The Flickering Myth Reaction to the Skyfall trailer

I know the later Brosnan films were some pretty hokey guff, but I can’t help but think they might be going too far the other way, cutting out that crucial sense of humour they once had in the hope of gaining some kind of credibility.”

Luke Graham: “Very cool. I’m glad to see that some of this will be taking place in England, as Bond is and should be a British franchise. The scenes in China (I presume) look really atmospheric and exciting. Hopefully this will move Bond away from trying to be Jason Bourne and become its own thing.

The implication I took from the interrogation at the start is that perhaps James Bond is a sleeper agent, and Skyfall is his trigger word? That could be very interesting.

Plus Ralph Fiennes is in it, maybe as a bad guy. Ooh, making predictions is fun!”

Martin Deer: “I’m very excited for this. After being blown away by Casino Royale and bored with Quantum of Solace although I grew to appreciate it, I’m hoping this will get Bond back on track. The new take on the Bond theme that was in there was very much to my liking, it was weird and twisted and seems very much to represent Bond himself right now. And the shot of Bardem barrelling away from that burning mansion was as iconic as they come.”

Scott Davis: “Super excited for Skyfall. Loved Casino Royale, and like others, thought Quantum of Solace was a huge step back. Lacked story and intrigue, which Casino Royale had in spades. Looks like Mendes and co have stripped it back, and added elements that will hopefully rev up the excitement.Cast is superb too, Fiennes and Bardem in particular will hopefully add a huge weight to proceedings. Loved the interrogation scene as a highlight… the shot of Craig after “Skyfall” gave me goose bumps.”

Emma Hutchings: “Not a fan of Craig’s Bond but I’ll probably check this out because of Fiennes and Bardem. Nice teaser – gives lots of small glimpses of the action and reveals some great locations. Loved seeing Bardem in silhouette walking away from the flames and the word association at the start.Not sure what to expect but I agree that more humour would be good.”

Tom Joliffe: “This looks fantastic. If Casino Royale rejuvenated Bond, this looks like the one that could re-invent it. It looks intense. Much as Judi Dench is really reliable and has been throughout her tenure as M, it seems like they may be giving her a send off, and totally putting to bed the Brosnan era and doing something great. I think too that with a director like Mendes, there’s that potential for a whole new level than perhaps Campbell could have delivered (and that’s given how brilliant Casino was). Perhaps from now, directorial duties will be reserved for the top dogs. Maybe we’ll see a Nolan Bond one day?.

P.S.- I thought Quantum of Solace was such a letdown, and a mess, after Casino really re-invigorated a tired and lifeless franchise.”

Anghus Houvouras: “Absolutely pitch perfect teaser. Exactly what a first trailer is supposed to be: quick cuts, kinetic visuals, thumping score. It looks like the perfect Bond film. But Tom is spot on. Anyone remember the trailer for Quantum of Solace?

Equally awesome trailer, total donkey punch of a movie. It does what a trailer should, it gets you jazzed for the movie. And while I expect Skyfall will be a hell of a lot better than Quantum of Solace, I still wonder if Bond can get his groove back.”

Jake Wardle: “Oh lord yes. I’ll always defend Quantum of Solace (the opera scene is as effective as anything in Casino Royale and the ending is fantastic)but it was no Casino Royale, and this looks like a serious step-up. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for a great trailer. Either way, how has it taken this long for Ralph Fiennes to be in a Bond movie?! Bardem looks great too, Amalric was a bit wimpy.”

Simon Columb: “As far as trailers go, I’m not happy. No classic Bond theme and blinded by quick shots – with a Keyser Soze shot thrown in. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still excited by the project, but I’m not happy with the big bangs, quick flash, ‘tease’”.

Summary from Co-Editor Liam Trim: A bit of everything there, from passionate love and hate, to wild theories about Bond turning out to be a sleeper agent. He did try to kill M after being brainwashed in the original Ian Fleming novel The Man with the Golden Gun, an as yet unused plot in the films, so everything is possible. Lots of praise for the tone and the gorgeousness of the visuals, as well as the British setting to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the franchise. I, too, loved the new eerily electronic take on the Bond theme, seemingly inspired by the neon lit Shanghai scenes. Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig have also both promised more humour, despite our writers’ concerns, although it is admittedly, mostly absent from this dramatic trailer. There are also wise warnings here about getting carried away, given how the Quantum of Solace teaser also impressed, only for the film to lack most of the elements that made Casino Royale such a stunning reboot. As an obsessive Bond fan though, I can’t really help myself!

Which of our writers do you agree with? Did you like the Skyfall teaser, and if you did, do you think the film will live up to your expectations? Only a few more months and a no doubt disappointing British summer to go until we find out.

Until then, remember…

Country – England. Gun – Shot. Agent – Provocateur. Murder – Employment. Flickering – Myth.


Skyfall is released in the UK on October 26th, and the US on November 9th.