It’s the year 2028 and this cutting-edge robotics company OmniCorp lead by a ruthless Michael Keaton has supplied the U.S. military with drones for use overseas. In the beginning of the movie we learn that they have run into problems with bringing their robotic police/ counter insurgency technology into the USA. OmniCorp decides that they need to court the public. They believe that if the public can get behind a product they can begin to flood the american markets with their technology. The powers that be at Omnicorp decide finally to transform a critically injured police officer Alex Murphy into a cyborg cop. After the first tests aren’t too promising, Detective Murphy is re-programmed to operate strictly on software and not human emotion. While this is initially successful, Murphy’s emotions interfere with his programming. He sets out to right some wrong and all hell breaks loose.
My Thoughts
I enjoyed this movie very much in part because Jack Daniels was running through my veins. The Plot Summary is no surprise especially if you saw the first RoboCop movie or like action flicks. If you are going to see the gratuitous killing and bad action movie on-liners you will be partly disappointed. There were no bad one-liners but there was an amazing amount of killing but not of the type that made me cringe when I saw the movie when I was 7 years old. In other words no one was shot in the dick this time around.
That’s what many people are complaining about. To be more specific:”Pretty much like the original but less funny, less violent and with political themes brought to the forefront. Box office gold!“The first Robocop movie was pretty prophetic. If you watch it again you may gawk at the technology and special effects but you see there the seeds of what blossomed into life today: militarization of police, a really fucked up Detroit, technocratic society where CEO can wield power unchecked. I think the greatest thing about this new reboot was that it wasn’t just a recasting of the old movie in a modern context. It is actually a dialogue. So much in our society has changed and that change has been taken into consideration in this movie. Instead of being a vision of the future there is an allegory for the present. here is an incomplete Dramatis Personae
Omnicorp – an almost ubiquitous company that can use their movie and subversive marketing to decide the fate of citizens.
There is the News Industrial Complex working in collaboration with whoever wields the most money. Samuel L Jackson does a great job, in his role in the movie. (He looks a little like James Brown though).
There is the conflict within between our humanity and our basal drives. I see this most in the character of Robocop. he’s existence is a conundrum. Is he a man or machine? Are we at this moment fully living our potentials as human beings or are we slaves to the lesser drives of material acquisition and seeking comfort and safety.
Of course there are some incredible blurred lines between right and wrong, free an entrapped. But for just this ‘dialogue’ itself between this movie and its predecessor between the America of the late 80’s and the America of the day made the movie worthwhile. It was fun to watch, there was action, some message, and that is more than I can say for most films in this genre. Check it out and tell me what you think
I don’t know how it started, but in my house the James Bond Moves are an institution. We have seen every last one of the movies, even the one with George Lasenby that no one likes to talk about. However as much of the fan of the movies as I am I had never seen a Bond film in the theatre. Of all the incarnations of Agent 007, Sean Connery is my favourite ! I love Sean Connery I used to actually do a pretty spot on impersonation when I was in high school. However this Daniel Craig plays a really interesting Bond, he ads a complexity to him that I haven’t seen before. There is a reserve, a kind of stoic-ness, a kind of introspective. I loved Casino Royale, and I actually really like Quantum Solace. Suffice it to say I had to see Skyfall on opening Night.
SkyFall Theme
The theme is sung by Adele and is extremely fitting for the movie. It is on the same level as:
Shirley Bassey‘s “Goldfinger”,”Diamonds Are Forever”, and “Moonraker”,
I like Adele’s voice in this theme’s it’s has that sorta deep throaty sound. It’s like she is saying I have a cold. I’m to tired I don’t want to, but that no is just a subtext for how much she wants it, you remember back on all those times that no meant yes in a good way and before you know it your sucked into the story. It is very dramatic, lots of build-up, denouement and it’s very climatic too. Uhm yeah its a very good theme.
Overall Review (No Spoilers)
Since we went to some nice Manhattan theatre it was advise that we should smuggle booze into the theatre. So far We have been smuggling Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey into the Movie Theatre. We each get a large coke mix it in our seat and can really enjoy the movie in ways we didn’t before. This made movies like Judge Dred enjoyable.
This was one of the only James Bond to memory that most of the action took place in The UK. I’m guessing after the Olympics in the UK there movie making machine thought it would be a great idea to capitalize of Nationalistic fervour in the country. There were some amazing shots of London and the moors of Scotland. The pace of the film was fast but not rush. I found this movie to be a deconstruction of other bond movies. It in many ways goes back to the original writings and depictions of Ian Fleming. I found this to be a wonderful rebirth of the franchise with of course many references to long time fans of the movie series.
The movie in essence deal with change. The world has changed from the 60’s. The Cold War is no longer upon is, technology is different people are different. There is indeed a tide in the affairs of men and how the characters responding to the shifting tides in their own lives in the state of the world is what drives this movie. Javier Bardem is really good at playing bad guys and aside from being the films villain is the reckoning in many ways of the past as represented by Judi Dench’s Character M, he is the catalyst that will move the Whole Mi^ and Bond himself into a new era. There is a scene that is really funny between Bond and Bardem. I don’t want to spoil it for you.
Highlights
Bond
Daniel Craig plays a very human Bond. I think seeing moments of vulnerability of introspection brings this incarnation of Bond down from the almost campy Bond we have seen before into a more accessible character. We explore the origins of James Bond the person in this movie and it’s really interesting to have that personal and psychological profile added; it fleshes Bond out in a way that hasn’t been done before
That Brown Suga man, “ya can’t fucks widdit”. I don’t know how to compliment her look without sounding crass and uncultured. But I love the dress, well actually the dress is whatever but her in the dress is awesome. Her acting in the movie was solid. Really great stuff, unlike a lot of women I know she can drive exceptionally well and can handle a gun like a boss. Her character really balances out that of Bonds in their scenes together; she adds a nice feminine touch which I wouldn’t mind on my
Bérénice Marlohe
Un éclair… puis la nuit! — Fugitive beauté Dont le regard m’a fait soudainement renaître, Ne te verrai-je plus que dans l’éternité?
Ailleurs, bien loin d’ici! trop tard! jamais peut-être! Car j’ignore où tu fuis, tu ne sais où je vais, Ô toi que j’eusse aimée, ô toi qui le savais!
The exotic beauty in the film. She is the iconic bond girl at the Casino who asks him of course his name. At first I though she was the reason why the sky Fell but I just spilled some soda on my lap.
She plays her part in the movie exceptionally well. I wonder what she could do with my part Your Classic bond girl, beautiful look that scream of inaccessibility, sensuality, and of course, la petite mort and non-petite . The greatest thing about beautiful is its ephemerality and the effect that that transcient-ness can serve as a bridge to the moment. It can project into an experience of the passage of time. Look at these words (completely off topic) by Borges
To look at the river made of time and water And remember that time is another river, To know that we are lost like the river And that faces dissolve like water.
To be aware that waking dreams it is not asleep While it is another dream, and that the death That our flesh goes in fear of is that death Which comes every night and is called sleep.
This is the reason why in myth almost every hero is guided by a women goddess or Mortal, Jason and Madea, Thesus and Ariadne. Ok sorry for going off tangent. Madame Marlohe is great and everything a beauty should be in a bond film
The Opening Scene
The opening scene is tremendous gripping, action packed and visually stunning. From the landscape I imagined this took place in Turkey. I called it before the movie gave us that information. I should be working for the CIA profiling fools.
The Villian
Very interesting villain as a hybrid computer and biology scientist. Javier Bardem really has an interesting presence on the screen and his interaction with Bond and M is very interesting.
Finally
As an action film this movie is great and very entertaining. A friends of ours went to the movie not liking the bond films or knowing much about it and he thoroughly enjoyed it. I think this one of best bond movies. It is exceptionally good. I really enjoyed this movie. Go out and see it.
MrMary
Poem below were referenced in the post. They are amazing in their original languages
Baudelaire’s A Une Passante
A lightning flash… then night! Fleeting beauty By whose glance I was suddenly reborn, Will I see you no more before eternity?
Elsewhere, far, far from here! too late! never perhaps! For I know not where you fled, you know not where I go, O you whom I would have loved, O you who knew it!
Jorge Luis Borges’ Arte Poetica
Mirar el río hecho de tiempo y agua Y recordar que el tiempo es otro río, Saber que nos perdemos como el río Y que los rostros pasan como el agua.
Sentir que la vigilia es otro sueño Que sueña no soñar y que la muerte Que teme nuestra carne es esa muerte De cada noche, que se llama sueño.
It’s the year 2028 and this cutting-edge robotics company OmniCorp lead by a ruthless Michael Keaton has supplied the U.S. military with drones for use overseas. In the beginning of the movie we learn that they have run into problems with bringing their robotic police/ counter insurgency technology into the USA. OmniCorp decides that they need to court the public. They believe that if the public can get behind a product they can begin to flood the american markets with their technology. The powers that be at Omnicorp decide finally to transform a critically injured police officer Alex Murphy into a cyborg cop. After the first tests aren’t too promising, Detective Murphy is re-programmed to operate strictly on software and not human emotion. While this is initially successful, Murphy’s emotions interfere with his programming. He sets out to right some wrong and all hell breaks loose.
