For Your Eyes Only. It’s been more than a decade since I saw my first Bond movie on a VHS tape. I still vaguely remember the weird coldness Dad and me shared saw the movie together. Him a veteran of several of the Bond movies and me, a pubescent, acne-ridden teenager who was yet to know what Bond, James Bond was all about. I bet Dad thanked the stars that it was a Roger Moore movie and did not have the notoriously (nasty) famous Bond Sean Connery.
From that time on, I saw some of the old Bond movies (Connery included) and some with the stylish Bond as presented by Pierce Brosnan. None of them with Dad, though all of them on TV. The panache of Mr. Connery, the patriotism of Mr. Moore, the style of Mr. Brosnan (and the others) was all fine till came the ruthlessness of one Mr. Daniel Craig. Now that’s the Bond I could associate with. A vulnerable, human Bond. Yes, the gadgetry, the cars, the splendor, and the women were all fine from the rest of the movies. Nevertheless, something was missing. Something that appealed to me. That something was the mad action that happened in the opening scene of Craig’s Casino Royale. Yes. Beating up villains is not just about style, it’s about making a mark. A deep, scarred mark. But yes, I saw Casino Royale on DVD. No big-screen super action.
Then came Skyfall and along with that my decision to see it on the big screen. I was a bit apprehensive to see it since I had missed out on Quantum of Solace (QoS) as there is some link between them. However, when I read that you can actually appreciate this one more if you haven’t see QoS, I was all set.
I liked Skyfall. It is not Casino Royale. It’s more a battle of words or wits than weapons. (More, not entirely!) The storyline is not very strong, but Craig, Xavier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes more than make up for it. The second half is better, so stay in your seats. There are amazing references to old Bond movies and those who are Bond fanatics will love them for sure! Do watch it if you like the Bond franchise, a fabulous villain, and dialogues like:
JB: “So, a gun and a radio. We aren’t having much of a Christmas, are we?”
Q: “What did you expect, an exploding pen?”
There is even a poem quoted in the movie:
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Ulysses
Well, time to go and order a shaken-not-stirred.
From that time on, I saw some of the old Bond movies (Connery included) and some with the stylish Bond as presented by Pierce Brosnan. None of them with Dad, though all of them on TV. The panache of Mr. Connery, the patriotism of Mr. Moore, the style of Mr. Brosnan (and the others) was all fine till came the ruthlessness of one Mr. Daniel Craig. Now that’s the Bond I could associate with. A vulnerable, human Bond. Yes, the gadgetry, the cars, the splendor, and the women were all fine from the rest of the movies. Nevertheless, something was missing. Something that appealed to me. That something was the mad action that happened in the opening scene of Craig’s Casino Royale. Yes. Beating up villains is not just about style, it’s about making a mark. A deep, scarred mark. But yes, I saw Casino Royale on DVD. No big-screen super action.
Then came Skyfall and along with that my decision to see it on the big screen. I was a bit apprehensive to see it since I had missed out on Quantum of Solace (QoS) as there is some link between them. However, when I read that you can actually appreciate this one more if you haven’t see QoS, I was all set.
I liked Skyfall. It is not Casino Royale. It’s more a battle of words or wits than weapons. (More, not entirely!) The storyline is not very strong, but Craig, Xavier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes more than make up for it. The second half is better, so stay in your seats. There are amazing references to old Bond movies and those who are Bond fanatics will love them for sure! Do watch it if you like the Bond franchise, a fabulous villain, and dialogues like:
JB: “So, a gun and a radio. We aren’t having much of a Christmas, are we?”
Q: “What did you expect, an exploding pen?”
There is even a poem quoted in the movie:
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Ulysses
Well, time to go and order a shaken-not-stirred.
2 comments:
Good one. You actually remembered all the lines of the poem?
Also, posting comments on your blog is a pain. I typed the comment, went thru the captcha, it asked me to sign in to Gmail which I did, and now I'm back on this screen again going thru captcha again. Just thought you'd like to know.
Thanks for the comment!
I remembered a few lines from the poem and then searched for them.
Sorry about the painful commenting process. But it definitely helps to reduce spam bot attack. Will try to make it simpler though.
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