Skyfall - Guest Review

http://www.skyfall-movie.com/site/

Another guest review. But this time from my brother, Mike, instead of my usual guest reviewer:

Bond is in Istanbul, seemingly, popping in to see some fellow spies. While he is there he discovers that a hard drive containing the names and alias’ of MI6 agents around the world has been taken from a computer. Going after the people responsible Bond is shot while attempting to catch the perpetrators and falls to his certain death ...DUN-DUN DER! ...And so begins SKYFALL the 23rd film in the series, released in the 50th Year since DR NO first graced cinema screens.

For the rest of the film Bond contends with his own inner demons, a body and psyche that’s showing the rigours of the abuse laid upon it, but that’s not all! Bond’s recovery is not made any easier by the fact that he has to deal with a madman who seems to have a personal issue with M (In the great hands of Dame Judi) who herself is equally under pressure from a political system that seems to want to rundown the department because it costs money (the privatised version of MI6 sponsored by Toshiba becoming nearer a reality every day now!)

If this sounds quite dry and not your typical Bond film then you’re right it’s not. In fact apart from the stunt sequences and action set pieces at times it doesn’t feel like a Bond film at all. Bond’s meeting with Q takes place at the National Gallery ...Why? No idea, the name of the film which seems during trailers and what-not to relate to the scheme of the film relates to nothing of the sort. And the middle section seems to lag at times when it should be pulsing. This film like many other event films has been given universal five star reviews and usually that means one of two things, EITHER, it is as good as critics say OR everyone who goes to the press junket showing just gets caught up in the moment. Sadly, for Bond, it appears to be the latter.

That’s not to say there aren’t good bits in the film, the pre-credit sequence is all right, Bond’s disintegration and breakdown are both handled with aplomb and it’s here that Daniel Craig is at his best along with all his scenes with M, Javier Bardem is a fantastic villain and the end, which so many critics say is where the film lags was for me one of the most interesting bits of the film.

BUT, there are two major bad things and I will get to that now.

SPOILER ALERT

So far in Daniel Craig’s tenure in Bond films he has failed to save five women in three films and has only managed to save one. Only one ...In three films. Without being rude it is making Bond a bit crap, and Bond shouldn’t be a bit crap. Also ...Where are the henchmen? I for one miss the Jaws’, The Odd-Jobs and the Xenia Onatopp’s! Bond should test his metal against a decent henchman.

And it also fails the last test. Would I want to buy it on DVD? No.

6/10.

If you enjoyed my brother's review you might also want to check out his blog as he has opinions on a LOT of topics, not just films: http://mike-lambert.blogspot.co.uk/

Cast Overview:

Daniel Craig ~ James Bond

Judi Dench ~ M

Javier Bardem ~ Silva

Ralph Fiennes ~ Gareth Mallory

Naomie Harris ~ Eve

Berenice Marlohe ~Severine

Albert Finney ~ Kincade

Ben Whishaw ~ Q

Director ~ Sam Mendes

Writer ~ Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan

Based on characters by Ian Fleming

Cowboys & Aliens

http://www.cowboysandaliensmovie.com

I knew next to nothing about Cowboys & Aliens until my cinema buddy told me about the film. I then started to see articles in various film magazines and trailers, but it never really grabbed me. Despite this, I agreed to accompany my cinema buddy to see the film last week.

The film opens on a man (Daniel Craig), asleep in the desert. He soon wakes up to find a strange device attached to his wrist. He has no memory of who he is, how he got there or what this device is. He walks to the nearest town where he soon discovers he is a wanted criminal by the name of Jake Lonergan. When night falls the town is attacked by aliens who capture several of the town's inhabitants, including the son of Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). Dolarhyde is the most feared resident of this small town as his cattle farm is the only source of income the town has. Dolarhyde, Lonergan and a small band of townspeople go in search of the aliens and those they have captured, in the hope to get back the ones they love, and rid the town of the alien menace once and for all.

Considering this was a film I didn't particularly want to see in the first place, I can't begin to describe how disappointed I was with it. But I will try. Firstly, the mixing of the genres, western and sci-fi, does not work. Not on any level. It might have worked in the comic book from which it is based, but as a film, no. Just no.

Second, it is boring. We're talking a tumbleweed rolling across the screen would be more exciting than this film is, kind of boring. You keep expecting it to get better and for something really cool to happen. But it never does.

Third, Daniel Craig. I will never understand the attraction that people have to Daniel Craig. I should explain that the reason I picked the poster I did is because you can't see his weird, craggy looking face but you can see his rather shapely bottom, which is about the only thing he's got going for him.

I don't know if I can go on - or if you'd want me to. This really is one of the dullest films of the summer. You don't get a particularly good view of the aliens, and when you do they look just like a million other aliens you've already seen. And to top it all off, it has a really naff 'let's tie all these strings into a nice little bow' kind of ending.

The film should just be avoided until it finally leaves the saloon. 3 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 24th August 2011

UK Release Date - 17th August 2011

Cast Overview:
Daniel Craig ~ Jake Lonergan

Harrison Ford ~ Woodrow Dolarhyde

Abigail Spencer ~ Alice

Buck Taylor ~ Wes Claiborne

Olivia Wilde ~ Ella Swenson

Sam Rockwell ~ Doc

Matthew Taylor ~ Luke Claiborne

Cooper Taylor ~ Mose Claiborne

Clancy Brown ~ Meacham

Paul Dano ~ Percy Dolarhyde

Director ~ Jon Favreau

Writer(s) ~ Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby - Screenplay. 

Plus Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby and Steve Oedekerk - Screen Story. 

And finally Scott Mitchell Rosenberg - Platinum Studios Comic Book. 

(Have you ever heard the saying, too many writers spoil the film?)