SkyFall receives rave reviews (no spoilers)

Cafe Society
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With the official release of the film still two weeks away, the first reviews have been published already. Most of them contain many spoilers, so if you don’t want to read any spoilers, but like to know the general verdict, you can read a summary of a select number of reviews here. More reviews might be added to this page in the next few days.

The coolest James Bond film yet. -The Sun

Enthralling, explosive and often very funny, Skyfall doesn’t just exceed expectations but shatters them. -The Mirror

(Sam Mendes has) made the best Bond film yet. -IGN

Mendes gets a lot more right than he gets wrong, and in the process has found a confident new identity for the franchise – not afraid of its past, but not chasing its competitors or being scared of the future either. It might take another viewing of each to see if it exceeds “Casino Royale” as the best since the Sean Connery days, but at the very least, it makes clear that after the disappointment of “Quantum of Solace” that Bond is back, and he’s not going anywhere. -Indiewire

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I have a really good friend who works for MGM and she saw it.
Mind you, she is rather jaded and doesn’t often like the films MGM produces, but she thought this Bond was terrific. For her to say that, well - it speaks volumes and I can’t wait to see the film.

I remember when Daniel Craig was first cast as Bond and there were lots of people who thought he was a poor choice. All I can say is that he might possibly be the best Bond ever (sorry Sean Connery!) and the last two Bond films with him have been damned good!

The Brits on the board should be able to give their real reviews of Skyfall soon - I believe it opens next week over there, and doesn’t open here until November.

Speaking of which, forgot to mention there is going to be a segment on Bond and the Broccoli family and history on this Sunday’s 60 Minutes.

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I enjoyed the first Daniel Craig /James Bond film. The second was just dreck. I truly hope the franchise (that term annoys me but it’s appropriate here) has bounced back. Craig is great for the role, but give the man a decent script for gosh sakes.

4

Thanks, I didn’t know about that. Rotten Tomatoes has it at 98% with four reviews in.

This Bond film is an anti-Bond film. Bond continues to be a hard, brooding guy. But this time the villain in the piece, Bardem, brings him to life. - Movie City News

The rapport between Bond and M is so rich, you feel as if there is 50 years of history between them right up on screen. -TheShiznit.co.uk

Skyfall is a resurrection, and will go down as one of 007’s best. -Times [UK]

Undoubtedly Daniel Craig’s best outing; this is a new kind of Bond film. -HeyUGuys

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That’s a neat trick.

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I also thought Quantum of Solace was regrettable, and I think it’s interesting that you pointed out the “decent script” issue. I was talking with my brother the other day - he always keeps up on the latest information online about new movies, videogames, etc… Anyways, regarding the script of QoS, he was telling me that he has read that online that there basically was no finished script for that movie, and then the writers strike happened. Apparently, production on the movie was started with only an outline of the script with most of the dialogue and details missing, and they assumed that this wouldn’t be a problem because they’d just get the writer(s) to finish the script during filming. But then the writers strike happened, so they couldn’t have a writer on set to actually write good dialogue and tweak the story, and it would have been too expensive to halt production and then restart it when the strike was over. So (according to my brother - I don’t have a cite) it was the director and Daniel Craig who worked together during filming to write their own dialogue and work out plot details; they were winging it, and I think it really shows in the final product.

Skyfall does not have the same problem. And I would imagine that after QoS was not so well received and had a lot of criticism, they were probably extra careful with Skyfall to make sure they had good writers and good script going into filming.

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The poster has serious reading comprehension problems.

The film is at 100% and 98% of users state they want to see the film.

Certainly sounds promising. Can’t wait!

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I thought the trailer looked promising, but hasn’t every Bond film been “the best Bond film yet”?

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That makes perfect sense. **QoS **was the first movie I ever walked out of thinking, Too much action, not enough talk.

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So I had time to do a little googling, and I found this:

Daniel Craig says writers strike “fucked” Quantum of Solace:

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No. The reviews do not seem to indicate that train of thought at all. They kind of go up and down depending on the movie.

Just starting with Pierce Brosnan, it tends to rise and fall quite a bit.

Way up with Goldeneye (81% positive).

Down with Tomorrow Never Dies (54% positive)

Down for World is Not Enough (51%)

Down with Die Another Day(59% positive)

Way up with Casino Royale. (94% positive)

Down some with Quantum of Solace. (64% positive)

Back up with Skyfall (96% currently, not enough to be final).

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I don’t know if anyone will think this means anything, but it gets thumbs up from Roger Moore. More than thumbs up.

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I should’ve been clearer: I didn’t mean each new film has literally been the best, but that each one seems to be marketed as the “best Bond film yet,” with a quote from some (real or invented) critic making the claim.

Not that I’d expect the ads to say “not as good as the last few Bond films, but come see it anyway!”

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Oh yes. I still remember the print ads for A View to a Kill plastering “Best Bond Film To Date - Rex Reed” across the top of the ad. I think his was the only positive review from a major critic that turd received. There were many more reviews proclaiming it to be the worst of the Bonds (LA Weekly, for one). That was when I decided Reed had officially become a quote whore.