Skyfall - one of the Best Bond films?

James Bond in Skyfall - official movie site here

It's amazing to think that James Bond is 50 years old. Oct 5, 1962, to be exact, was when Dr. No debuted in the UK with Sean Connery as the first Bond. Bond returns in his 23rd film, Skyfall, with Daniel Craig as the sixth and current Bond. It's a must-see.

I'll avoid the spoilers but echo a similar sentiment that many critics have shared - this is a modern Bond that pays proper homage to his legacy. The film is also a joy to watch. The opening action scene is arguably the best action scenes of any Bond film I've ever seen. The Bond song, "Skyfall" by Adele, is reminiscent of the classic Bond songs (I was thinking Goldfinger), and it plays over an opening credit sequence that feels connected to the golden age of Bond opening credit sequences (from Thunderball to The Spy Who Loved Me). The Bond action is, well, Bond action, but the film is also character-driven like the earlier films like From Russia with Love or On Her Majesty's Secret Service. And the Bond villain carries all the psychological misgivings and creepiness of some of the great Bond villains, played perfectly by Javier Bardem as a character who would also be at home in some of the latest Marvel and Batman movies.

When it was over, I was also relieved to see that familiar message in the end credits - "James Bond will Return". No movie title followed - and hard to guess what it would be since we are out of Ian Fleming book titles at this point - but it's coming. We should be very happy about that because if upcoming Bond films are anything like Skyfall, we should expect the Bond legacy to thrive with many more worthwhile films to come.

Comments

Everyday Love Poem to my Wife

Over a year of marriage carries Happiness, love, and sometimes cranberries But eventually the pace slows down, Work intrudes, some days a frown And suddenly the world has changed. What we must do is simply rearrange The days so that other things fit neatly In their own places, and move on sweetly To the beauties of the everyday together. Because there is love everywhere, wherever You shall be - and perhaps also Rosie - This is a good thing naturally, So good to state it thus and remember That only frigid mornings in November Can keep us apart, but only so long As the work day lasts because so strong Is our pact that I worry not a wink - Your loveliness is worth so much, I think.

Muggles...

...is what I tweeted last night after having the privilege of attending a private screening of the movie hours before the midnight premiere. As much as the digital revolution has fragmented the shared experiences that we have, it has also greatly expanded the impact of those events that touch various peoples. Witness Harry Potter. In the pre-digital world, this would have been an uniquely British story about wizards and boarding schools, but it has captivated global audiences and transcended the borders of its now-uber-wealthy writer. We were part of the crowd that spanned the globe to see this movie, which I can say, lives up to the hype. On a Thursday evening, we could watch the lines of children queuing up to get a chance to say goodbye to a childhood growing up with Harry Potter and watching the actor grow from a plump-faced little boy into a serious actor and apparent alcoholic. It did not matter for 2.5 hours in the theater, of a movie that was pretty gripping from beginnin...

Sitting in a NYC Taxicab

I was whirring up Park Avenue for a meeting at the Waldorf Astoria (oh, how posh!) when I pulled out my cameraphone to snap a picture uniquely indicative of New York City. Something representative without being overdone (easier said that done!). Something relatable to almost anyone that has been to this wonderful city. Something easy to recognize. Something difficult to forget. Sitting in a NYC taxicab, it was apparent where the shutter would point itself. Of all the places that I have been in Manhattan through the years, none have been so welcoming and iconic as the backseat of those yellow beacons of light after a bender of a night. An United Nations of drivers mans these vehicles, representative of the dream that the United States has often been for the fortunate, displaced, and ambitious - not that disillusionment did not follow when finding the cab as an occupation hopeful for a better future. Regardless, the taxicab is often friend, sometimes foe - and sometimes the instigator of...

Journal : OpenRoadWorks

Search This Blog