be when realized?
I must say that I am a new poster in this forum and I have only just watched skyfall. In my opinion skyfall was the worst James Bond film I have ever seen. Daniel Craig was alright in casino and quantum but he was terrible in skyfall. It was a dour film, I will not buy this film. The plot was all over the place, raoull silva was a crap Bond villain, he was perverse and weird. The likes of goldeneye, a view to a kill and even casino royals were a lot better than this, Craig was not James Bond in this film.
Favorite Bond Movie: The Living Daylights, Licence To Kill, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, From Russia With Love, Tomorrow Never Dies & For Your Eyes Only.
Favorite Movies: American Mary, Deadlier Than The Male, Dracula, Saved, The Big Sleep, The French Connection, Under The Sand
Favorite Movies: Bullitt, The Long Good Friday, The Towering Inferno, Jaws, Rocky, Superman the Movie, McVicar, Goodfellas, Get Carter, Three Days of the Condor, Butch & Sundance, The Sting, All the Presidents Men
Favorite Movies: Bullitt, The Long Good Friday, The Towering Inferno, Jaws, Rocky, Superman the Movie, McVicar, Goodfellas, Get Carter, Three Days of the Condor, Butch & Sundance, The Sting, All the Presidents Men
Max zorin wrote:I must say that I am a new poster in this forum and I have only just watched skyfall. In my opinion skyfall was the worst James Bond film I have ever seen. Daniel Craig was alright in casino and quantum but he was terrible in skyfall. It was a dour film, I will not buy this film. The plot was all over the place, raoull silva was a crap Bond villain, he was perverse and weird. The likes of goldeneye, a view to a kill and even casino royals were a lot better than this, Craig was not James Bond in this film.
Welcome Max.
Shame to hear you didn't like the film. I personally think it could be the best film in the franchise (2nd viewing to confirm this).
(Sorry Sweeney 
)
The SAME theme comes through in these reviews: "Bondian schlock it is". FBF, this will NOT be anything of relevance the Monday after the weekend is over November 12 when Twilight premieres HUGE 
because I'm probably the only english user on the internet (if anyone else's here from the UK forget that bit) that seems to hate seeing an animated mr burns trying to be bond, I don't get our fixation with this guy, I really don't, I'm so tired of nothing but emo gritty crap everywhere ( I need some hope dammit), bond used to represent something worth fighting for now it's simply not worth fighting for anything.
