Olympic Opening Ceremony.

[magog_83]

Dear Danny Boyle,

Thank-you for making it possible for me to yell "THE QUEEN'S FLYING TO THE STADIUM IN A HELICOPTER WITH JAMES BOND, I THINK SHE'S GOING TO PARACHUTE IN" at my dad and not be exaggerating at all. His face was so worth it.

That was all so wonderfully bonkers and therefore British.

Love,

Me xx

Comments

[rotrude.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that was fun. Let's not forget the dogs' effort though. They took DB's direction in stride, methinks.

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it yet but the tweets were making me laugh.

[lucky-jack.livejournal.com]

I loved the slightly trippy Trainspottingesque shots of the corgis. Genius mental.

[shiny4love.livejournal.com]

Loved how bloody wonderfully inclusive it was. That amazing symbolic end with the mentor and the future generation passing of the torch. Just fantastic how the idea of unity and coming together as one with that beautiful torch made up of a piece from every country.

It made me really happy that for its faults the UK was able to put out such a inspiring and hopefully image. Overall there were some terrible twee moments of utter Brittishness but, some also amazing moments and some real crack :D

I think Danny did a good job, because I honestly don't know what I was expecting and it certainly wasn't that. So, I doubt the rest of the World did either. I wouldn't be surprised if 'what does Bonkers mean' isn't a top google search by tomorrow :P

[bluebeeangel.livejournal.com]

I think Mary Poppins fighting off Voldemort may be the best thing I've ever seen in life.

I thought it was brilliant. Bonkers, cute, quirky, epic and very human and warm.

[bryonyashley.livejournal.com]

I had to google the word bonkers :P but yeah...and I loved it. :)

[magog-83.livejournal.com]

The newspapers seem to universally love it (except a few nasty comments in the Mail and Telegraph about how the NHS doesn't deserve to be celebrated as a great British achievement).

The Times said,

"London turned down the option to celebrate giants and supermen and power and might and chose instead to celebrate people... Humour, above all things, humanises and there were elements of self-mockery that suggested that we could make this the humorous Games; the Games of humorous humanity in a land in which a joke and a grumble are never far away, and often enough one and the same thing."

Ed Miliband called it a brilliant 'people's history of Britain' which I agree with.

The Australian Herald said,

"Boyle's vivid and vibrant pageant set the tone for these Games and perhaps even a new direction for the Olympic movement. Rio has a hard act to follow, which won't deter it at all... His show did not take itself too seriously, but was never trivial. It was irreverent, but never disrespectful. It was clever, but did not outsmart itself. It was at once subversive and sublime. This is a country of royals and aristocrats, but Boyle's show rejoiced in the commoner."


I love how Danny Boyle didn't try to out-Beijing Beijing. Instead he made something quirky and funny and very British. It celebrated things like humour and the power of imagination and especially ordinary people - the isle was very much 'full of noises' XD

I also appreciated that it had so many in-jokes. It reminded me of that Mary Poppins gif going around where she says "I never explain anything" and sweeps off. I mean, he even included Michael Fish's infamous weather forecast!

I expected to be totally embarrassed by it, instead I really loved it!

[cat-77.livejournal.com]

Oh how I wish we could have seen the BBC airing and not the craptastic NBC version here in the states. They cut things out and made some outright racist commentary during the parade of nations portion. Yours also apparently had a nice tribute at the beginning, which was out and out removed here.

What I did see, I liked. My mother called to comment it was a little trippy and I told her no, it's just the British sense of humor at work and she accepted that. *g* I do wish there were obvious references to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who, though that might just be wishful thinking on my part. The tributes to the past and the tor with the flags were truly awesome, as was the lighting of the flame. I adore how the youth took turns carrying it to their sponsors who then had them share it and light it as one - wonderful message there (though I do admit to laughing when my Eldest burst out with, "OMG, it *is* the Hunger Games - they have sponsors and everything!").

[magog-83.livejournal.com]

I've heard a few complaints about the NBC coverage! Didn't they cut the part of the ceremony that was a tribute to the London bombing victims? (the beautiful bit where the lady sang Abide With Me)

I too missed Sherlock and Doctor Who! According to some people at the rehearsals, the original 1963 Doctor Who theme was supposed to have been played but must have been cut late on. All we got was a brief sound of the TARDIS engines instead :/ And all we got of Sherlock was Benedict Cumberbatch's gorgeous introduction to the ceremony.

My family were so impressed with it though. We expected jingoistic crap and instead got a people's history of Britain that covered the workers that drove the Industrial Revolution, the suffragettes, the war dead, the NHS, the colonial immigrants of the 1950s, the first gay kiss ever screened on telly in the 90s and the internet being for the whole world :D Also lots of awesome children's lit and humour. It felt more truly in keeping with what Britain is than any number of right wing battle hymns and imperial nostalgia ever could.

[cat-77.livejournal.com]

Ours did not have the tribute at the beginning or the introduction by Benedict Cumberbach and, maybe I missed it, but I swear I did not see the lesbian kiss part either. To be fair, the kidling were talking from time to time though, usually to mock Bob Costas and Ryan Seacrest. Also to be fair, we should expect such cuts by now considering the butchering of the Canadian previously.

Your version sounds far more delightful.