opening and closing

with the Olympics coming to a close tomorrow, i figured it was time to offer up my recap and review of the opening ceremonies, before we see the closing ones....

first, let's tackle 'the worst' of the opening ceremonies....

• when the show opened, i sat in awe at the incredible 'shire' (ala lord of the rings) that had been created in the stadium.....it was magnificent....and then, my thoughts turned to - how the heck are they going to change the scene in any kind of timely fashion - the answer?  they're not.  that transition from the shire to industry was painfully slow and lost a ton of momentum from the previous scene to the next incredible industrial one (see 'the best' for more on that!)
• the kids and the beds and the nightmares....well, i liked the nood to great british literature....however, i never felt like this scene resolved itself in a positive way...sure, mary poppins fly in (all dressed in black....no 'spoonful of sugar' bright happiness there....) and so it just seemed kinda scary and weird.
• the queen - everything she did after she arrived at the games.  you've seen her.  you've heard her.  'nuff said.
• the entire 'digital age' montage with frankie and june and the rapper and then dance montage thing or whatever....it was not impressive.  i did not enjoy it (perhaps because i don't give a lick about frankie and june?!)  the dance stuff was okay, and their formations were neat...but not given their 'size' in the scope of the entire stadium.  a couple dozen dancers...okay.  hundreds of dancers would have been spectacular... alas, it was not.
• i'm gonna say it - Mohammed Ali.  i'm not entirely sure why he was there.  to me, it was just an exercise in the incredible damage that Parkinson's Disease causes.  it was painful to watch - i'm not sure he knew where he was or why.  he could not do whatever it was he was supposed to (ceremoniously touch the flag?!).  it was a honor given to a worthy athlete - i just don't think it served its purpose.
• and my final 'worst of the opening ceremonies' - paul mccartney.  i get the 'ode to england' nature of the opening ceremonies.  i certainly believe that the beatles and paul mccartney deserve their place - but 'hey jude'??  just because the entire crowd could sing the lyrics, doesn't make it appropriate for the opening ceremonies, let alone as the 'grand finale'.  to me, it was a very anticlimactic ending.

and now, for the best of the opening ceremonies - lest you think i didn't enjoy them, because i DID! and here's why:

• i enjoyed the 'shire' scene and the little path to the tree and the flags...cool.

•  um...david beckham.  on a boat.  smirking.  yes, it's superficial, but come on, it's david beckham.

• the entire industrial scene - oh, how i loved the contrast from the first scene...the smoke stacks...and the forging of the rings - BRILLIANT.  awe inspiring.  verklempt.  awesome in every way.  (in fact, this was probably my single most favorite part!)

 

•  the queen and 007.  there is nearly no greater thing than the queen proving she is a person with a sense of humor.  the entire montage and her 'arrival' were incredible - i cannot think of any better way for her to make her debut at the opening ceremonies.  sadly, the rest of her 'performance' sucked. (see 'the worst')

• ode to british literature - loved scenes from the classics new and old.  i take great enjoyment in the harry potter series, and i enjoyed it's representation with both voldemort and j.k. i'm not sure i enjoyed the nightmare-ish nature of it, since i don't feel like the marys really fully resolved it...but it was pretty cool to have them come flying in to save the day...i just wish the tone would have turned to a 'i love to laugh' type of tune...

• my side-splitting, wiping tears from my eyes moment came with rowan attkinson - classic british humor by one of the best.  i will never hear 'chariots of fire' the same way again...

• and finally - as true olympic moment - the lighting of the torches.  the incredibly ingenious plan to give each country a portion of the flame....to have them light each other...to make one olympic torch - genius.  and each country getting to return with their caldron...to keep that olympic spirit alive for the next 4 years....love it.  it was slow to light, but powerful...

 i have high hopes for the closing ceremonies tomorrow...rumors of elton john (would be a good choice), spice girls (eh....) and adele (well, okay....)...i don't know that an entire recap of british music phenoms is the route they should take...england is so much more than its music...i'm sure that the passing of the torch to Rio will be a highlight.  the rest...well, we'll see!