Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
The London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony took place at 9pm on 27 July 2012. Titled 'Isles of Wonder', the Ceremony welcomed the finest athletes from more than 200 nations for the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, marking an historic third time the capital has hosted the world’s biggest and most important sporting event. The Opening Ceremony reflected the key themes and priorities of the London 2012 Games, based on sport, inspiration, youth and urban transformation. It was a Ceremony 'for everyone' and celebrated contributions the UK has made to the world through innovation and revolution, as well as the creativity and exuberance of British people.
Danny Boyle's 'Isles of Wonder' is a genuinely singular cultural event — its sweeping, eccentric, deeply personal vision of British history and identity (from pastoral idyll through Industrial Revolution to NHS celebration and pop culture) is unlike any Olympic ceremony before or since. Novelty earns a 4 for its unmistakably distinctive conception and bold tonal range. Cinematography is above average for a live broadcast event, with ambitious staging and visual storytelling. The 'plot' as a documentary is loose and episodic by nature, earning only a below-average structured narrative score. Acting (performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Kenneth Branagh, Rowan Atkinson, etc.) is above average for a ceremony format but not a traditional dramatic vehicle. The ending — the torch lighting — is emotionally resonant but somewhat anticlimactic after the main spectacle.