So, the Olympics has started...

 

  • So, the Olympics has started...

    Posted by Huw, 28 Jul 2012 09:36. Filed under Miscellaneous.

    I hope you enjoyed the opening ceremony -- I'd be interested to hear what those of you outside the UK thought of it!

    Personally I thought it was pretty good -- if a little quirky -- but why they dug out Paul McCartney to sing some dreary 1960's song at the end is a mystery, it spoiled the whole event, IMO. They should have ended with the lighting of the flame, which was spectacular.

    Anyway, to keep this more or less on topic, James Sutton, who has created many instructions for us in the past (CubeDudes etc.), has built an MOC of the Olympic rings and he's made the instructions available exclusively to Brickset readers.

    So, if you get bored between the women's beach volleyball events, download them and build some for yourself...


    70 comments, latest one posted 10 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)
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Comments

Posted by Zordboy in Australia, 28 Jul 2012 09:52

Not being from the UK, I really loved the Opening Ceremony. I generally don't care much for athletics, but y'know, I'm a sucker for a good opening ceremony. The part where 007 drove into Buckingham to collect the Queen, and they then *parachuted* into the stadium, was kind of awesome :). And just when I thought they couldn't top that, Mary Poppins floated down via umbrella to do battle with Voldemort and Captain Hook. I want *that* to be an event.

I agree, it was definitely a little quirky and off-beat, but I thought the whole thing was quite charming. Great music too. I felt McCartney sounded a little tired, but it was kind of uplifting to hear the whole stadium grooving along to "Hey Jude". That's one heck of a popular song.

Also, the forging of the five Olympic rings was *magnificent*. I loved that part.

(and I celebrated it with my nine Team GB Minifigures, hehehe)

Posted by LostInTranslation in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 09:59

I enjoyed most of the ceremony, but agree McCartney was entirely superfluous. The lighting of the flame was indeed awesome.

There are lots of Olympic MOCs around the UK too, remember. The showcase in the Lego store in Stratford has an amazing model of the Aquatic Centre and in Liverpool there is an epic Union Jack-themed display case featuring the Team GB minifigures, both created by Brickish members. Also the Olympic stadium model featured at The Lego Show is now housed in John Lewis Stratford. Anyone know of any more??

Posted by bluemoose in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 10:05

Huw's dislike of all things Beatles related is legendary. Personally, I've still got a lot of time for McCartney, but he was looking very old last night, and, whether it was the PA setup or something else, his voice didn't have its usual power, which was sad for such an iconic track as 'Hey Jude' ... the Arctic Monkey's cover of 'Come Together' was fab ... anyway, enjoyed the whole thing (although the precession of athletes started to lose my attention once we got into the second hour of it), and the lighting of the 'cauldron' was really quite moving.

Posted by Gandalf1 in United States, 28 Jul 2012 10:05

100 ft. Voldemort? Yes, I enjoyed the opening ceremony. Also Rowan Atkinson. That makes it awesome.

The instructions are awesome, by the way.

Posted by CapnRex101 in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 10:10

I did not really enjoy most of the opening ceremony. The entire historical section would have been very tricky to follow if you were not already aware or British history as stated in an interview afterwards by Michael Johnson, who despite spending a lot of time in the UK said that most of it was lost on him. I will agree that the lighting of the cauldron was inspired, as was the forging of the rings, the Mr. Bean segment, and the fireworks.

Other than that though, I was entirely disappointed. Just too bizarre and ridiculous for my liking. With so much history, I was astonished we did not go a little further back to the time of Shakespeare at least which would have filled a little more time and shortened the dull 2012 segment. I agree that Paul McCartney was an odd inclusion in to the ceremony and, although Hey Jude is a classic, it was an underwhelming ending following the lighting of the cauldron. Maybe I am just being negative though, did anybody else not enjoy it?

I can only imagine about half of the £27 million spent on that went on those superfluous light up beds...

As for those Lego rings, they look fantastic, but I do not have that many plates so I will simply have to admire the image of them!

Posted by Alemas in Germany, 28 Jul 2012 10:14

Didn't watch a single second of it, as I was in Germany, and I didn't care much about it anyway. :P Still, from what I'm hearing, it was a pretty odd ceremony, what with the Queen and James Bond meeting, Rowan Atkinson playing Mr Bean, a giant Voldemort... and no David Tennant to light the cauldron. :P
@bluemoose: LEGENDARY?! O_O How could he hate the Beatles?! :P What music DO you like, Huw?! :P

Posted by vwong19 in United States, 28 Jul 2012 10:20

I was up all night last night watching the ceremony... tape delay by 8 hrs I guess. I loved the opening act with all people and vegetations that transformed into an industrialized scene. The music was fanatastic. I was a little confused by the middle part with the youngsters dancing and the social media stuff. Lighting of the torch and McCartney was alright. I do like how London brought out all their A stars that Americans could recognize... Beckham, Mr Bean, 007, the Queen.... where was Austin Powers... maybe that is American... Spice Girls?

Londoners should be very proud. The event was very well done and I look forward to the next 2 weeks to see USA win. I will root for the UK as well. :)

Posted by el_rey95 in United States, 28 Jul 2012 10:25

I thought it was pretty good. The lighting of the cauldron was awesome. They spent a little too much time on that house and the club stuff in my opinion.

Posted by ereiamjh in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 10:38

I was cynical beforehand but somehow Danny Boyle managed to win over this Mike Oldfield fan. :)

Shame though that after the awesome cauldron and Pink Floyd and fireworks they had to bring out Macca to add an unnecessary and disappointing additional finale.

Posted by dmm32552 in United States, 28 Jul 2012 10:49

I thought it was very, very... er...British. Hee hee!

Posted by bluemoose in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 10:53

^ apparently the coverage on the US's NBC was a bit rubbish - heavily edited, poor commentary, loads of advert breaks, ... been reading a lot of complaints from US viewers.

Posted by kaboomlegoman in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 10:57

Rowan Atkinson? Probably the best part. I might be the only one who didn't like the part where Voldemort and all those villains came out. But it just me. The part where they forged the rings was pretty darn awesome. And yes, I agree that we needn't end it with Paul Mcartney, who was looking and sounding very... strange. The lighting of the torch was pretty cool. I still prefer the one where they shot a flaming arrow. Overall, it was pretty cool. I was a US viewer, by the way. And the instructions are nice. I have way too little parts to build it, though. :P

Posted by CapnRex101 in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 10:58

^^I found the BBC coverage a bit tedious, I know sometimes the commentators should remain silent to allow the public to watch what is happening and hear the music, but apart from the athlete procession and the end there was very little commentary making some points of the ceremony a little confusing in my opinion.

Posted by jarolo145 in United States, 28 Jul 2012 11:19

i like the model. not sure if i can pick-a-brick it though. 820 pieces is a lot of money.

Posted by alexyiu in Hong Kong, 28 Jul 2012 11:41

I like Mr. Bean and James Bond parts very much.
The opening part about GB history that makeup the olympic rings was great.
But the opening ceremony without a 'WOW' for me.

Posted by Thomson & Thompson in Canada, 28 Jul 2012 11:48

It looked very good. I have not watched all of it yet, b/c my PVR did not record the whole thing. I'll watch the rest today. How they transformed the stage and showed all of the UK's history was quite well done. So, very well done on London's part. Happy Olympics, Everybody!

Posted by Renny in United States, 28 Jul 2012 11:56

I really enjoyed it. I got a good laugh out of the Bond/Queen entrance. The best part being Atkinson's part. I thought the inclusion of the "Hey Jude" song was nice but McCartney was really off key and it sounded pretty bad. I think the worst part was the inclusion of Muhammed Ali though. The guy looks ravaged by Parkinson's and looked like he didn't even know what was going on, why drag him out? I know he is a world wide figure but it's just sad seeing him like that.

Posted by Alemas in Germany, 28 Jul 2012 11:57

@ereiamjh: PINK FLOYD?!? O_O
@bluemoose: Yup, in fact, NBC broadcast the ceremony as a taped recording. They didn't transmit it live.

Posted by kmvk83 in Netherlands, 28 Jul 2012 12:11

As a Dutchman, i did not get the whole history thing. I really liked the scenery at the start though. Made me think about hobbitton. There was a part about a girl who went out on a date or something. Terribly boring.... They almost lost me there. Paul M. and the artic monkeys better stayed home.
Shame the Queen did not say more...

Hylights:
007 (shame he did not actually landed)
Rowan Atkinson (missed his mini however...)
The forging of the rings, really spectacular
The fact that 3000 people where in the openingact... Wow!
The lightning of the torch... Extremely creative. I wondered what those kids escorting each country where carriyng.

Now hoping for the olympic minifigures to come to holland....

Posted by BJMdotLEGO in Belgium, 28 Jul 2012 12:32

I loved that they built this entire village plus green surroundings and then started tearing it down two minutes into the thing. ;-) Loved the tree that was lifted up so miners/workers could emerge from the hill. Great music also, lots of Underworld's bleeps used to glue things together. Forging of the rings was magnificent.

Loved that there was a tribute to the NHS, which of course upset many rightwingers.

I was expecting Helen Mirren to be the queen instead of Betsy. ;-)

Loved the snippet of the EastEnders tune in one of the video montages.

Loved the musical evolution medley, but the storyline about the guy and girl texting each other: blech. Using onscreen graphics for those stupid messages instead of using them for explanations (which we now got through commentators, which ruined the music soundtrack).

Loved the lesbian kiss.

Cannot understand why Muhammed Ali had to be dragged out. The man is a legend, yes, but this was just sad.

Could not believe the Arctic Monkeys playing "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" as if it was some massive worldwide hit (and following it up with "Come Together"). When I was young I don't think I ever heard pop music during events like this, and now this... amazing.

And then they ruined it a bit by bringing out McCartney going "la la la laaa" for ages.

Posted by DrDaveWatford in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 12:36

I loved the opening ceremony. Not generally my thing, and I was only going to watch the start. But 5 hours later and I'm still glued to the screen. Bravo Danny Boyle and the 7,500 volunteers. The lights, drums, sound and fury of the industrial revolution scene was stunning I thought, and like many of you I thought the Bond and Mr. Bean sections were great ! The social media segment was a bit baffling at times, but was rescued by the trawl through Britain's musical history.

Regarding James' Olympic Rings, he brought them to a meet last weekend and I can vouch for their excellence. If you have the parts then give it a go. And if you don't, pay Bricklink a visit and THEN give it a go...

:-)

Posted by Frederick B. in Norway, 28 Jul 2012 12:43

Im in the process of building the olympic symbol right now:)

Posted by JRDA0406 in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 13:07

I'm a massive McCartney fan, a Beatles obsessive. The Beatles mean more to me than LEGO.
That 'dreary song from the 60s' is one of many examples of our rich musical heritage. Whilst I am not patriotic in the slightest, I hate to hear people slagging off probably the greatest ever songwriter.

But yes there was a false start and it all fell to pieces. It lacked the energy of the 2005 Live 8 performance.
Nevertheless, Long live Sir Paul.

Posted by erbse2000 in Germany, 28 Jul 2012 13:18

That was a great show! Best part for me was Mr. Bean, as I love this kind of humour.

All in all it had a huge entertainment factor that made impossible for me to leave the living room until the end.

Looking forward for the closing ceremony :-)...

PS: in Germany the Opening Ceremony was on a public TV channel without any advertisement at all.

Posted by krklint in United States, 28 Jul 2012 13:21

I tried to watch, across the pond in Miami, but the coverage here (in my less-than-humble opinion) was crud. Our NBC commentators ruined it. Talk talk talk, instead of allowing the spectacle to take place. The James Bond/Queen entrance was brilliant! btw, our announcers were mostly quiet during that part.

Question, is it unusual to have signs and symbols hanging from the Tower Bridge? The Olympic symbol was hanging from it (or maybe CGI?), and I was curious if use of the tower, in this way, is customary?

I'm thinking about digging out the Tower Bridge (too big to display all the time) in an attempt to recreate this scene - but I want to first know what England thinks about hanging signs/symbols from the Tower Bridge.

Btw, would have rather heard the Levellers or Stone Roses instead of Arctic Monkeys ;)

Posted by the_big_cheese in United States, 28 Jul 2012 13:32

Personally, I thought the opening ceremony was quite strange. The giant voldemort and giant black and white heads people were wearing seemed a bit... unsettling. Some other aspects were strange too, but then again every year some crazy person adds very odd things into the ceremony. I enjoyed seeing just how accurate the lego rendition of the tower bridge is... Overall, it was an interesting sight and i agree it should have ended with the cauldron.

Posted by CapnRex101 in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 13:38

@krklint - Yes it is unusual to have things hanging from the bridge, those rings have only been there for about a month in honour of the Olympics coming to London. They occasionally have banners up there but that is a very rare occurrence. The hanging rings were not CGI.

Posted by blounty23 in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 13:39

I really enjoyed the ceremony, I am from the UK and I wasn't confused by the giant Voldemort. My favourite part was the lighting of the flame, loved the way it all connected together at the end. Was sort of ruined by Paul McCartney singing 'Hey Jude', but apart from that the whole thing was really good and I have downloaded the instructions and built the rings, they are really cool and a nice memory from the Olympics.

Posted by Mike-o-saurus in United States, 28 Jul 2012 13:44

Well, I thought it was pretty good. The historical section and the forging of the rings was just pure win, but after that things seemed to go downhill. The NHS/literature bit came off as a tad bizarre and difficult to follow, while the social media stuff was just a mess. Really, that section included just about everything I had hoped the show would avoid. I don't know where Mr. Boyle was going with that, although it was nice to see Tim Berners-Lee.

But the torch lighting was one of the best I've ever seen and I loved Rowan Atkinson's cameo! Rarely do the opening ceremonies have intentional humor of any sort, it was nice to see some levity for once.

Posted by BJMdotLEGO in Belgium, 28 Jul 2012 13:45

Forgot to mention that I was blown away that it ended with Tim Berners-Lee using a NeXT cube and the "This is for everyone" message.

Posted by the brownie in Ireland, 28 Jul 2012 13:49

i liked it all but a tad too long

Posted by MoonKnight in United States, 28 Jul 2012 14:02

Okay, the Mr. Bean segment was hilarious with the Chariots of Fire. I thought that was very hysterical.

I really enjoyed James Bond and the Queen skydiving into the stadium.

The nurses dancing around wasn't the best but hey, if that's how Great Britain wants to celebrate their medical field, that's cool.

And Great Britain had to bring Paul McCartney into the ceremonies. He's a legend and basically invented rock and roll with John and George. (We could probably forget about Ringo and be fine.) They brought the British Invasion to the states and in ways inspired many parts of the world. Paul McCartney was a must. I am a huge Beatles fan though, if you haven't guessed. :)

Posted by Legolover9531 in United States, 28 Jul 2012 14:08

The children nightmare thing was a little creepy, but I loved the James Bond and Mr. Bean acts XD

Posted by txelu in Spain, 28 Jul 2012 14:10

I loved it for the most part, but I'm still a little surprised about the zero references to The Lord of the Rings. If you are going to make a part of the show based in british fantasy (Peter pan, Mary Poppins, Harry Potter) I simply can't understand the absence of Tolkien works...

Posted by Alemas in Germany, 28 Jul 2012 14:19

@BJMdotLEGO: Heh, the inventor of the WWW, HTML, HTTP, and everything Internet-related. :P Thanks to him we can have Brickset, Google, YouTube... and memes. :P

Posted by itsaturkey in United States, 28 Jul 2012 14:34

My family turned it on, but not really be a athletic enthusiast I didn't watch until the Mr. Bean sketch :P After that I started paying attention to it and it was very enjoyable (But nothing beat the Mr. Bean sketch :P)

Posted by arl100 in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 14:34

Managed to catch some of the highlights on the news this morning, I agree that Rowan Atkinson playing Mr Bean again was an excellent part of the ceremony, clearly showing our sense of humour.

However, I also was disappointed with McCartney's 'Hey Jude' song at the end. How about 'All Over the World' by ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) instead? A better track, and a lot more relevant to the Olympics. Now that would have made a good close to the ceremony.

Posted by warrenelsmore in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 14:43

@LostInTranslation

I'm with the Danish tourist board in St Katherine Docks all through the Olympics too. With a microscale Olympic park - http://www.flickr.com/photos/warrenelsmore/sets/72157630788142816/ - and a 5m high working LEGO windmill!

Posted by Legolover9531 in United States, 28 Jul 2012 14:47

Originally One Direction and Adele were rumored to perform then Paul McCartney performed. Can we all agree that Paul was a better choice? :P

Posted by ereiamjh in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 15:22

@Alemas - I should clarify. Pink Floyd weren't there, but a recording of Eclipse was played as the fireworks went off after the torch lighting. It was a wonderfully uplifting finale which brought tears to my eyes. And then Paul McCartney came on and brought tears to my eyes in a different way.

@Legolover9531 - I'd have preferred Adele to be honest. Although I'd grant you One Direction would only be good for making the Arctic Monkeys look less ridiculous.

Posted by Delatron in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 15:29

@txelu - LOTR is not children's literature, which that section was supposed to be highlighting, along with the sterling work of our NHS and Great Ormand Street Hospital.

For me it was brilliant. I love Blackadder and Rowan Atkinson's work but have always despised Mr. Bean, yet I even enjoyed Chariots of Fire. Odd that they used Tubular Bells for the Children's Lit bit - for me that is the music from the Exorcist!

Yes Macca was a bit off, Yes they shouldn't have dragged Ali up on his feet to touch the Olympic flag, yes the procession ALWAYS goes on too long (but I learn a new country each time! Last night: Comoros) but there was so much good.

The opening act and transformation from green & pleasant land to workshop of the world was superb, the forging of the rings a really special image. The music montage reminding people just how much our tiny island has contributed to popular music, culture and fashion. The moving section with Emily Sandhe singing 'Abide with me' (which everyone seems to have forgotten today). The massed ranks of literature baddies vanquished by a whole squad of Mary Poppins'.

And I admit I may have done a little wee of excitement when HMTQ addressed 'Mr Bond'!

Well done Danny Boyle and thousands of volunteers.

Posted by TheCahleySlash in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 16:33

I loved the different themes that Danny Boyle gave in the Opening ceremony. I think that London's opening ceremony was on par to that of the 2000 Sydney and 2008 Beijing Opening ceremonies. There was some brilliant moments especially the usage of 200+ copper petals to represent each country, was a nice touch.

However the part about the Social media and Paul at the end, were the only negative parts of the show.

But otherwise a highly enjoyable night or morning or evening, where ever you were to watch it!

Posted by Charliechook1 in Australia, 28 Jul 2012 17:34

Living in Australia, we got up at 5 am to watch it and were not disappointed. Well done. I was sick of our own commentators comparing everything to Sydney (apparently the rest of Australia doesn't exist when it comes to Sydney). Inspired me to order a few extra Team GB Minifigs to create my own Torch Bearer (when they arrive). My Mother was born in the UK so we felt a great warmth towards your games and the opening ceremony. I visited the Stratford Lego store when in London last year and wished I was there yesterday.

Posted by StarWarrior89 in United States, 28 Jul 2012 18:13

I thought it was awesome! I LOVED the part with the 100ft Voldemort and JK Rowling!!! The lighting of the Olympic cauldron, I was like, "What?" then I was like o_O, then I was like, WOW!!!! AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the part with James Bond and the Queen, where they jump out of the helicopter, AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by zipsforbananas in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 19:01

Thank you Huw! I'm not the only man who is sick of McCartney! He's a tame and dull without Lennon (Wings was nothing but poor). I've seen someone say the Beatles are dying in the wrong order - harsh perhaps, but true nonetheless!

Posted by Legoguy29 in United States, 28 Jul 2012 19:56

When they started forging the rings, all I could think was, "My Preciousssssss" :D

I enjoyed it, wen if I didn't completely understand it all. I liked how they highlighted points in history and what has came out of the UK. I liked the part with the villains, it was all about childrens literature that came out of the UK. I even spotted Wonka! I liked the whole evolution of the different 'ages'.

When the procession of athletes came to Denmark, I had to give a round of applause.

Posted by Ap3X in United Kingdom, 28 Jul 2012 20:49

I thought it was great. Yes, very British but hey, the Olympics is in Britain - the Beijing opening ceremony was very Chinese! I can imagine that some of it may have been lost on people unfamiliar with the UK but there was also plenty of material that is world famous. And maybe the more obscure stuff might encourage people to find out more - make them realise that perhaps there's more to know than they already know.

There was a lot of talk early on about how this is meant to be an inclusive games - hence the "london" in the logo being small and not using the Thames or other iconography. But for me the inclusiveness is taken care of by the fact that the whole world is included - duh! What's wrong with being proud of hosting the event?

I do think some bits were rather chaotic (although I quite liked that too) and Paul McCartney was only there because of his fame - clearly his ability on the night didn't warrant it - but overall a great effort.

Huw dislikes the Beatles and (obviously) loves LEGO? Excellent. #separatedatbirth

Posted by Stevutz in Australia, 28 Jul 2012 21:06

I thought a lot of good ideas, but was very much underwhelmed - particularly with the lack of choreography on a grand scale. Far too many close ups were required to tell the story - it felt like it was designed by a film director rather than somebody who had more experience in telling stories on a large stage.

Posted by PaulTR in United States, 28 Jul 2012 21:19

I was very impressed with the Industrial Revolution sections and the forging of the rings; I thought it was a terrific take on London's journey into the modern age. The nightmare sections were interesting, and the torche's entrance with the boat and all was nifty too. The torch lighting was spectacular and I think one of the best lightings I've ever seen (although Athen's bow-shot still takes the cake).

As it went on, however, I kept thinking "This would make a terrific closing ceremony..." For me, it seemed too much like a giant, crazy party; I would have liked to see more of the UK's rich history shown, rather than watching a giant music-fest.

But overall, it was a very cool ceremony. I've always respected the United Kingdom, and am very happy London was chosen to host these games :)

Posted by legoyt in Australia, 28 Jul 2012 21:36

I wonder how they could film under the flame. Many people love the beetles so they would get Paul to sing. Now the runner from GB mini figs is real cause we saw him put on the flame. I watched the Olympics in the morning live because it was night time in UK.

Posted by Charliechook1 in Australia, 29 Jul 2012 00:03

Was Rowan Atkinson portraying Mr Bean or Johnny English? I thought the latter, as I can't imagine Mr Bean ever using a smart phone.

Posted by luckyruss in United Kingdom, 29 Jul 2012 03:43

Early on, i liked the part when all the orcs circled the tower of Barad-dur. Treebeard did not look amused. And that bloke from Isengard was overseeing it all.

Forging the one ring to bind them all topped it for me.

Posted by mcbbvb in Netherlands, 29 Jul 2012 04:00

@Charliechook1 - This was off course Mr. Bean. The way he behave was definitely Mr. Bean. Also some things like the sneezing is from an episode of Mr. Bean. Mr. Bean is strange, unfriendly and unorthodox person whereas Johnny English is just a 'normal' guy who is clumsy.

Posted by Doomtrool in United Kingdom, 29 Jul 2012 06:05

Saw the road race go round Box Hill yesterday. It was fantastic. :D

@mcbbvb If only he was portraying Lord Blackadder.

Posted by mcbbvb in Netherlands, 29 Jul 2012 07:16

@Doomtrool - That would be great:). With Baldrick on the piano next to him and the orchestra led by George.

Posted by Psymon in United Kingdom, 29 Jul 2012 07:27

PC gone mad. I know we're a multicultural nation but we don't need every ethnic minority shoving down our throats during every scene of the ceremony.

Posted by Alemas in Germany, 29 Jul 2012 13:20

@ereiamjh: Heh, appropriate song! ;)

Posted by Seagull in United States, 29 Jul 2012 14:16

I liked it. Chances are, no opening ceremony will ever top Beijing's, but this was was quite good. I loved the torch and how they lighted it, and the Arctic Monkies were fun too. I love the Beatles to the upmost degree, but I hate Paul on his own. So...

Mr Bean was pretty funny as well, but, as a massive Bond fan, that segment was by far the best!

Posted by omnius in United Kingdom, 29 Jul 2012 17:58

Didn't really care much for McCartney or the Arctic Monkeys, but other than that it was a success. Bond, Mr Bean, and the forging of the rings were the highlights!

Posted by The Sly Fox in United States, 29 Jul 2012 18:23

I thought the show was great, from start to finish.

And I must agree with our American friend krklint: I would have rather heard the Levellers or Stone Roses instead of Arctic Monkeys too

Posted by itsaturkey in United States, 29 Jul 2012 21:34

@mcbbvb - 'normal guy' is kind of pushing it don't you think? :P
I kind of agree with people saying they wished Paul McCartney didn't preform there. I would have of preferred Coldplay, or U2, but that's just my opinion.

Posted by captain radda radda in United States, 30 Jul 2012 04:21

Well honestly I thought the 2008 ceremony was much better and had a larger WOW factor. I found this one kind of boring and spastic. Although I did enjoy the whole teenage love story simply because of the music. They played Blue Monday by New Order so immediately I enjoyed that part because that is without a doubt my favorite song from one of my favorite bands ever. The Arctic Monkeys were cool, however I say that because I am a huge fan of them to begin with and I'm sure many people thought "who the f*** are the arctic monkeys?" (if you like the band, you'll get that reference because I'm not trying to be vulgar I just thought I'd pay a little homage)

Posted by shrimpbot in United Kingdom, 30 Jul 2012 06:07

I'm disappointed to read the comment 'bored between women's beach volleyball matches'.

What a double standard.

It seems only yesterday you were railing against the openly sexist comments made about the female lego designer of the latest modular building, telling us all that the site doesn't tolerate sexism, and yet, here we are, with this 'Carry On'-style comment about watching world-class female athletes simply because of their physiques and attire, rather than because of their amazing prowess at their chosen sport.

Chuck D once made the comment that it was better to live amongst the openly racist than those who smile in your face but hate you behind closed doors. If, as a man, I must live with abhorrent sexism towards women at all, I'd rather it was honest and forthright, than as insidious as this comment is. Grow up, children!

Posted by Kliq in United States, 30 Jul 2012 09:18

^I thought Huw literally meant 'bored BETWEEN matches', as in the matches themselves would be fun to watch, but what are you going to do while waiting for the next one to start? Personally, I find women's beach volleyball to be one of the more fun/exciting events to watch.

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 30 Jul 2012 09:46

^^ No offence intended. If you read the news articles about the events, it seems they are almost 'cashing in' on the sport's appeal to male viewers, e.g. references to Benny Hill music in http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19016564.

Personally I see no reason for them to wear that attire: the men are not in their speedo's after all, but as they do, the sport is bound to get attention for the wrong reasons.

Posted by Seagull in United States, 30 Jul 2012 15:41

^ I couldn't agree more. It's very sad.

Posted by Ad the brickmaster in United Kingdom, 31 Jul 2012 05:58

@Huw, don't you ever call 'Let it Be' dreary again!

Posted by Alemas in Germany, 31 Jul 2012 09:17

Did everyone manage to get to work in London? :P

Posted by Si_Dorking_Surrey in United Kingdom, 31 Jul 2012 10:36

its been a crazy olympic weekend here in Dorking, just returning to reality ...

Back OT - Opening ceremony was weird .. for a minute I thought I was watching Lord of the Rings - hobbiton, then mordor, then forging the ring.
Loved it!

Embarassed by the song about england being jerusalem, the weird social media bit, and the NHS bit which creatively did not fit at all and felt like it was wedged in there to make a point rather than to make a good show.

Cauldron was the best bit.
That and the music.
Loved it.

Posted by TooMuchLEGO in United States, 01 Aug 2012 11:08

@Alemas I was thinking that, the traffic must have been awful. I would've woken up two hours earlier and walked if I lived there.

Commenting has ended on this article.