Skyfall survey: likes and dislikes of fans who rated Skyfall neutrally

Last week I took a look at those responses to our recent Skyfall survey from people who ranked the film negatively. As I mentioned in that article my original intention was to start on a positive note, but the loss of a hard disk drive meant my computer was out of action for a few days.

While the jury is still out on whether the disk is salvageable, I only had my iPhone to analyse the data and write the article, which is stretching things a little.

So, this time round I’ll took at the results from those who rated Skyfall more neutrally and see how that varies from the negative responses; again, the number of responses in this category (39) is too small to be a statistically valid sample.

If you take a look at the previous article you’ll see that people who rated Skyfall negatively agreed on a number of common likes and dislikes.

This time round the likes and dislikes looked like this:

Particularly liked

• The Aston Martin DB5 (8 mentions, 21%)
• The return of old characters (6 mentions, 15%)
• Cinematography (5 mentions, 13%)

Particularly disliked

• The death of M (6 mentions, 15%)
• Destruction of the DB5 (4 mentions, 10%)
• Gun barrel should start the film (3 mentions, 8%)
• Weak story (3 mentions, 8%)

In fact there was little consensus in the latter responses, with a wide variety of factors mentioned. Notice though that more people who rated Skyfall neutrally complained about the gun barrel being at the end of the film than respondents who rated it negatively; there were far bigger issues for them.

Selected quotes

• Good story, acting, cinematography brilliant.
• It has suspense and it is very enjoyable for an older public, they who grew up with Sean Connery as 007.
• It’s just a fantastic film from start to finish great actors & director, as the original as from Goldfinger, OHMSS & other Bond films!
• The unspoken “Mother/Son” love between M and Bond… Great choice for Miss Moneypenny.
• First time I saw it thought it was missing a big action set piece, but when you watch it a few more times you realise they can’t keep making Goldeneye again.
• Gun barrel needs to be at the START of the film!
• Javier Barden is not an action hero and in the movie he was pretty one dimensional which is pretty sad seeing as he’s such a great actor.  The depth of menace he brought to that psycho in ‘No Country for Old Men’ could have been better used in Skyfall I think.
• I’m a bit tired of the re-booting stuff and putting the gun barrel at the end of the film.  Also the highly personal stuff, I think some of this is best when being hinted at instead of stuffed down my craw
• Didn’t think the story and script was great. Good start ,slightly boring middle, Home Alone finale. Better than Quantum,not as good as Casino Royale.
• They went over the top in Bond’s “death,” as it’s hard to see how he survived being shot, falling hundreds of feet, hitting the water head first, then getting swept down a river. Moreover, it’s never explained how he survived.  This required too much willing suspension of disbelief.
• Unnecessary death of Severine. It’s ridiculous that Bond fails to save her (after he practically promised to do so in an earlier scene), only to have the UK helicopters show up seconds later.  Couldn’t he outwit the larger force, as he did at the opening of Casino Royale?
• I was shocked that M died.
• Sam Mendes is not a suitable director for a James Bond. The film is too dark … too serious for a James Bond. There are very few… sex-scenes between Bond and the Bond-girls!
• The death of M; too few “spectaculars”; too much in-city locations; no stunning locations; the vulnerability of 007 (a little is good, not too much).
• Need David Arnold back or maybe Michael Giacchino (see The Incredibles).
• At times it felt like the Judi Dench show!
• Once again, we were cheated out of one of the most iconic openings in movie history – the “man in a gun barrel” sequence to start the film.  This should always be at the beginning of the James Bond films – not at the end.
• The first half was very promising but something was missing from the second half.

Next time round I’ll take a look at the responses from those who replied most favourably about Skyfall. Watch this space for details soon!

Also see:

1. Skyfall survey: what Bond fans really think of the new 007 film

2. Skyfall survey: likes and dislikes of fans who rated Skyfall poorly