No talk about Skyfall yet? I really enjoyed it, with the exception of one infuriating thing that I want to see if someone else points out. I was pretty rapt during the film though. It's gorgeous.

we see it tonight!

Just watched it. Two things I'm not happy about, one IT choice that was ludicrous and rendered any tech wizardry null and void, but mostly a good Bond movie with fun action and not enough sex.

I saw Argo, and mostly my takeaway is that I still don't know shit about classic rock, because I really thought that one song was going to be "Sabotage." Also, you know, what Tony Mendez actually looks like. Oh, also also, I thought Ben Affleck looked foxy.

Also, you know, what Tony Mendez actually looks like

Seriously! Almost all the other matches they showed in the credits were pretty spot on, and then there's just hunka hunka burning Affleck--it's not even like the real guy can be flattered--there was no attempt whatsoever at verisimilitude.

As for Skyfall-- I was thnking of the bits that annoyed while taking advantage of Banana Republic's bananas sale... THAT IS NOT HOW YOU CHECK OUT A BAD GUY'S COMPUTER. In fact, I think that the minimum recommended environmental isolation is six feet around--certainly not two network cables jacked into it. I know computer stuff is often wrong, but that one hurt, since it was the linchpin of the plan. I didn't think they had to make the bad guy all creepy effeminate, but props to Bond for implying it wasn't his first time at the rodeo. WHY YOU KILL M??? WHY???? WHY?? I chose to not process that as part of the narrative. I'd have liked Eve to have a major moment of badass, especially with the reveal at the end. I mean, clearly she wasn't inept, but you need to recover from killing the franchise with more than competence and bravery under fire.

I'm still weirded out by my crush on Dench, since my sister was friends with her daughter and met her in that context--I try not to have crushes on parents of friends--but GODDAMNED JUDI DENCH. And, I can never make a post about her without hearing/seeing Judi Dench. Little Judi Dench. Such a clever, little Judi Dench. Little, clever, chubby Judi Dench so there you go.

I'm not a computer whiz by any stretch of the imagination, and even I was thinking "No! Don't jack it in in the middle of MI-6! Take it someplace not the brain of the thing he's trying to undermine!"

I enjoyed it, but was underwhelmed at the end with the reveal of Ray Fiennes new role. Actually, I was underwhelmed with him the whole movie. Mabye because I kept waiting for him to turn out to be a bad guy.

I figured that once they mentioned he was a vet of Northern Ireland there was no way that would happen. UK narrative rules, if you're not trying to be radical (and Bond never is).

Aha! Rapace! I thought I saw that name in the credits--Noomi's husband plays one of the bad guys.

Okay, so I think I have my thoughts together about Bond.

1. I think it was entertaining, but I think I'm a little disappointed with the film. Not like "this movie is BULLSHIT"-disappointed, but I think with a bit of tweaking, the movie could have been more satisfying. I feel like what I saw was a bit of missed opportunity and that leaves me in a less than satisfying place.

2. I think Daniel Craig is a great bond. No quibble. And I thought most of the actors did their jobs except for the villain. I thought his characterization was kind of terrible. Bond villains, by definition I suppose, are caricatures, but it would have been nice to get a better sense of the grand scheme of things. What did this villain want to accomplish ultimately? If it was just to kill M, then I think he could have done that with FAR less effort.

3. As noted the posts above, it was flat out ridiculous that the quartermaster hooked the fucking computer up to MI6's network. It threw me out of the movie it was just so stupid. Couldn't they have had a new flunky do something stupid? I could almost believe that a bit better.

4. Similarly, when Bond was manhandling the dynamite, I rolled my eyes, because that wouldn't have happened either!

I like escapism with my Bond and I thought the references to classic elements of the franchise were fun, but I want my escape in the form of fun technology, travel, stunts, and shit and not interrupted by baseline stupidity.

len, on your number 4, I was having flashbacks to Art on Lost and screaming "be careful!!!!"