Now that the film is out…feels this is a good thread to discuss (with spoilers) the sequences! Firstly…both play out in full IMAX 1.43 which is
Need to mull over the title sequence itself…but as for the gun barrel - as it turns out there are basically four versions of it floating around
The one most of us are seeing - 2021 MGM logo, custom Universal logo turning into the white dot which then essentially starts the sequence.
EDIT: some countries got the above with the 2012-20 MGM logo instead
2020 US version which was posted on YT which surfaced in the UAE (seems some countries working with 3rd party distributors aren’t getting the Universal logo) - 2012-20 MGM logo, which then fades, the first notes hit over black like with SP which leads to the white dots as normal
2021 US version - won’t know for sure until next week but sounds to be the same as above but just with the 2021 CGI Lion logo. People at US press shows told me no Universal logo for sure.
Given the way they’ve arranged the home ent release - MGM holding global digital rights and Universal global Blu-ray/DVD, wonder which of the versions will end up on which release. I think the Universal-less versions will be far more covetable, I think it works so much better, the idea with the Uni logo is neat but almost ruins the start IMO.
There was a kinda similar situation with Blade Runner 2049 (which was Warner Bros in the US and Sony internationally with Sony putting up part of the budget - the US version had all 4 logos (WB, Sony/Columbia, Alcon) while international had Sony/Columbia and Alcon, and the International version is the better hitting one the way the score hits, while the US has the gorgeous WB logo but the effect of the score is different.
Had the Universal one - I know pretty much every Universal film likes to play with that logo, but I definitely got a kick out it. Bond was, finally, back!
Yes indeed. That was the part that I didn’t like very much. IMHO, the transition just doesn’t work very well. I really hope that they kick that out for the home releases, but I have little hopes. US version should be different, as the distribution rights are with UA, not Universal.
It’s def staying as is for the international markets - guess the question is the US home release…as MGM holds the digital rights for the whole world, while Universal holds the Blu-ray DVD rights also for the whole world. So maybe the only version of the home release that is without the Universal logo will be the digital, not physical media.
The Brothers Bloom - UK digital has The Weinstein Company logo, the Blu Ray release does not. The former was because they were the US distribution, but despite having nothing to do with international distribution, there they are with a credit.
It might come down to who owns the film - the other 4 Craig movies had (in two cases have) a time limit belonging to Sony before reverting to MGM, why there’s ads for Sony movies on the initial home release, but not later ones. I don’t see MGM doing any less with NTTD especially given they put so much more into it.
all versions still retained the Columbia logo though on all releases to this day so whether the Universal logo stays on all home releases, even in the US, is really a case of how much of a claim Universal has. As established above they’re supposed to have global rights incl. US for the physical media only, while digital is fully with MGM. Logo appearances are usually contractual and it’s clear for the theatrical version at least, MGM has said no about having Uni on the US… (with the trailers too, the US theatrical versions of them specifically don’t have the Universal logo, and obviously the US market specific final one didn’t).
Which btw I guess all this discussion - seems no UA logo up front.
Has there ever been a bloodless gunbarrel sequence previously in the series? I can’t think of one offhand. And why? Is there some significance? Is it a foreshadowing to the end since it’s Bond’s blood that will be spilled this time?
No Universal logo on the US release, as Universal’s contract does not include US distribution. I really liked the gunbarrel. For the most part, I have enjoyed the Craig gunbarrels. My least favorite of his, bizarrely, is the most normal one (Spectre’s). It’s blurry, the music isn’t great, the blood is bascially a static image pulled down the screen. The rest of the them were pretty good, except that Skyfall’s should have started the film. I rank the gunbarrels:
Casino Royale - perfectly adds the gun barrel to the story and makes thematic sense to not open the film with it when Bond doesn’t yet have his license to kill
No Time To Die - The music is great and the way it seemslessly transitions to the first shot of the film is great. No blood is weird, but I can live with it.
Quantum of Solace - I know this isn’t a popular one, but I think the gunbarrel itself is the best looking one of the Craig films and I like how Bond walks away after shooting. Though, it should have opened the film.
Skyfall - This one has the best music, but the animated gunbarrel is weird looking. That said, had it opened the film, I’d rate it much higher. Mendes’s decision to put it at the end of the film was dumb.
Spectre - Despite being the most traditional gunbarrel, I don’t like this one (read above comments). Also, it should’ve opened on the Day of the Dead parade. We didn’t need the “The Dead are Alive” bit.
I hated the new gunbarrel the first time I saw it. The second viewing it didn’t bother me nearly as much. However I still wish they would stop messing with it. We haven’t had a traditional gunbarrel since TWINE. If Bond 26 reestablishes the classic gunbarrel it will have be a quarter of a century(!) since we last saw one.
I’d make the argument that we haven’t had a true, traditional gunbarrel since LTK. All of Brosnan’s gunbarrels are CGI and definitely behave different to the preceding 16.
