SPECTRE Review Thread

[RocShemp]

To be fair, Mendes did a rock solid job as director. It's the writers that dropped the ball. I have no problems with Mendes returning as long as the writers are replaced or make great strides towards correcting the numerous problems with the script for Skyfall.

[metaridley]

Originally Posted by RocShemp

To be fair, Mendes did a rock solid job as director. It's the writers that dropped the ball. I have no problems with Mendes returning as long as the writers are replaced or make great strides towards correcting the numerous problems with the script for Skyfall.

The writers did a terrific job with Skyfall. For once I was actually emotionally invested in the outcome.

Anyway, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have finally been canned. They've been credited with the past 5 Bond screenplays but have always had their drafts rewritten (Bruce Feirstein, Paul Haggis, John Logan) because when left to their own devices, they're responsible for the cinematic masterpiece that is Die Another Day. John Logan will be writing Bond 24 & 25.

[jpthomas27]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

I started watching the Bond movies recently and I noticed a few nods to them in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. I've found 3 so far. I'll post another vid if I find any more.


James Bond nods in The Dark Knight films - YouTube

Not sure I'm convinced they are a "nod" to any bond films.
The first one (the plane) could have been borrowed from Bond or the idea been born there but not sure it there was an intentional tribute.
The second one is a variation of an actual quick extraction technique in use by today's military special forces. I'm no military expert, but I think the difference is that choppers are used in reality.
The third one is a variation of a very common expression used for ages. "My mom told me not to get in a car with strangers", "My mom told me not to take candy from strangers"... and so on and so on. I would bet some variation of this line is in hundreds of movies.

[RocShemp]

Originally Posted by metaridley

The writers did a terrific job with Skyfall. For once I was actually emotionally invested in the outcome.

I wasn't because there were too many idiotic coincidences (the aformentioned train, for one) and Silva, despite Javier Bardem doing his utmost to elevate the material, was a terribly written villain. All that setup for some guy with mommy issues that wasn't really doing much of anything. Even the angle of the list was suddenly dropped after the hearing. Everyone seemed to have forgotten the list was still out there. Given that Silva had such a huge network (that did all this evil stuff, or so he claimed), you figure several of his people had access to the list.

Meh. The script was a huge step down from Casino Royale and felt slapped together.

[metaridley]

Originally Posted by RocShemp

I wasn't because there were too many idiotic coincidences (the aformentioned train, for one) and Silva, despite Javier Bardem doing his utmost to elevate the material, was a terribly written villain. All that setup for some guy with mommy issues that wasn't really doing much of anything. Even the angle of the list was suddenly dropped after the hearing. Everyone seemed to have forgotten the list was still out there. Given that Silva had such a huge network (that did all this evil stuff, or so he claimed), you figure several of his people had access to the list.

Meh. The script was a huge step down from Casino Royale and felt slapped together.

I couldn't get fully on board with Casino Royale because it felt like "growing pains", for lack of a better term. Some things didn't quite work but the parts they lifted from the novel were mostly well done. I think Eva Green, even though she's a good actress, pales in comparison to Diana Rigg from OHMSS. The Sony product placement was way too blatant, even for this franchise. Best ending to a Bond movie however and CR is still in my top 10.

[RocShemp]

Originally Posted by metaridley

I think Eva Green, even though she's a good actress, pales in comparison to Diana Rigg from OHMSS. The Sony product placement was way too blatant, even for this franchise. Best ending to a Bond movie however and CR is still in my top 10.

Here you and I agree. Especially about Diana Rigg, despite loving Eva Green in CR.

[fassbenderfan]

Idris Elba should be the next Bond. Black Felix, Black Moneypenny, why not a Black Bond?

[006]

Originally Posted by RocShemp

I wasn't because there were too many idiotic coincidences (the aformentioned train, for one) and Silva, despite Javier Bardem doing his utmost to elevate the material, was a terribly written villain. All that setup for some guy with mommy issues that wasn't really doing much of anything. Even the angle of the list was suddenly dropped after the hearing. Everyone seemed to have forgotten the list was still out there. Given that Silva had such a huge network (that did all this evil stuff, or so he claimed), you figure several of his pThe script was a huge step down from Casino Royale and felt slapped together.

The explosion and the train were not meant for Bond (or anyone who could have been chasing Silva), they were for most of the police in the area to clear Silva's path to M with a distraction, I don't know how so many miss this . The fact that Bond catches up to him at the manhole where Silva is escaping and the bomb just gives us a great moment with Bond and the villain that ends with a train coming through the wall.

The list was literally just to punish M. He probably didn't care about exposing agents at all, however what he did care about was making M feel like a failure and bringing her down emotionally before killing her. He was a sick sick man, as I am sure surviving months of torture would do to almost anyone and the fact that it was indeed M's betrayal that caused him to suffer so much made the extreme actions of such a sick and disturbed man all the better.

Skyfall was a personal story, and as Silva said it was indeed "about you, me, and her".

[006]

Originally Posted by fassbenderfan

Idris Elba should be the next Bond. Black Felix, Black Moneypenny, why not a Black Bond?

Only if Shaft is white or asian or latin in the next version of his movies.

[fassbenderfan]

I think I know why they introduced Eve in this movie and why they made her black.

They wanted Bond to die. Somebody had to shoot him. Said person mustn't be good at the job. Hence, a woman was cast. To make it more believable, they made her black. A the end, Eve decided to become a receptionist, a.k.a the office equivilent of working in a kitchen. if they made her Jewish, the name Moneypenny would have been a crude joke .






Yes, I'm kidding . (I'm brown ).

[Bourne1886]

Originally Posted by thrillmygorilla

You might be in the minority on this.

No, I'd be happy for him not to do it. I liked Skyfall but i still think CR is the better film.

SM is a good director no doubt,but it would be better if another director took the reigns. If SM does come back then so be it, it wouldn't be a disaster,he would make a solid film.

The thing that I prefer between CR and SF is the music. Arnold can handle a Bond soundtrack, Newman is not as good in the Bond stakes. Arnold's had heart and excitement where as Newman's was quite bland and boring. Just my opinion though.

[Rizor]

As far as choice of directors go, I'd be happy to have Sam Mendes back for no. 24. I prefer Casino Royale to Skyfall, but he did a very good job with it. I also imagine Bond 24 will need to take a very different approach to the character, especially seeing as how Mendes essentially setup a throwback to the '60s films. Martin Campbell did a great job with Goldeneye and Casino Royale. He seems to understand the style of the character. I'm just worried because his post-Casino Royale films have been kind of bad (Edge of Darkness, Green Lantern). I do feel the next one should open things up a big more as far as the exotic locales go.

I agree that I missed David Arnold in Skyfall. Newman did a good job, but I felt the Bond theme cues seemed lazy and out of place. Arnold really hit CR out of the park, creating a perfect Bond score that didn't even use the Bond theme until the end.

[tigertron]

Originally Posted by Rizor

As far as choice of directors go, I'd be happy to have Sam Mendes back for no. 24. I prefer Casino Royale to Skyfall, but he did a very good job with it. I also imagine Bond 24 will need to take a very different approach to the character, especially seeing as how Mendes essentially setup a throwback to the '60s films. Martin Campbell did a great job with Goldeneye and Casino Royale. He seems to understand the style of the character. I'm just worried because his post-Casino Royale films have been kind of bad (Edge of Darkness, Green Lantern). I do feel the next one should open things up a big more as far as the exotic locales go.

I agree that I missed David Arnold in Skyfall. Newman did a good job, but I felt the Bond theme cues seemed lazy and out of place. Arnold really hit CR out of the park, creating a perfect Bond score that didn't even use the Bond theme until the end.

This.

I'd love for MC to return, but he seems to be the guy to call when there is a new Bond actor, so I'm not sure if he'll do another DC Bond.

[metaridley]

Originally Posted by Rizor

As far as choice of directors go, I'd be happy to have Sam Mendes back for no. 24. I prefer Casino Royale to Skyfall, but he did a very good job with it. I also imagine Bond 24 will need to take a very different approach to the character, especially seeing as how Mendes essentially setup a throwback to the '60s films. Martin Campbell did a great job with Goldeneye and Casino Royale. He seems to understand the style of the character. I'm just worried because his post-Casino Royale films have been kind of bad (Edge of Darkness, Green Lantern). I do feel the next one should open things up a big more as far as the exotic locales go.

I agree that I missed David Arnold in Skyfall. Newman did a good job, but I felt the Bond theme cues seemed lazy and out of place. Arnold really hit CR out of the park, creating a perfect Bond score that didn't even use the Bond theme until the end.

Edge of Darkness was great and a more logical sequel to Casino Royale than the one we actually got.

[Underworld54]

It's official, Sam Mendes will not direct Bond 24...drats!!!

[Buddy Ackerman]

Originally Posted by Underworld54

It's official, Sam Mendes will not direct Bond 24...drats!!!

I read that as the opposite - was very disappointed to re-read it. It's a shame but I thought it was too good to be true to get him first time around - to get him twice would have been something else.

Bond may be back, but Empire can exclusively reveal that Sam Mendes won't be joining him. At the BAFTAs recently, basking in the glow of Skyfall's triumph for Outstanding British Film, it seemed that Mendes, who had previously claimed he would make just the single Bond entry, could be tempted back for another go. But, having bumped into the Oscar-winning director on a barren Scottish glen - or was it a glitzy Macau casino? - he confided in us that he won't be returning to direct Bond 24.

“It has been a very difficult decision not to accept Michael and Barbara’s very generous offer to direct the next Bond movie," explained Mendes. "Directing Skyfall was one of the best experiences of my professional life, but I have theatre and other commitments, including productions of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and King Lear, that need my complete focus over the next year and beyond."

With Skyfall freshly crossing the $1.1bn mark at the box office and still hoovering up plaudits - it dominates the nominations at this year's Jameson Empire Awards - the news will no doubt be a blow to producers Broccoli and Wilson. Then again, with a freshly reinvigorated franchise to oversee and actors of the calibre of Daniel Craig, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Ralph Fiennes to work with, there'll be no shortage of high-calibre applicants to pick from for Bond 24.

If his gifted direction of dramatic beats came as no surprise to movie-watchers, Mendes' adroit handling of Bond's action sequences wowed fans and elevated Skyfall to critical and commercial echelons previously never enjoyed by a Bond movie. For his part, the 47 year old director refuses to rule out the possibility of a Martin Campbell-like return to the franchise in years to come. "I feel very honoured to have been part of the Bond family", said Mendes, "and very much hope I have a chance to work with them again sometime in the future".

A response from Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli has just reached us, and it more than leaves the door open to a Mendes return. "We thoroughly enjoyed working with Sam, he directed our most successful Bond movie ever, Skyfall. We would have loved to have made the next film with him but completely respect his decision to focus on other projects and hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with him again."

Source

Hopefully they can tempt him back for Craig's final Bond film. Be a great way to send him off.

[duggie walker]

It's no disaster. Mendes is not a particularly interesting director. He's a "safe pair of hands", producing consistently competent but unremarkable work, which is why producers (and critics) love him so. SKYFALL benefited hugely from following the wretched QOS, but it doesn't look so great when set beside CR.

Bond has traditionally hired competent but anonymous directors. Partly, this was because they were amenable to the very hands-on, highly controlling role of the producers. They were also directors who were happy to focus on the actors rather than the stunt-work, which was essentially left to the second-unit.

The nadir of this approach was John Glen's run, as Glen was pretty much a "yes-man", with very little visual flair. He was also saddled with an aging Roger Moore and some of the worst screenplays in the series' history. The producing team, frankly, has shown no signs of being particularly good at script development over the years.

Martin Campbell is a very good Bond director because he's rigorous on script and has just enough of a visual style to distinguish himself. The success of CR (and Daniel Craig's influence) seemed to embolden the producers to hand over a little more creative control to a more individualistic director but they chose wrong, and the result was horrible.

In Mendes they found a director who is naturally conservative, had a genuine love of the movies and who is very collegiate in nature (look how skilfully he plays the PR game). He is attentive to script (although not THAT attentive, imo) and even better, he's one of those guys that just gets a "free pass" from critics ie they never review him very badly. So he was a decent choice but far from the only choice.

I daresay it's true that Mendes is under some pressure from his other employers to pay them some attention. It may also be true that things were not quite as rosy in the garden as they appeared to be (not that he'd ever say such a thing). Mendes was probably uncomfortable with just how much control was exerted. And anyway, he's achieved his goal - he needed a hit of some sort and he's certainly got that. His slightly fading cinema career has been revived.

The important thing is the screenplay. SKYFALL did at least continue some character development for Bond, and that's the key to its success. Otherwise, there are plenty of directors out there who could do a good job. The only problem is that one can never be quite sure if Broccoli and Wilson will choose wisely. Their track record is erratic.

[tigertron]

Since Mendes is out of the game they should get Martin Campbell back.

[RocShemp]

Naw. They should think outside of the box. They should get Wong Kar-wai to direct.

[Pounder]

Michael Bay's time has come.