London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder

Simply put, not only was this ceremony a total surprise that worked to the highest possible effect but it was I think the best Olympic opening ceremony. It was certainly the best live event show/ceremony I have ever seen. Firstly, it was informative, totally original and had a huge amount of texture, depth and personality to it. Whilst I thought that Beijing's opening ceremony was amazing and lively and colourful,the first section of Danny Boyle's opening ceremony was I think quite literally like being inside the action of a motion picture. The portrayal of the 'green and pleasant land' into the state of Industrial Revolution was on a purely epic scale. To think that so many performers, volunteers and actors such as Kenneth Branagh in a very true portrayal of Isambard Kingdom Brunel contributed to such an effective telling of the story and history of Great Britains Industrial change was itself a truly impressive spectacle. Even watching it from a television perspective was still the same as feeling the atmosphere, vibe, tension that rose to an epic crescendo with the arrival of the drummers. From that point on the music that accompanied the pandamonium act was epic in parallel play against the very realistic performances and whole act. There was a huge amount of character personality conveyed. You could identify with each character especially Branagh as Brunel and the many workers, women of the revolution, the arrival of the Chelsea Pensioners and the army of 'Brunel' characters. With a strong personality trait there was also the use of some stunning effects,lighting and set design. Everything looked very realistic; from the chimneys and smoke to the fire and spark effects of the forging of the Olympic Rings to the forged rings themselves which is the most stunning use of lighting, design and special effects I have ever seen in live event shows. To actually smell the forged rings and see their formation against the backdrop of the Industrial Workshop was stunning. The whole Industrial Revolution Act alone was simply epic and true. A 10 out of 10 section. The arrival of the Queen via escort by her top agent was utterly suiting both realistically and in a comedic sense. The sequence's short film entitled 'Happy and Glorious' was fun, lively and very royal benefited by a stunning arrival of Her Majesty to the stadium via parachuting, even though this was done by stuntmen. It was very interesting and surprising to see Mr Bean make an appearance in the stadium playing a single repetitive note of Chariots of Fire on a keyboard, looking board, sneeze, play the keyboard with an umbrella then dream of himself running on the beach in the famous Chariots of Fire opening scene from which actual footage from the film was used in conjunction with specifically shot sequences by the BBC. It was even more interesting because after Mr Beans Holiday, Rowan Atkinson mentioned that he nay never play Mr Bean again so it was great fun to see him return for maybe one last time. The ceremonies other acts including hundreds of nurses, beds, children and a portrayal of the NHS, a 60ft or so inflatable Lord Voldemort, 70's culture and Paul McCartney, accompanied by a fascinating arrival and lighting of the torch after its journey down the river to the stadium by David Beckham on boat were well deserved and waited for. The whole ceremony had an incredible poingnacy and vibe about it. It was fresh, dramatic and was on a scale outside of many peoples expectations. It certainly surpassed my own. A fantastic experience. Britains best show ever. Danny Boyle's hard work birthed London 2012 and by so doing birthed a very memorable legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The BBC's Opening ident featuring a virtual timlapse of the outskirts and central London with reference and homage made to Wind in the Willows and a clever incorporation of the all famous Eastenders opening logo seemed rather an unexpected yet suspense building countdown before the actual ceremony commenced. We as a nation haver seemed to be able to offer what is probably a very remarkable contribution to sport. Whereas other host countries have shown a very spectacular and conscious based games, I believe that we have shown a definition of what Britain is and in turn what is means to be British. If there is one thing the opening ceremony of the Olympics achieved it was a very included sense; in other words,it brought everyone as a nation together to tell the story . Although every host country has successfully done this, I think that we, hosting the games in our own nation have brought an all home type of games to the world. We cannot of course dspute an other host countries efforts and achievements in hosting the games but with London, there did seem to be a very strong special presence that absorbed in many of us. In saying this, it is probably thus fair to say that when your own country is chosen to host and be part of something so legengardy, special and backed by many many years of remarkable legacy's then there is always something that feels even more specifically special and a lot of us would have felt this effect.

I just rewatched the opening ceremony 10 years later in 3D (a TV capture from BBC back when they still broadcast in 3D) and it was even better than I remembered, and also better in 3D. A beautiful colorful production full of surprises and happy emotion, it just put a smile on my face. It also made me nostalgic for a few reasons. First is the sad demise of 3D broadcasting. Even in the era of UHD 4K HDR, the 3D broadcast from ten years ago looks absolutely fantastic on the right screen. Second is that in hindsight 2012 feels like the happy pinnacle of modern times. No hint of Brexit, or bitter partisan politics, or populist leaders, or fake news and misinformation, or Covid, or war in Ukraine. Just looking at the opening ceremony makes me want to teleport back in time into that happy place, where everybody and every nation celebrates together as one. Since there's no actual way to do it, rewatching the London Olympic games opening ceremony in 3D is probably the next best thing.

Just as Los Angeles in 1984 invented the Olympic Opening Ceremony, then Danny Boyle's London 2012 reinvented it in so many ways. The first to have an all-star cast (Kenneth Branagh, Daniel Craig, Mike Oldfield, JK Rowling, Rowan Atkinson, Dizzy Rascal, Tim Berners Lee, the Arctic Monkeys, David Beckham, Paul MaCartney). The first to have filmed sequences (the thrilling opening journey up the Thames, James Bond meets the Queen at Buckingham Palace, Mr Bean dreams he's in Chariots of Fire, David Beckham delivers the Olympic torch by speedboat). The first to tell a story (the industrial revolution, the founding of the NHS, the digital revolution).

Like the Coronation in 1953, the World Cup Final in 1966, Live Aid in 1985 and Diana's funeral in 1997, it is one of those iconic British national moments that's likely to be remembered for decades to come.

I almost fell asleep watching this ceremony, and I loved every single opening before this one. I guess the Chinese set a new standard with Beijing's opening ceremony that will not be easy to surpass. London's ceremony lacked intensity and was mostly focused on promoting social issues and in being 'cool'. I don't even want to comment about all the fuzz about the queen, because it was really lame and the rest of the world don't give a damn about her. It's amazing the amount of money they spent on this show and how little they accomplished. That's it, if you are looking for a great Olympic ceremony, look the one from Beijing or maybe Athens, because this one is pretty boring.

Wonderful choreography, music, and theme tell the story of Britain from its green roots to dark industrial might. A recognition of the country's emotional, cultural, and physical wealth.

Engaging and enthralling people of every nation with intelligence, whit, and charm; a moment of self-deprecation and self-praise, properly delivered with an all-rounded English-ness.

Music from every corner of every type, culturally relevant the ceremony throws out a message of turmoil, of arrogance (perhaps), and of success.

The Baby Boomers, the elderly, the young are enthralled and moved; they get the light, the sound, the message:

"We've done it; we did it brilliantly; I'm bloody proud to be a Brit. (And all those moaning buggers can get back where they belong: in their Early Graves)."