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Comments
Everything he does is completely explained by his character motivations. Let's be honest.
There's being 'behind the times' and there is being utterly effing stupid. No amount of plot allusions can substantiate stupidity, especially amongst established characters.
The worst aspect of Silva's hype is just how incredibly useless he is after the reveal. Great opening speech but nothing else.
I think of those in 2005/2006 (geniuses in looking at the numbers and using technology) who saw the housing market crash before it happened, when here in the U.S, the government insisted that the economy was rock solid. There is always a blind spot, especially when it comes to government agencies. Or in the early 2000s when MP3s were on the rise, and not even people like Richard Branson saw it. The entire music industry crashed.
Silva was exploiting a paradigm shift. And much of SF really deals with those shifts.
I can’t say for certain what the “best” Bond film is - my favorite of the series probably wouldn’t qualify as “the best” but if I had my arms twisted I’d probably have to give the award to From Russia With Love - it’s intricately plotted, it’s not too gritty but still has one foot in the door of the fantastical elements Dr. No introduced, the cast is phenomenal and Connery himself is in top form giving one of his best performances as Bond.
None of us can. It's all subjective. Since this is a "Skyfall is Best" thread, the arguments will tilt that way.
SF, TB, GF, CR, and (yes) FRWL are my rock solid top 5, A+, gold standard Bond films. Each has its own set of problems: plot, character, technical. No film is perfect.
Oh yeah - my top five isn’t perfect either but by all means they encapsulate what I love about the series so well.
It’ll be interesting to see the dialog surrounding Skyfall as we approach its 15th anniversary - it seems its detractors get louder and louder as time goes on.
I think the fact is was so critically lauded is the reason for vehement detractors. We just don't want the series to veer off into a Skyfall inspired template.
Bond ought to be much much better than this.
Have to say, I disagree with your takes on sf but found your top five list really interesting. Some range.
- I would've liked the film to have a set piece on the level of the Istanbul opening halfway through... the casino scene and Silva's island scene didn't really scratch that itch for me, as far as thrills go. The casino obviously looked beautiful and had really good atmosphere of course.
- The CG special effects takes me out on more than one occasion. Some of the shots at Silva's island, that helicopter that shows up above them, the komodo dragons, to name a few.
Still, I would say it is a top 5 Bond for me.
The thing is, with such unimpeachable cinematography (maybe the best of that year even?), those VFX details just feel more noticeable.
Aye, style over substance.
Looks good but is intrinsically hollow.
Those are fair criticisms. I am not a big fan of the Istanbul PTS. It has some cliched moments in it, and a bad line from Moneypenny. It was also a little stuffed with product placement. They made this all seem natural, but when bunched together it was forced. And the chase went on a little long for my liking.
I didn't like that Severine was an after thought. I want to believe that Bond was genuinely concerned for her*.
The action in the final act got a little tiring, as well. But Silva's look of exasperation (when Bond and the henchman fall into the lake) is a payoff.
* I am not a believer in the "Bond is a Misogynist" criticism. There are many instances of Bond showing care and concern for the women he encounters, especially if they are victims of the spy game. His responses to both Jill and Tilly Masterson are a perfect example. He was concerned for Plenty's safety in DAF. He is pissed over what happened to Fields in QoS.
Replace TB (which I find relatively meh) with NTTD, and you have my own top five, though not necessarily in the order you mentioned (rather, not really at all, but this is about nuances). But they are the combined zenith of the Bond movie franchise.
Indeed, I am one of the few who holds TB in such high regard.
Oh yeah, every Bond film is someone’s favourite (or in this case in their top 5).
I think SF will have much the same sort of lifespan as any other popular Bond movie. Amongst general audiences it’ll continue to be popular on the whole. Fans will write long messages and rip it apart in the short term (whether they love it or not), especially in the years after the Craig era. Likely it’ll be followed by many retrospectively praising it, especially if it was one of their first Bond films. Articles or think-pieces will be written about its politics or social leanings, some critical, and some more sympathetic about the film. But whatever way I can’t see it suddenly becoming a ‘bad film’ or outright forgotten because some fans are vocal on their internet about their criticisms and don’t like the fact that this Bond film is praised.
You're not alone. TB is better than 95% of the Bond films, in my opinion.
It usually is, but it certainly invigorates the conversation.
This isn't a phenomenon new to Skyfall. It's The Goldfinger Effect.
Furthermore, all the Bond movies split opinion and analysis. Too many cooks, and such. You yourself have held it is all 'subjective'. Skyfall isn't special in this regard, either.
That’s the funny thing about popular films is that they attract fans as well as detractors. There’s always gonna be that sourpuss that comes in at the party and says “I can’t understand why this is so popular” while crossing their arms as everyone continues to dance and have fun.
All films get plaudits and detractions. Some at the same time.
SF I think will be fine in that sense.
To be fair, I'd never thought TMWTGG was not liked before. I always believed Scaramanga was considered one of the best villains in the series.