'Skyfall' - High-Def Digest Review

[ack_bak]

So, because you have 20k+ posts, someone with 1 post or a few can't say somethng 100% accurate about this woefully sub-par Bond movie because it differs from your opinion? Forgive me, but I just had a terrible flashback to 2007, when so many people on this board jumped to totally unsubstantiated conclusions about the identity of new members.

Although I don't see eye-to-eye with jejejoey regarding Goldeneye (I thought that was another of the more overhyped Bonds in the series), he is absolutely spot-on with the bulk of his critique of Skyfall.

Yesterday, I gave it a 2nd chance on BD after my thoroughly disappointed theatrical viewing months back. No doubt that this is one pristine BD transfer on a technical level, but what Bond BD hasn't been (save for the neglected Never Say Never Again)?

Skyfall is a laborious movie to watch. It is the movie to make lovers of On Her Majesty's Secret Service delight in the ecstasy of another Bond as devoid of forward motion & tension. And annoying all the more for the (wasted) moments that it does excel (the opening scene, the casino, the island, Moneypenny, and Q).

I had to watch the Making Of to get the insight that 'blowing up Bond's home' was a play on the usual 'blow up the villain's lair'. Yeah, I guess that's kinda' cute...if it hadn't come across so absolutely ludicrous and outright pedestrian for a Bond film. M rolling up makeshift bombs doesn't magically get better over additional showings. Strategically, it is the most assinine thing Bond has ever done, across ALL Bond films: the man we've known for "always having a plan" takes them to his home to "have the upper hand" (except for a key strategic detail that makes it definitely NOT the upper hand). And in the end, he actually does NOT succeed in the primary goal for going there.

Skyfall is just a magnificent insult & slap-in-the-face to longtime Bond fans. And then the very last 10mins of the movie goes further to do the same to 'new' Bond fans who were very much enjoying the realism & drama that the excellent pairing of Casino Royale & Quantum of Solace had set forth. ...I guess now the next time we see Quantum, it's leader will be stroking a white cat (except, since we're so stylish now, he'll be wearing Armani).

Well the mods can decide if someone who was banned signed up with a fake account to troll. I will leave that to them but the day the individual here was banned here they ran immediately to another Blu-Ray forum and started trashing Skyfall. The guy has a really unhealthy obsession, and the person in this thread I responded to has a very similar writing style and signed up just to trash Skyfall.

I guess we can agree to disagree on Skyfall, it comes down to one opinion versus another and I totally agree that the movie has it's share of plot holes and issues. But seriously, we are talking about a Bond movie. If you want to put on your "realism" cap you can pick apart every single Bond movie ever made (including Casino Royale and QoS). They are all over the top spy movies full of issues. If you wanted a real spy movie, I recommend skipping the Bond movies as that is not what they are supposed to be.

I liked QoS, but the fact of the matter is many people did not. The movie was a letdown for many people and it actually made less money than Casino Royale (not even accounting for inflation). Many people complained about the lack of a true villain and a weak plot. For me, QoS was not on the same level as Casino Royale and while I enjoyed it, I do see some sides of the argument.

I believe with Skyfall they wanted to go back more to the traditional roots of the franchise and I guess some people would rather not. Based on the success of Skyfall I suspect the next movie will have a similar formula. I have no problem with that.

[Dr Kain]

Some of you people must not be watching the same Skyfall I saw twice in theaters and once thus far on BD. The one I saw was incredible, excellently paced, full of character development, nods to the previous movies in its 50 year history, a serious plot with some funny one liners (even Casino Royale and Quantum had funny bits, so saying you hate Skyfall for it is stupid), and an excellent score. Not to mention the cinematography. The battle with the sniper in Shanghai and the burning house are just gorgeous set pieces.

If you don't like it, fine, but some of the reasons some of you claim as your reasons for not liking it are for such minuet nitpicks that your reasons do not make sense. I don't see how you can claim QoS was a great movie and hate Skyfall, when Skyfall did not just throw every action scene imaginable into your face in the first half hour. I love Quantum, but that movie is ranked #11 whereas Skyfall is #4.

[twonunpackmule]

My favorite thing about all this is people thinking M doesn't have any sort of weapons training. Like, at all. It amuses me to think that people only deem women as weak and incapable. I found absolutely nothing wrong with M making makeshift bombs. I saw a woman with experience at the end of her rope trying to defend herself.

But, I think people are just upset because Bond loses in this one.

[thepartyover]

My favorite thing about all this is people thinking M doesn't have any sort of weapons training. Like, at all. It amuses me to think that people only deem women as weak and incapable. I found absolutely nothing wrong with M making makeshift bombs. I saw a women with experience at the end of her rope trying to defend herself.

But, I think people are just upset because Bond loses in this one.

Maybe they should have had a periscope come up from the ground when he was mourning M's death and had some corny quip from Q. Or him and Moneypenny could have had sex at the end and the new M could call him and Bond could be like "I'm making sure every penny counts, sir."

[damonous]

... I don't see how you can claim QoS was a great movie and hate Skyfall, when Skyfall did not just throw every action scene imaginable into your face in the first half hour. I love Quantum, but that movie is ranked #11 whereas Skyfall is #4.

Most people don't realize it (and it's understandable for them not to), but I am 100% convinced that QAS was meant to be watched IMMEDIATELY after Casino Royale. Taken in 1 sitting as a 4hr epic, the 2 movies are totally satisfying in a similar fashion to Kill Bill Parts 1 & 2. While on the surface (and maybe even initial viewing) the sequel appears to run at an entirely different speed, when taken directly together, both parts are an obvious 'whole' and work emotion and intellect to achieve something greater than the sum of the parts.

And, are we really going to resort to DOLLARS now in the argument of what makes a better movie? --Realizing of course that the #1 moneymaker of all time is the derivative & dreadful Avatar?

Heck, if THAT argument is going to hold any kind of weight, then I'll call you out right now for being FACTUALLY wrong (as well as subjectively, IMHO) about The Avengers when a page ago you said the #2 grossing movie of all time was worse than Skyfall.

My favorite thing about all this is people thinking M doesn't have any sort of weapons training. Like, at all. It amuses me to think that people only deem women as weak and incapable. I found absolutely nothing wrong with M making makeshift bombs. I saw a woman with experience at the end of her rope trying to defend herself.

But, I think people are just upset because Bond loses in this one.

Actually, maybe YOU weren't watching Skyfall very closely (which I can't honestly blame you for if you hadn't taken the required amount of No-Doz beforehand). M fails to shoot someone with a gun at nearly point-blank range and then admits to Bond to always having been a bad shot.

So, while YOU might think otherwise, Skyfall clearly depicts her as a damsel in distress who (although head of MI6 for years) can't even fire off a handgun without help from a superior man.

Heck, in Skyfall, M is practically one step away from knocking a cell key off a stool like a doofus (as in The World Is Not Enough).

[Onslaught X]

I think point blank range is a bit of an exaggeration, there was fair enough distance and it was dark. But she's old, and well, technically Judi Dench has poor vision/losing her eyesight (hence her retirement), it's ok if she misses. Albert Finney had a couple kills, but those truly were unmissable shots, since he had a shotgun and killed them from behind from closer distance. Later on, he misses, much like Judi Dench did.

I thought the primary goal for going to Skyfall was simply to bait Silva and stop him before he leaks any additional details about agents, not necessarily protecting M. By going there, they prevent any further casualties aside from M and potentially himself. In the end, he loses M, but as M would have wanted more importantly, they maintained the safety of MI6 agents across the globe.

[ack_bak]

I think point blank range is a bit of an exaggeration, there was fair enough distance and it was dark. But she's old, and well, technically Judi Dench has poor vision/losing her eyesight (hence her retirement), it's ok if she misses. Albert Finney had a couple kills, but those truly were unmissable shots, since he had a shotgun and killed them from behind from closer distance. Later on, he misses, much like Judi Dench did.

I thought the primary goal for going to Skyfall was simply to bait Silva and stop him before he leaks any additional details about agents, not necessarily protecting M. By going there, they prevent any further casualties aside from M and potentially himself. In the end, he loses M, but as M would have wanted more importantly, they maintained the safety of MI6 agents across the globe.

I think peoples hatred of the movie blind them from the actual story. Silva was one of the top 00's for years. He knows their protocols, he knew when he blew up a portion of MI6 in London where they would go and planned his operation around it. The MI6 computer network and databases were hacked, Silva had them on the run (which means he knew all their safe houses, bases of operations, etc).

Bond knew that and wanted to lure him in, and yes, ultimately delay or prevent more agents from being killed. Again, remembering this is a Bond movie, I don't really have a problem with this storyline. I don't have a problem with Moneypenny (I rather liked her in the movie). I have no problem with a computer expert being played by a 32 year old actor. People are reaching...

Haters gonna hate..

[twonunpackmule]

Yea, a lot of my friends are IT in the Government, and are between Q and guitar players for Megadeath. So, the idea of him looking like a more proper version of Moss from IT Crowd doesn't bother me.

[ack_bak]

Yea, a lot of my friends are IT in the Government, and are between Q and guitar players for Megadeath. So, the idea of him looking like a more proper version of Moss from IT Crowd doesn't bother me.

Mark Zuckerberg was 20 years old when he founded Facebook... He is only in his late 20's now.

[frogmeat69]

[HDuser30]

I really can't see why this movie was/is so highly praised. I really don't. I know some people were excited when the old Bond theme played in the Aston scene, but it just really annoyed me! Why are we hearing a dated Bond theme, I asked myself. Take that from someone who grew up with and loved Bond. And I'm British! But an old Bond theme doesn't belong in a 21st century Bond movie!

So does that make you special or something, you grew up with the Bond films and British? I also grew up watching all of the Bond films, no I'm not British but I loved Skyfall.

[twonunpackmule]

Mark Zuckerberg was 20 years old when he founded Facebook... He is only in his late 20's now.

It's people who don't know dick about IT that seem to be making the fuss. I'm not IT. I'm just an angry geek. But, I do know what the world is like, and who these people look like. So, Q being 90yrs is not reality, and in most cases wouldn't be able to keep up with the speed this generation of tech is advancing.

[rahjelli]

Some of you people must not be watching the same Skyfall I saw twice in theaters and once thus far on BD. The one I saw was incredible, excellently paced, full of character development, nods to the previous movies in its 50 year history, a serious plot with some funny one liners (even Casino Royale and Quantum had funny bits, so saying you hate Skyfall for it is stupid), and an excellent score. Not to mention the cinematography. The battle with the sniper in Shanghai and the burning house are just gorgeous set pieces.

If you don't like it, fine, but some of the reasons some of you claim as your reasons for not liking it are for such minuet nitpicks that your reasons do not make sense. I don't see how you can claim QoS was a great movie and hate Skyfall, when Skyfall did not just throw every action scene imaginable into your face in the first half hour. I love Quantum, but that movie is ranked #11 whereas Skyfall is #4.

what do you mean "You People"?

lol j/k dude... I thought skyfall was the 3rd best all time, Goldfinger/Casino Royale/Skyfall

[Josh Z]

Reading through these Skyfall threads is hilarious. Half the haters complain: "This movie isn't enough like the old James Bond movies I love. It's too dark and gritty and serious, and I just hate hate hate hate hate it." The other half complain: "This movie is too much like those old silly James Bond movies I hate. It's not dark or gritty or serious enough, and I just hate hate hate hate hate it."

[Favelle]

Just watched this tonight. Wasn't terrible. Certainly wasn't memorable nor was it the best Bond. Seemed rather disjointed. Almost lifeless and without personality. I was all pumped for a great ride...instead, it was just kind of bland. Like a B-version of Bourne.