I'm sure you have your own favorite moments from the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. Are they the same as mine?
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service: The filmed bit with
Daniel Craig as James Bond going on a mission with
Queen Elizabeth II
herself (compete with ferocious guard corgis), followed by a
stunt-Queen and a stunt-Bond parachuting from a helicopter over the
stadium and then capped off by the Her Majesty appearing in the royal
box...well, it showed tremendous good humor on the Queen's part. I am amused.
2. Royal Air Force: Those parachutes weren't the
only mode of aerial travel on display at the Olympic Stadium. We were
also treated to the airborne arrival of multiple Mary Poppinses, as well
as a squadron of jet packs.
3. Feast Your Eyes. The overall visuals from
the ceremony were stunning, and of incredible variety: fireworks, guys
on bicycles dressed as giant glow-in-the-dark doves, a massive
Voldemort. But perhaps the most impressive feat was the set change
between the idyllic pastoral era and the industrial age, with giant
smokestacks rising from the middle of the field, and then a pretty darn
convincing river of molten steel flowing through them to forge an
Olympic ring.
4. Ladies and Gentlemen, David Beckham:
Despite the fact that the U.K.'s most famous athlete wasn't chosen for
his country's Olympic team, Becks graciously agreed help out with the
opening ceremony—looking smashing as ever in a sharp suit while at the
controls of a speedboat.
5. The Next Generation. Speaking of
athletes, the choice to give the final cauldron-lighting honors to seven
little-known, up-and-coming teen athletes from the U.K. was an unusual
but classy move on the part of director
Danny Boyle, ending the pageantry with a touch of populism. Well played, Mr. Boyle. Let the games begin
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