Miscellaneous Movie Musings the Sequel

[Strangler Lewis]

I liked [i]Argo[i].

[innerSpaceman]

On a less nitpicky note about Skyfall, it seemed a little odd to me that we've seen only the beginning and what's feeling like the end of Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Much was made about his aging in Skyfall (he's still hot stuff, but time is not being kind to his particularly craggy looks), and the film is not subtle about him being too old to be a Double Oh (in fact failing the tests for reinstatement as an MI6 agent).

Since Casino Royale was his debut as a Double Oh, and Quantum of Solace took place immediately after that ... will there be a web series or an animated take on this James Bond's actual exploits? His obituary in Skyfall mentioned he's a Commander, and in the other two films he was barely above a recruit. What have we been missing?



Also ... the overt nod to Goldfinger was one thing. But the "Circle is Now Complete" ending just reeks of goodbye to Daniel Craig as James Bond. Reportedly he wants out of his 5-film contract, but Alex heard him muse on future installments of the series. I don't know what to make of it. But at the very least I feel we've been gipped out of Daniel Craig's prime James Bond adventures. (Le sigh.)

[Alex]

All the stuff about Craig wanting out seems to come from a single quote to Rolling Stone which reads to me like standard self deprecating talk. He said he's wanted out since he first got the role. So if that is true, he hasn't been very effective to date.

I don't know about in the Craig-as-Bond universe but in Fleming's-Bond universe his rank of Commander had nothing to do with his MI6 service but was his Royal Navy rank before becoming a secret agent. If that carries over he was a commander in Casino Royale as well as in Skyfall.

[innerSpaceman]

Ah thanks for that. I'm not familiar with the book history. My familiarity with the film history is hardly comprehensive ... but as I faintly recall, Bond's navy service and his commander rank wasn't mentioned until You Only Live Twice, which was Connery's first (of three) "final" James Bond movies.

But even if Craig's Bond has the same naval history, we still seem to be coming into Skyfall at the end stage of his 007 career, while his other two films were the very beginning. Just an oddment, imo.

[Strangler Lewis]

I liked "The Perks of Being a Wallflower."

[alphabassettgrrl]

Seeing "Skyfall" tonight! So very excited.

[innerSpaceman]

On a different note, I think I kinda hated Cloud Atlas, but my bf loved it. He thought it was romantic, but I hear the filmmakers added in those elements of love surviving through eons of time. I found it cheesy and trite, though I was entertained enough.

The theme of reincarnation did not have to be hammered home by having the same gang of actors appear in different roles in each of the six stories. They were shoehorned in, and some of the accents and especially the make-up was just cringe-worthy.

Some of the stories were interesting, too many were not. It's a pretty film to look at, and the mix of genre's is interesting. But I really hate it when a novel told in a certain way is made suitable (i.e., dumbed-down) for cinema by constant cross-cutting.

As I understand it, the novel tackles it Story A, B, C, D, E and F - each to a certain point, and then wraps them up F, E, D, C, B and A. To me, that's a much more interesting structure, and I contest the assumption it can't work on film and instead all six stories must be constantly intercut. That's hack work. Quite literally. Sure, it prevents boredom. It also prevents getting more than mildly interested in any of the stories.

As I also understand it, there is only one character reincarnated from story to story in the novel. The casting suggestion that everyone is reincarnated was silly, imo, and it was actually distracting trying to figure out who was playing who in each story under tons of make-up.


I'm going to read the book. Bah on the movie.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Enjoyed Skyfall a whole lot. It's absolutely beautiful to look at, they give you locator shots to tell you where you are, Bond rocks, the opening chase scene is everything I love about the Bond chase scenes (namely, that they show Bond solving what the bad guy did that was going to let him get away, rather than just teasing us that they were going to catch the bad guy and things happen to let him slip away again and again), the theme song and animations are beautiful, and that house!!! I want to go take a zillion pictures.

Judi Dench is of course amazing as M. Not so fond of Q but that's ok. I get what they were doing. Javier Bardem (so that's what the comment was about "best Bond girl ever" meant) is fabulous as the bad guy.

I don't like that Daniel Craig's Bond gets beat up so much. Bond isn't supposed to get hammered like that. But his suits always look great! And only once did I spot the matte painting background.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

...the Sony Vaio logo ditto (though obviously selected as the brand to model)... or any of the other 20 product placement deals that were so lucrative for the studio.

Sony Vaio isn't a sponsor, per se. The film is made by Sony. I know first-hand that any footage or marketing of a Sony film that includes any gadgets other than Sony (Vaio computer, Ericsson phone, etc) is not permitted. Like, "completely redo your CGI immediately" not-permitted.

[innerSpaceman]

Wow, that's way creepier than actual product placement.