Since the release of its first movie Dr. No in 1962, the James Bond / 007 series stands as the longest running cinema franchise. Star Wars: The Force Awakens may be coming out this December, but Ian Fleming scoffs that it took Lucasfilms almost forty years to churn out a meager seven movies. Four generations of my family have grown up watching the adventures of James Bond, spanning Barry Nelson and Sean Connery’s era to Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig’s. A franchise so ancient, especially in today’s ever-changing landscape of Hollywood, naturally begs the question: is it still relevant?
Tag Archives: Daniel Craig
Trailer Reaction: “Spectre”
If there’s someone to blame for my obsession with movies, you must point a finger at three specific people. The first two are Ian Fleming and Albert R. Broccoli and the third is their shared creation. The first had the idea and the second personified him as a touchstone of cinematic history; their product is Agent 007, James Bond. The Bond franchise lit the cinema fire inside me, becoming a twenty-plus entry film series that I watched in a consistent cycle until I remembered every line, every plot detail, and every minute aspect that comprised the film as a whole. No matter how good or how bad, I devoured each and ever Bond film countless times over, never tiring of them. My attraction to franchises in general and falling in love with the mythologies of various series’ started only after I had unearthed the forty-year-old Bond franchise.
Skyfall
Bond is back and he’s better than ever! After 50 years, the suave British Super-Spy has returned for an adventure that will test him physically and mentally. Our host, Charlie Greenwald checks out what viewers thought of the latest James Bond installment, Skyfall.
Bond 24: Who Should Direct?
If you haven’t seen Skyfall yet, what the hell have you been doing instead? The newest James Bond film has crushed box offices domestically and internationally, setting records and taking in some praiseful reviews in the process. With another $40 million intake in its second weekend after being expectedly dethroned by the final Twilight film, 007 is sitting well with American audiences, as is director Sam Mendes. The Best Director winner of American Beauty handled a Bond film with ease, and his brilliant work has already started speculation about who will be considered to replace Mendes on the next James Bond film. Some might point to big names with upcoming or recent projects like Guillermo Del Toro, J.J. Abrams, the Coen Brothers, the Wachowski Siblings, Tom Hooper, or Matthew Vaughn to step up without considering the specificity associated with tackling a James Bond movie. There have even been rumors, some mentioned by Daniel Craig, that Quentin Tarantino is under heavy consideration. I have a list below that I slaved over judging the vast expanse of directing talent that could potentially continue the James Bond legacy.
The “Skyfall” Problem: Where In The World Is James Bond?
It may have gotten some of the best reviews of the franchise (it currently has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and our own Mike Murphy gave it a perfect 10/10) and it may have shattered the box office with an $88 million debut, but I have a confession to make: I did not love Skyfall. Don’t get me wrong, the 23rd entry in the 50-year-old James Bond film franchise is a very good addition, one with startling action sequences (the opening chase across Turkey is truly edge-of-your-seat), gorgeous cinematography courtesy of Roger Deakins (Bond’s arrival at a Macau casino is utterly jaw-dropping), and truly impeccable performances from Judi Dench as M and Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, arguably the best Bond villain to date and easily the best film antagonist since The Joker. And yet, I can’t help but feel that Skyfall drags in the one area that matters most: James Bond. If you’ve already listened to our exclusive podcast, than you probably know my feelings here, but if not, read on to see why Skyfall left me feeling a little bored and quite nostalgic for the Connery days:
“Skyfall”: A Critical Reaction (PODCAST)
If it isn’t clear by now, let us just remind you: JAMES BOND IS BACK AND HE’S BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER! After earning some of the franchises best reviews (it currently holds a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and our own Mike Murphy gave it a perfect 10/10), Skyfall, the 23rd entry in the 50-year-old James Bond movie franchise, shattered the box office with a staggering $88 million debut, easily the biggest opening weekend ever for a 007-starring film. With over half a billion dollars grossed internationally in just the first two weeks of release, Skyfall is clearly the Fall blockbuster and the 007 movie the world has been waiting for, but is everyone truly a fan? In this exclusive podcast, our Reel Reactions critics – Zack Sharf, Mike Murphy, and James Hausman – sit down for an open discussion about Skyfall; is this really the best James Bond film to date? Just how great is Javier Bardem and Judi Dench? Where will the Bond franchise go next? Who should direct the 24th installment? These are just a few of the many topics we explore in our Skyfall critical reaction:
Listen below but BEWARE: MAJOR SPOILERS INCLUDED
Top 10: The Best Of Bond
From 1962 to 2012, viewers have enjoyed fifty years of the James Bond film franchise, watching numerous actors fill the shoes of the devilishly debonair superspy also known by MI6’s secretive moniker, 007. This past weekend, the series’ newest entry, the Sam Mendes-directed Skyfall, destroyed the box office with $87.8 million, setting a new record for the franchise with outstanding reviews nearly across the board (read my own review here). As a celebration for the excellent new Bond entry, Reel Reaction concludes its James Bond coverage with my Top 10 James Bond Films list. Did your favorite Bond film make the list? Which ones did I forget? How closely do my favorites match yours?
Skyfall
“Were you expecting an exploding pen?”
Skyfall doesn’t begin with the expected gun barrel sequence – yes, this is a minor spoiler…a very minor one – instead it begins with an unfocused shot of James Bond (Daniel Craig) walking purposefully into focus with nothing but his piercing, icy blue eyes marvelous lit by a slanted stream light. A pang from a nearby room alerts the edgy secret service agent and he motions forward into the shadows with his Walter drawn ready for any kind of sudden action. In no less than thirty seconds we have come to understand a handful of things: First, this is already the most gorgeous looking James Bond film to date (thank the Lord for Roger Deakins). Second, this is a Bond film oozing of style and a dark, brooding tone and that’s made clear before the one-minute mark. Third, Skyfall has already become an atypical Bond installment by disregarding the standard gun barrel intro and with 142 full minutes left, there is ample time for even more daring changes and progressions. In the end, that’s what Skyfall is: Daring and progressive; the film is unafraid to make drastic changes to a half-century old franchise and take it to places and in directions that were previously unfathomable. As the elemental visuals of the title sequence seeped through the celluloid and Adele’s vocals cascaded through the theater’s sound system following the gripping pre-credits chase sequence, I had to force back the tears of excitement. A couple hours later, I was bouncing in my seat out of immense joy having just seen what will inevitably be named the new quintessential James Bond film.
Bond Basics: The Bond Men
From 1962 to 2012, viewers have enjoyed fifty years of the James Bond film franchise, watching numerous actors fill the shoes of the devilishly debonair superspy also known by MI6’s secretive moniker, 007. This Friday, the 23rd entry in the series will be released nationwide once again starring Daniel Craig as the MI6 agent with a license to kill originally created by British author, Ian Fleming. Director Sam Mendes takes the reigns on what looks to be a thrilling new Bond film and in preparation Reel Reactions is putting together some articles rating various aspects of the Bond franchise thus far. So far, we have delved into the franchise’s famous title theme songs and analyzed each of Bond’s villains while speculating on how Javier Bardem’s Raoul Silva will compare. This week, we look at the six faces of Bond to examine the legacy each of them has left on this expansive franchise.
BOND BASICS: The Villains
From 1962 to 2012, viewers have enjoyed 50 years of the James Bond film franchise, watching numerous actors fill the shoes of the devilishly debonair superspy also known by MI6’s secretive moniker, 007. On November 9th, the 23rd entry in the series will be released nationwide, once again starring Daniel Craig as the MI6 agent with a license to kill originally created by British author, Ian Fleming. Director Sam Mendes takes the reigns on what looks to be a thrilling new Bond film, and in preparation, Reel Reactions is putting together some articles rating various aspects of the Bond franchise thus far. Last week, we delved into the franchise’s famous title theme songs and this week we tackle another popular commonality of the Bond films: The Villains.
Reel Reactions 