James Bond: 007 - Spectre

[flickchick85]

Skyfall is the ultimate Bond movie to me, for all the reasons Mrs. Sawyer just mentioned. I'll admit I find Casino Royale more fun to re-watch, but Skyfall is highly re-watchable as well, and whenever someone asks me what I think the "best" Bond movie is, it's Skyfall all the way. It's just a straight-up great film, imo.

 

[StarLord]

It starts.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Skyfall is the ultimate Bond movie to me, for all the reasons Mrs. Sawyer just mentioned. I'll admit I find Casino Royale more fun to re-watch, but whenever someone asks me what the "best" Bond movie is, it's Skyfall all the way. It's just a straight-up great film, imo.

What the!? I'm gone for 7 weeks and flickchick becomes a mod? Congratulations!

Themes wise, Skyfall is the most ambitious Bond movie. In a way, it tries to be about more than Bond, and accomplishes not only that, but furthers Bond's character without ever losing focus on him. It's about Bond, the peopel around him (M and to a lesser degree Q and Moneypenny), British Intelligence, the Intelligence industry, and England itself.

It's no small task. In fact, it's an incredible accomplishment and shows how Bond has become a synonymous symbol of the UK.

 

[Hunter Rider]

What's the first shooting location?

 

[DarthSkywalker]

It starts.

The English Bulldog survives.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Brosnan era has the most clinically boring Bond film ever made. Tomorrow Nevah Dies. The film feels like it was made solely to mathematically fill in conventional boxes. The World is not Enough at least tries to be good. And DAD is devastatingly hilarious. But neither are woefully, painstakingly ...ordinary. **** that movie.

 

[Doctor Jones]

See, I completely disagree about the Istanbul sequence being the film's only set-piece. The London/Whitehall chase is a proper set-piece. As well, the third act climax is a masterful, extended set-piece brimming with story, character, and suspense like the best Spielberg set-pieces of old.

In contrast, Casino Royale's action was its biggest weakness for me. I found the set pieces were overly long, self-indulgent, and made the film drag for me. They didn't feel organic, but rather like lingering Brosnan era excess. I thought that the shorter sequences like the bathroom fight and stairwell fight were much more effective than the bigger set-pieces like the African rundown, Miami Airport tanker fight, and the final Venice shootout.

Wow, the Madagascar foot chase was the thing that made me totally love Craig as Bond. As if he didn't already sell me with that terrific, cold opening sequence. This chase just illustrated how different this Bond is compared to the others, yet still absolutely Bond. But a great character based sequence as well. It delivers in every single facet. As soon as he ran up that crane you just knew this was going to be a different Bond. And you loved it right away.

In short, this was a Bond that could **** you up HARD as much as shoot you in cold blood.

When he broke through that dry wall? Jesus Christ

 

[hoy-small-fry]

Skyfall is the ultimate Bond movie to me, for all the reasons Mrs. Sawyer just mentioned. I'll admit I find Casino Royale more fun to re-watch, but Skyfall is highly re-watchable as well, and whenever someone asks me what I think the "best" Bond movie is, it's Skyfall all the way. It's just a straight-up great film, imo.

Agree that Skyfall is just Bond through and through. Of the modern films it wins outright for me, but still not a patch on Goldfinger and From Russia With Love. Only one to go get close though

Also, shooting has started

 

[Tacit Ronin]

It was the airport chase scene that felt tacked on, unnecessary and skippable. They could've excised that part of the flick completely and come up with a more streamlined first third. From a filmmaking standpoint, it wasn't even that good of a sequence to watch. Felt like a step down after the foot chase.

 

[regwec]

Good Lord what a beautiful woman.

Brosnan era has the most clinically boring Bond film ever made. Tomorrow Nevah Dies. The film feels like it was made solely to mathematically fill in conventional boxes. The World is not Enough at least tries to be good. And DAD is devastatingly hilarious. But neither are woefully, painstakingly ...ordinary. **** that movie.

Yes, that's a good observation. TND is one of a few Bond movies that feels completely loveless. DAF has a similar feel, though I do enjoy the twin pairs of henchmen, Wint and Kidd, and Bambi and Thumper.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

There more good things about the Brosnan era than Dench. Too bad 90% of it is only in Goldeneye. Brosnan gets crap, but I enjoyed him immensely in Goldeneye.

Goldeneye is weird for me. I loved it growing up, but it hasn't aged well imo. That being said, there are things I still love about it. Specifically, the villains.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Wow, the Madagascar foot chase was the thing that made me totally love Craig as Bond. As if he didn't already sell me with that terrific, cold opening sequence. This chase just illustrated how different this Bond is compared to the others, yet still absolutely Bond. But a great character based sequence as well. It delivers in every single facet. As soon as he ran up that crane you just knew this was going to be a different Bond. And you loved it right away.

In short, this was a Bond that could **** you up HARD as much as shoot you in cold blood.

When he broke through that dry wall? Jesus Christ

The way Bond struts into the embassy gets me every time. It is a great, great scene, with so many little moments, which included the opposing methods of travel. When he tosses the gun back.

 

[antsman41]

I feel like no one would hold that movie to any regard without GoldenEye for N64...

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Good Lord what a beautiful woman.

An incredible understatement regwec.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I feel like no one would hold that movie to any regard without GoldenEye for N64...

Do you mean Goldeneye? If so, both the film and game are quite overrated.

Brosnan era has the most clinically boring Bond film ever made. Tomorrow Nevah Dies. The film feels like it was made solely to mathematically fill in conventional boxes. The World is not Enough at least tries to be good. And DAD is devastatingly hilarious. But neither are woefully, painstakingly ...ordinary. **** that movie.

I definitely agree on TND. It is so insanely boring, I just can't watch it. At least with most of Moore's films I can laugh or roll my eyes while I complain. Not with TND.

 

[dustbros]

What's the first shooting location?

Pinewood, I guess?

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Skyfall is the ultimate Bond movie to me, for all the reasons Mrs. Sawyer just mentioned. I'll admit I find Casino Royale more fun to re-watch, but Skyfall is highly re-watchable as well, and whenever someone asks me what I think the "best" Bond movie is, it's Skyfall all the way. It's just a straight-up great film, imo.

You see, I think Casino Royale is a straight up better film, not that I am complaining about Skyfall. I love it.

Pinewood, I guess?

Yep. Though apparently they shot something in Morocco already.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

I disagree. It's a good film regardless of the video game. Just like Skyfall, Goldeneye also addressed Bond's place in that time. What is James Bond, an instrument shaped in the cold war, after its destruction? Is he still relevant? The film raises and pontificates on Bond's value in a time where many people thought he is obsolete, just like Skyfall did. And the film holds up because of the execution of themes so gracefully. Not to mention Alec T (something) is a badass villain. And Famke....dear god.

 

[DyeLorean]

I love both Casino Royale and Skyfall but for different reasons. Casino made the biggest, most difficult task of putting Bond in the map again, and against all odds, Daniel Craig just nailed the role. It was a perfect film for what it wanted to accomplish.
And Skyfall is just classic Bond. They took what worked and added the Connery-era feel to it. So yeah, both films, both great for different reasons.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

I definitely agree on TND. It is so insanely boring, I just can't watch it. At least with most of Moore's films I can laugh or roll my eyes while I complain. Not with TND.

The cinematography also contributes to its listlessness. It looks like a 90's TV show. And I say 90's because contemporary TV shows on HBO blows it away. it wouldn't be fair to say "like a TV show".

 

[antsman41]

Do you mean Goldeneye? If so, both the film and game are quite overrated.

Overrated? It's still the best FPS...

Plus, every game (COD/HALO/etc.) PS/Xbox relies on to make money wouldn't be possible without GoldenEye.

 

[regwec]

I really don't think the N64 Goldeneye game could be said to have been overrated at the time. It revolutionised its genre: prior to it, 3D shooters were still following a Doom/Quake recipe of collecting progressively bigger guns, firing and strafing.

 

[StarLord]

Do you mean Goldeneye? If so, both the film and game are quite overrated.

I agree about the film. It is a good Bond movie, but I also think that it's Brosnan's weakest performance in his run.

He never quite got his own style. Just seemed like he was doing an amalgam of Bond's before.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I disagree. It's a good film regardless of the video game. Just like Skyfall, Goldeneye also addressed Bond's place in that time. What is James Bond, an instrument shaped in the cold war, after its destruction? Is he still relevant? The film raises and pontificates on Bond's value in a time where many people thought he is obsolete, just like Skyfall did. And the film holds up because of the execution of themes so gracefully. Not to mention Alec T (something) is a badass villain. And Famke....dear god.

Goldeneye is slick, especially for its era. It is also very well shot. But the characters and script are incredibly cliched, without the injection of smart and witty writing featured in the best Bonds.

I love both Casino Royale and Skyfall but for different reasons. Casino made the biggest, most difficult task of putting Bond in the map again, and against all odds, Daniel Craig just nailed the role. It was a perfect film for what it wanted to accomplish.
And Skyfall is just classic Bond. They took what worked and added the Connery-era feel to it. So yeah, both films, both great for different reasons.

Skyfall feels morel like Casino Royale then Connery-era. Skyfall is very modern. We can thank the TDKT influences for that most likely. Even when he "goes back in time", it is far more modern then Connery's Bond. Connery era Bond wouldn't have an action scene like that.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

When they "go back in time" it's more like Skyfall than anything else. Because I have rarely seen anything like that in a blockbuster film before. In these types of films, the third act means wanton destruction and all around mayhem, but Mendes beautifully scales it all back and saturates us in visuals and atmosphere. I would have to go back to Predator to witness a third act as "artsy" as Skyfall.

I am not saying it reaches the same heights the third act of Predato does (it's perfection), but it comes damn close. Aided in no small terms by Deakins' haunting imagery. No wonder many hate it.