Mini movie review - Skyfall
Casino Royale is one of my favorite movies, so I had high hopes for this much-praised new entry in the Bond canon. By and large, I came away from the movie pretty happy. Firstly, it's gorgeous. A fight scene set in a Shanghai skyscraper was only one of the several genuinely beautiful moments - the movie is full of scenery you want to fall into.
Secondly, I adore M and Judi Dench got a lot of space to flex her muscles.
Thirdly, besides the scenery eye candy, the cast is ridiculously gorgeous throughout. Teeny tiny Q and his cardigans, Bond and his bespoke suits, Naomi Harris in gorgeous dresses...fabulous. Poor Javier Bardem is apparently carving out a niche role for himself - psychopaths with terrible hair.
I don't, however, think it came up to the standard of Casino Royale.
I look forward to fix-it fic, because killing off M was massively uncool. This movie had a lot of women issues, which is a strange thing to say about a Bond movie because they always do - but I wasn't thrilled. Plus, having Moneypenny opt not to go into the field is a plot point, yet it's never explained why - she seemed to have been doing well out in the field, was clearly not too fussed about shooting Bond (he wasn't too fussed about it either, really) and she never seems to have any, "Wait a minute, look at Bond - clearly field agents eventually go nuts or die horribly, perhaps staying back at HQ is a better option for me" moment. Which would be pretty understandable, really. She just...changes her mind, and it's important enough to discuss it in the film but not important enough to flesh out. While I don't think she gets relegated to some sort of secretarial role, as I've seen in other reviews (M's other assistant is male, and clearly at that level you're not just filing, you're an analyst and an agent-runner) having her last seen in an office situation after you've seen her being badass in the field doesn't seem quite right.
Also damn, the shaving scene was one of the hottest things ever. Brrr.
It was too long, or simply not cut as tightly as it needed to be. I don't complain about languid pacing if it gives me delicious character moments, but I think we could have lost about twenty minutes or so without too much trouble.
While I think a lot of the "hey, it's the anniversary of Bond so we're going to revisit the past" stuff works, there were points where the movie was sentimental in a way that didn't seem to fit. I almost...well, I almost wanted M to pull the trigger, there in the end. It would seem to tie into the idea that she is never afraid to have that trigger pulled, if it's the best means to an end.
Anyway, I enjoyed it a whole bunch, but I don't quite agree with some of the rapture I've seen around. But an opportunity to watch Daniel Craig and Judi Dench be awesome will never be passed up by me.
Comment here or at http://www.dreamwidth.org/12345.html.
Secondly, I adore M and Judi Dench got a lot of space to flex her muscles.
Thirdly, besides the scenery eye candy, the cast is ridiculously gorgeous throughout. Teeny tiny Q and his cardigans, Bond and his bespoke suits, Naomi Harris in gorgeous dresses...fabulous. Poor Javier Bardem is apparently carving out a niche role for himself - psychopaths with terrible hair.
I don't, however, think it came up to the standard of Casino Royale.
I look forward to fix-it fic, because killing off M was massively uncool. This movie had a lot of women issues, which is a strange thing to say about a Bond movie because they always do - but I wasn't thrilled. Plus, having Moneypenny opt not to go into the field is a plot point, yet it's never explained why - she seemed to have been doing well out in the field, was clearly not too fussed about shooting Bond (he wasn't too fussed about it either, really) and she never seems to have any, "Wait a minute, look at Bond - clearly field agents eventually go nuts or die horribly, perhaps staying back at HQ is a better option for me" moment. Which would be pretty understandable, really. She just...changes her mind, and it's important enough to discuss it in the film but not important enough to flesh out. While I don't think she gets relegated to some sort of secretarial role, as I've seen in other reviews (M's other assistant is male, and clearly at that level you're not just filing, you're an analyst and an agent-runner) having her last seen in an office situation after you've seen her being badass in the field doesn't seem quite right.
Also damn, the shaving scene was one of the hottest things ever. Brrr.
It was too long, or simply not cut as tightly as it needed to be. I don't complain about languid pacing if it gives me delicious character moments, but I think we could have lost about twenty minutes or so without too much trouble.
While I think a lot of the "hey, it's the anniversary of Bond so we're going to revisit the past" stuff works, there were points where the movie was sentimental in a way that didn't seem to fit. I almost...well, I almost wanted M to pull the trigger, there in the end. It would seem to tie into the idea that she is never afraid to have that trigger pulled, if it's the best means to an end.
Anyway, I enjoyed it a whole bunch, but I don't quite agree with some of the rapture I've seen around. But an opportunity to watch Daniel Craig and Judi Dench be awesome will never be passed up by me.
Comment here or at http://www.dreamwidth.org/12345.html.