[cujobob]

I thought it was pretty clear why that was the case...the guy isn't a superhero, ya know

Well they allude to his struggling because of the injuries but they also make him just seem old which....idk, annoys me. He had less 'cool' moments, so much so that it was a letdown I guess.

[ajzepp]

Well they allude to his struggling because of the injuries but they also make him just seem old which....idk, annoys me. He had less 'cool' moments, so much so that it was a letdown I guess.

It was more than just injuries...if I could get the spoiler tags to work I'd make a clearer point...

[cujobob]

Pretty certain I know what you're referring to, but I guess the point was that they didn't make it clear what the issue was. There are a lot of problems with the film IMO, but it can still be enjoyable. Given the names attached to it, one would expect more.

[ajzepp]

Pretty certain I know what you're referring to, but I guess the point was that they didn't make it clear what the issue was. There are a lot of problems with the film IMO, but it can still be enjoyable. Given the names attached to it, one would expect more.

I really think it was crystal clear....I just sent you a PM so I dont post spoiler material.

[wushuliu]

Crippled the franchise? Skyfall has already made 800 million worldwide! lol

I said 'over the decades'...

[ss397]

I thought this was a very strong Bond film. They all follow a fairly rigid formula, no big suprises here. You can really kind of check the boxes if you have seen enough Bond films.  Bardem was a very enjoyable bad guy for the most part. They got rid of some folks and brought in some new blood. I am still on the fence about Craig, but I have been on the fence about most Bond's since Roger Moore while they are playing the role. Craig for sure delivers a grittier more real world portrayal of an agent/assassin. He makes all the previous Bond's look rather campy in comparison. They had some problems getting this movie financed and made from what I understand. I am grateful that they are keeping the franchise going. I would probably buy this to have in my collection of films.

[jarcher]

I'm afraid I'm with wushuliu on this one.  I'm not sure this movie had a clear direction. Sometimes it felt like it was trying to do what was already done in a more entertaining fashion in the 2010 movie RED (ie old people rock) and sometimes it felt like it  was trying to be an origination story for Bond.  Bond's dialogue is sometimes straight drama, sometimes campy  homage to moore era bond.  Is it a reboot / homage a la last Star Trek? The movie almost felt like a goodbye to the franchise.

In sum, this movie seems to have an identity crisis and feels like a messy pastiche. And this probably reflects the franchises confusion of where they want to go with Bond. Casino Royale was awesome in large part because of Eva Green, but I'm not sure that movie needs to be made again or that Bond audiences wants or expects high drama from a Bond flix.  I say bond movies should go back to being gadgety glamorous escapist fun like in the Moore era. Though to do  that they would probably have to replace Craig with someone less bulldogish. There are already (too) many other movies doing the gritty realism stuff and doing it better. Let's get back to having fun.

[Letitroll98]

Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan (we'll leave out George Lazenby) were all pale imitations of Sean Connery's iconic portrayal of James Bond and only Daniel Craig has been a worthy successor.  He's different than Connery, rougher, not as sophisticated, but the only actor to capture the true essence of Bond, who was rough and direct, dressed in evening attire.

The movie was uneven, I agree.  But I wasn't expecting more than a Bond film adventure.  I loved the references to past Bond era's, mostly Connery's, including the Vesper Martini he drank at the bar.  I won't spoil by making any comments about specific blasts from the past.  I like that he never fully recovered from the bullet wound, shoulder wounds are devastating in real life, causing debilitating, lifelong damage to tissues and bone.  I'm so sick of hearing, "It's only a flesh wound to the shoulder."  The villain was awesome as noted.  The ending opening a new chapter for future Bond films with Craig.  But in the end, meh, not bad, not great.

'A dry Martini,' he said. 'One. In a deep champagne goblet.'
'Oui, Monsieur.'
'Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large slice of lemon-peel. Got it?'

If you have not had a properly made Vesper Martini you are missing out on a fantastic drink.  Kina Lillet is now Lillet Blanc, a touch of bitters might be added to recreate the original taste of Kini. 

[Tyson]

I think they've made a real effort to return to the Bond of the books - an ice cold, blue eyed killer, who is often indistinguishable from the "bad guys".  And he gets the sh!t beat out of him in every book (movie).

[ajzepp]

Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan (we'll leave out George Lazenby) were all pale imitations of Sean Connery's iconic portrayal of James Bond and only Daniel Craig has been a worthy successor.  He's different than Connery, rougher, not as sophisticated, but the only actor to capture the true essence of Bond, who was rough and direct, dressed in evening attire.

The movie was uneven, I agree.  But I wasn't expecting more than a Bond film adventure.  I loved the references to past Bond era's, mostly Connery's, including the Vesper Martini he drank at the bar.  I won't spoil by making any comments about specific blasts from the past.  I like that he never fully recovered from the bullet wound, shoulder wounds are devastating in real life, causing debilitating, lifelong damage to tissues and bone.  I'm so sick of hearing, "It's only a flesh wound to the shoulder."  The villain was awesome as noted.  The ending opening a new chapter for future Bond films with Craig.  But in the end, meh, not bad, not great.

Agreed on the shoulder wound...and there was also the other little matter he was struggling with after being away for a few months that people have been completely ignoring. I think part of the reason they make us privy to the examination process is to indicate that these folks can't get away being the average cop at the donut place. If you're going to chase terrorists around the globe and represent her majesty's secret service, then you better damn well be physically and mentally prepared to carry out the job or step aside. De-conditioning is a very real thing and it can take hold after DAYS, let alone weeks and months.

I love that the Craig Bond is on more of a level playing field with the bad guys. The stakes are higher. Nobody is safe and you feel that during the film. With the exception of the Brosnan Bond, who I really did feel was mocking the role (not intentionally, just as a byproduct of the approach), I fully understand the appeal of the gadgetry and the fun that came along with prior films. I grew up on those films and they'll always be fun for me. But we had how many of those? A LOT! We got a large dose of that Bond, and thankfully by the time they got to Brosnan someone had the smarts to say, "you know....maybe we should give Bond a bit of a makeover". Not everyone likes the current films, and that's to be expected. There aren't many films that have universal appeal. But based on results, it's pretty clear that Craig, an otherwise unknown when he took the role, has elevated this franchise to heights that it's never seen. It's showing good legs at the box office domestically and worldwide, and has a real good shot at breaking the one BILLION mark. That sort of result was unfathomable for a Bond film previously.

Bond is timeless. I'm sure we'll have a return to the gadgetry and fun at some point, but for right now this franchise is being taken care of VERY well and is position to secure its future for years to come. I've always loved Bond....always will....but I've never been more engaged with the character than I am right now. 

[goldlizsts]

I went and saw Skyfall today and when Adele sang the movies opening song that she herself wrote, I knew I was in for a good one,,, what a song she belted out! This movie was definitely Craig's best attempt at 007 and the women were of 007 quality. Good storyline, lots of captivating action but while this movie is definitely Daniel Craig's best 007 movie, I still can't connect these latest 007 series with those from the past. But regardless, it was a damn good movie. 3.75 out of 5 stars.

Cheers,
Robin

C'mon, Robin, Adele's title tune was just as bad as her debut million-seller album, badly recorded.....  Let's concentrate on Bond being in Skyfall.  Some say it's the best Bond movie ever?  C'mon.  With the opening train brawl, I was praying, praying, asking, "When's it going to end!".  That's how good it was.  It's draggy at points.  Craig is not a bad Bond.   Connery is STILL the best 007, EVER.  Nobody comes close.

[satfrat]

C'mon, Robin, Adele's title tune was just as bad as her debut million-seller album, badly recorded.....  Let's concentrate on Bond being in Skyfall.  Some say it's the best Bond movie ever?  C'mon.  With the opening train brawl, I was praying, praying, asking, "When's it going to end!".  That's how good it was.  It's draggy at points.  Craig is not a bad Bond.   Connery is STILL the best 007, EVER.  Nobody comes close.

I'll stand by what I had to say about both the opening Adele song and the impact it had with the movie's overall entertainment value.  Sorry it wasn't your cup of tea but that's life I'm afraid. 

Cheers,
Robin

[TONEPUB]

Personally, I liked the Adele song at the beginning and it kept with the British feel.
Enjoyed seeing the DB5 again, sorry to see it crashed.

Was it the best Bond movie? Nah.  But it wasn't as bad as the Roger Moore Bond movies.

And, we saw it in London, which made it a lot more fun.

[ajzepp]

I've grown a bit tired of Adele's music, but I thought it was a great fit for Skyfall.

Gold: I haven't fired up Adele on my main Magnepan system yet, but the recoring of both "19" and "21" sure sound good over my headphones...I'm surprised to hear you say it was a poor recording, unless I'm misunderstanding. I'll have to look it up when I get home, but there was one track that really blew me away over both my Beyer T1s and Grado PS500s...I'll have to report back as to which track it was.

[Atlplasma]

We saw Skyfall at an Imax theater over Thanksgiving for $18 a pop. The movie was solid entertainment. What we hated was the initial commercials that the theater kept looping through the pre-show. The sound was SO LOUD that it was painful to sit through. I checked with the theater manager who advised there was little they could do to mute the sound. It was all Imax's fault (apparently). I'll never do that again.

[ajzepp]

We saw Skyfall at an Imax theater over Thanksgiving for $18 a pop. The movie was solid entertainment. What we hated was the initial commercials that the theater kept looping through the pre-show. The sound was SO LOUD that it was painful to sit through. I checked with the theater manager who advised there was little they could do to mute the sound. It was all Imax's fault (apparently). I'll never do that again.

That's how it was when I saw Hannibal on IMAX years ago. I have had mostly good experiences at the Mall of GA IMAX, but every so often they do need to turn it down a bit. It takes away from the film when the volume is excessive.

[satfrat]

That's how it was when I saw Hannibal on IMAX years ago. I have had mostly good experiences at the Mall of GA IMAX, but every so often they do need to turn it down a bit. It takes away from the film when the volume is excessive.

Guess that's where my 35 years in a machine shop with 85db noise levels have conditioned me when it comes to going to the theaters, especially IMAX. I constantly hear folks complaining about the volume while I'm enjoying how the loudness only helps me get emerged into the flick. 

Cheers,
Robin

[Mikeinsacramento]

Did not care for this film.  There were some good scenes, e.g. Shanghai, Macau, the Caprice fight scene in sillouhette.  Unfortunately, there was not a proper car chase.  Where was the Aston Martin 77?  And the story was weak.  A stunted ex agent ticked at the woman who dun him wrong?  I much prefer the world domination theme.

I like Craig.  And I think he is a bad ass in this role.  But that just doesn't scratch my itch with Bond.  The role Connery played was so much funnier and more charming.  And still believable as a killer.  The two roles really do reflect the times.  Connery in the optimistic 60's.  Craig in the pessimistic '10's.

[yamaha626]

Let me start this by saying I am an Bond fanatic...seen and own every movie, and have read all of Ian Fleming's books and about half of the one's he didn't write.
Thought is was a great movie, easily in the top 5 (maybe top 2)....but it didn't feel like a Bond flick until the Aston Martin showed up. Until that point, the movie felt more like a "Bourne" flick then a Bond flick. And since I was expecting to see a Bond movie rather then a Bourne movie, I wasn't having a good time. Then the Aston showed up, Bond music playing in the background, and I'm hooked. Really enjoyed it from that point on.
Also Really enjoyed how Craig played the chararacter...much closer to the books then any Bond flick since Dr. No.
However, Adele's opening soundtrack isn't working for me yet. I have a theory that if the opening soundtrack is weak, then the rest of the movie follows suit. Skyfall is the exception. I HATE Adele's soundtrack but that probably has more to do with my general dislike of Adele's lyrics and vocals then the actual soundtrack.
Let me finish by saying Craig has a good shot at rivaling Connery as the best Bond, and Ralph Feines as the "New" M has really given me hope for the following movies.

[funkmonkey]

Personally, I dug it.  I thought the girls were a bit lacking but suiting for this one.  Casino Royal was great, and drew many comparisons to Connery because it was so good, and because Connery's Bond was/is so iconic.  I think that was the real point of Skyfall...  destroy the old preconceptions of what Bond should be.  Level the playing field...  out with the old (all of it).  That much was blatant (to me) with all the iconography destruction (and renewal).  At this point the stage is set for anything or, perhaps, nothing...

Bond is timeless. I'm sure we'll have a return to the gadgetry and fun at some point, but for right now this franchise is being taken care of VERY well and is position to secure its future for years to come. I've always loved Bond....always will....but I've never been more engaged with the character than I am right now. 

Gotta agree wholeheartedly with this.

I really like the grit, the acting was excellent all around...  I really do miss the witty quips, but thats not really Craig's forte, leave those to Connery and be glad that we had them for the original.  Without that original greatness none of us would give a shit about Bond right now.  Moore was cool for the 70's (current at the time, but now a bit cheezy and dated).  I grew up going to see his movies with my Dad, and loved every minute of them.  Lazenby, Dalton and Remington Steele (Brosnan) were ultimately forgettable as Bond.  Enjoy the evolution, ladies and gentleman.  The series has come full circle, the next one will be very interesting indeed.

Cheers