Skyfall

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

The best thing about the Olympics so far. Okay, not the best thing. But pretty good.

[youtube]vgr2syY_OU4[/youtube]

[Drunk Monk]

A little long winded - it clocks in at well over 2 hours and slows down in the middle - but I still like Craig as Bond. They are slowly rebuilding the icon, piece by piece, and I'd tell you more but I don't want to spoil it. There's a great automotive nod to classic Bond. I think I liked it better than CF did, but I'm such a Bond fan, or at least I was in my youth. I've been re-watching a few old Bond flicks: You only live twice, Man with the Golden Gun, From Russia with love, Diamonds are forever; they all look so dated now. No sword fights or Bollywood dance numbers. Harry Potter factor of 1.

[El Dingo]

I haven't seen it yet (not released on Blu-Ray) but I have low expectations.

The later movies seem to lack the personality of the earlier movies.

'Goldfinger' was the 'fat guy with cat one' ("No Mr. Bond I expect you to die")
'Thunderball' was the underwater one
'The Man with the Golden Gun' was the three-nippled gold Autobot gun one.
'Diamonds are Forever' was the Moonbuggy one
'Live and Let Die' was the Mardi Gras one.
'Moonraker' was the Space station one
'The Spy Who Loved Me' was the underwater car one.

The later ones 'From a View to a Kill' to present are cliched action films. Entertaining but without the over-the-top comic-book style with Oddjob and Jaws villains, zany gadgets and ridiculous British-flag parachutes that told the audience they were in for a good time. I've seen them, but could not tell you who the key villains and plot details were on any of these.



Offered the choice between the latest Jason Stratham film and the new Bond movie I would take "Stratham, ...Mr. Stratham" over Skyfall.

[cranefly]

I agree with a lot of what El Dingo says (though Jason Stratham just wore out his welcome with Safe, which I found absolutely appalling). The early Bond movies were far more memorable. What I don’t know is whether that's because they were better or just because I saw them at a more impressionable age.

I read all the Bond novels in my teens. That's too long ago for me to remember clearly how Bond is depicted in the novels. Was he more like Sean Connery or more like Daniel Craig? I just don't know. What I do know is that the Sean Connery Bond is someone you'd love to spend time around. He is sophisticated and a great conversationalist, and he enjoys life and is capable of liking and even loving people (as well as disliking or hating villains). As for the Daniel Craig Bond, why would anyone want to hang out with him? He's little more than an automaton. His sense of humor is limited, and he'd just as soon glower away the evening than utter a single word. He's damaged goods, traumatized beyond having a normal life (essentially a Batman Bond). All he's good at is shutting out all emotion and cold-bloodedly killing people. While the Sean Connery Bond looks elegant when dressed up, and he can stroll through a room like he owns it, the Daniel Craig Bond has a certain apish aspect when suited up, and he walks like an MMA fighter. Both have great builds, but I much prefer the Sean Connery symmetrical and balanced bodybuilding build (in his prime) to Daniel Craig's top-heavy musculature. But again, I can't say which is closer to the Ian Fleming Bond.

I won't say much in specific about the actual movie Skyfall at this point. In general, it was a rather gushy love letter to Britain, almost an Olympics Part Deus in that regard. And maybe if I was a fucking Brit I'd get all fondly with myself watching it. But I'm not a bloody Brit. And patriotism freaks me out in the first place. The movie has some striking scenes in Shanghai, all fancy skyscrapers with neon everywhere, reminiscent of Bladerunner, though not quite there yet. Some striking cinematography. I wish the whole movie had taken place there. Instead, it was just one of many (perhaps too many) set pieces that, for me, didn't seem very cohesive. That's the thing. The movie wasn't cohesive enough for my tastes. I could break down why, but that would be saying too much.

I'll say one last thing. I hate stupidity in gunfights. And in Skyfall I kept getting flashbacks to those incompetent Cylons in the original Battlestar Galactica who couldn't hit the broadside of a black hole if they were inside its event horizon. And please, if you're holding a gun on someone, do not walk up to them so they can grab the barrel and disarm you. If I'm giving anything away in saying this, I'm sorry. But I'm fed up with this. No more, okay? Never again. Never! You hear me, you fucking brainless directors! Do not do this ever again! It's beyond cliché. It's unforgivable laziness. There are so many inventive ways for someone under guard to get the upper hand. Use your fucking brain!

The movie is worth seeing, by the way. Honest. Even if I didn't completely like the tea or the cup it was served in.

Fuckin' Brits.

[Drunk Monk]

I'm totally behind Craig as Bond. He is the first to add that burnt out aspect of his personality which is more true to the books.

Skyfall is not as good as Casino, but better than Quantum and all of the Moore, Lazenby, Dalton, Brosnan flick, except for Live and Let Die (honestly, Moore killed the franchise by turning Bond into the Saint). Worthy of note - Quantum was made during the writers strike, so they had only half of a script, which is why it is so disjointed. Like Quantum, Skyfall had production issues due to MGM's bankruptcy and the rights to the franchise were almost lost. I was a little shocked to see the MGM logo at the beginning. Skyfall is an attempt to return to form, and it almost succeeds completely, except for the fact that it is needlessly 20 minutes too long. A little more judicious editing and Skyfall would have been perfect.

I dislike Statham. I don't know why.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I thought Casino was a great return to form and really liked Daniel Craig in the role.

I liked Statham when he was still an actor in such film as Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

Spoilers will bring death and hell-fire down upon you. I am in the switching away as soon as the Skyfall ads come on. It was confusing for a while since Taken 2 had a similar opening into Istanbul in it's adverts.

[Drunk Monk]

Casino Royale: <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://brotherhoodofdoom.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=607">viewtopic.php?f=9&t=607</a><!-- l -->

Quantum of Solace: <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://brotherhoodofdoom.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1441">viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1441</a><!-- l -->

Upon reflection, I realize why I don't like Statham. It's based entirely on the four films he did with Jet. I know, that's totally unfair, but I never said I played fair.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Crank was a great movie, perhaps the greatest ever. Certainly better than Citizen Kane, probably better than The Beastmaster.

Seriously, if you haven't, you should.

[cranefly]

Apologies if my comments revealed too much. Been helping someone move the last 4 days, and my brain's been a bit fried. My review, upon rereading it, was overly harsh and borderline incoherent. What I didn't make clear is that I like Daniel Craig as Bond. He is the most believable of the actors portraying Bond as an agent with a license to kill. You do not want to be on his hit list. And yes, I now recall from the books a burnt-out Bond who smoked and drank too much, and was questioning his ability to continue.

So, yes, even though I have issues with certain aspects of this movie, I'm fully aboard with Daniel Craig, and I want to see where the franchise goes next.

Fuckin' Brits...

[Drunk Monk]

...but better than Beastmaster? Seriously? Blasphemer!!

CF, you are always overly harsh and borderline incoherent. Nevertheless, we are still the coolest DOOMers on the block, at least for two more days, just because we've seen Skyfall already.

I've been humming that Adele tune, along with other assorted Bond songs, ever since. That means Skyfall must have been good. Craig is signed on for Bond 24 & 25, as well as the rest of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, so his dance card is full. I'm hopeful to see what he can do with Bond when there isn't a writers' strike or a studio bankruptcy. The next logical move would be to introduce Blofeld.

Did anyone read any of the non-Fleming Bond books?

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Nope. Not even a little bit curious.

Okay, I read the first one and was not amused. Curse you, Gardener.

[Drunk Monk]

...in order, no less.

You know, I seem to have erased some of the Bond films from my memory banks. I'm pretty sure I've seen them all, but I can't, for the life of me, draw that many memories of the latter Dalton and Brosnan flicks. And here I've been trying to delete the latter Moore flicks, but those are painfully indelible.

In an odd six-degrees-of-Jason-Statham, I just submitted questions to Danny Trejo for his role in Death Race 3, which we're doing a little promo for early next year when it debuts on BRD. Of course, the Death Race series was revived by Statham a few years ago. I think I might have seen a scene from that while channel surfing late night Spanish TV.

Anyway, I'm still basking in the coolness of Skyfall, and my fabulous online review (or more honestly, my excuse for getting me and CF into the screener) will go live tomorrow afternoon. I'm sure y'all can't wait.

[El Dingo]

I love the rebooted Death Race series. I own the first one. The concept of car races with 'rollover' boosts and traps is awesome. It's like Mario Kart meets Carmageddon.

I enjoy every Jason Stratham film. the "Crank" series, "The Transporter" series, "Death Race", "Gnomeo and Juliet"; his name guarantees over-the-top action!

DM - Can you sneak me into "Death Race 3"? Hell, I'll drive you to the screening (Bwahhahahah).

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Statham is fine but how do you differentiate the roles he plays?

There is an article over on i09 about eleven things you don't know about Bond. I said feh, how could there be eleven things I don't know about Bond? Turns out there were eleven things I didn't know. But I know them now, so feh.

Eleven Bond Things

[Drunk Monk]

If all goes according to plan, KFM will be holding a promo online sweepstakes for the BRD on Jan 11-24, 2013. You should enter. I'm just saying... ;-)

As for Statham, what did you think of Killer Elite? <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://brotherhoodofdoom.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2699">viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2699</a><!-- l -->

To be honest, I haven't seen the reboot. However, for you to like the Death Race reboot and not the James Bond reboot is so typically ED. It harkens back to your enjoyment of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (the movie) which by another strange coincidence, I discovered is available through netflix streaming last night. I almost started watching it, but decided that lubing the pom penis would be time better spent.

Bah! I knew all of those 11 except for #4 and #6.

We're just hours away from the posting of my SKYFALL review in which I struggle to find an angle to justify attending the screening and reviewing it on KFM. Heck, if I managed Harry Potter, Bond is child's play.