British wit and whimsy open London Games

Fireworks illuminate the sky during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England. / Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Last Updated 8:04 a.m. ET

(CBS/AP) LONDON - You knew this Olympics' opening ceremony was going to be different when the Queen's dogs showed up as part of film sequence featuring James Bond. Queens don't do bit parts . . . or at least they didn't, until now.

Using the magic of film, Queen Elizabeth II and Daniel Craig were then wizzed by helicopter from Buckingham Palace to the Olympic site, where they parachuted into the stadium. (Anyway, that was the gag.)

The world was promised a different kind of opening ceremony, and that's what it got, said correspondent Mark Phillips.

This was a showcase of British whimsy instead of a display of massive power, as at the last Olympics in Beijing,

The smokestacks of the Industrial Revolution laboring to produce the Olympic rings . . . self-effacing humor, with Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean dreaming himself into the beach-running scene in the iconic Olympic movie, "Chariots of Fire."

An actor dressed as Britain's Queen Elizabeth II parachutes into the stadium during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, July 27, 2012.

/ OLIVIER MORIN/AFP/Getty Images

Things were even a bit different when the ceremony got down to business: The Olympic flame arriving on a speeding boat up the river, and the flame in the stadium lit not by a sporting hero from the past, as is usually the case, but by what were called future Olympians.

The one constant: The Queen again, this time doing what Queens do - declaring the 2012 Games in London open.

But sooner or later, the showbiz has to stop and the sports has to start. The athletes paraded into the stadium the way they always do. The pre-game jutters as to whether London was really prepared to host the Games was over.

83 Photos

London Olympic Games: Opening Ceremony

In the end, everything was as it should be, and the fun could actually begin.

London Mayor Boris Johnson says he spent all night dreaming about the opening ceremony and thinks it was better than China's stunning show four years ago.

"Call me chauvinistic, call me jingoistic, but I think we knocked the spots off Beijing last night," Johnson said.

"From the beginning I was crying like a baby. I just thought it was brilliant."

He lauded the cultural complexity of Danny Boyle's production.

"We weren't just Beefeaters and Big Ben. It was the real story of this country," he said.

[Steve_in_Eden]

I've read (most) all of the comments - I'm sorry, I didn't enjoy the opening ceremonies. I guess all this proves is that different people have different tastes; I don't think there is a "right" or "wrong." And I did think Bejing's opening was fantastic. This seemed highly suited to an off-off-Broadway opening. (That's not a negative comment, only an opinion.) What surprises me most are the descriptive adjectives: Brilliant, witty, inspired. It must be me. For me, this was the WORST Olympic opening since the advent of TV broadcasting of the games. Thank you.

[Attila500]

"Wit and Whimsey"?

So that's what they called it. I call it marxist/ PC claptrap on parade in London. Reminiscent of the pageantry provided on Red Square on May Day.

[KPeters_from_UK]

And the Beijing Opening Ceremony could have only been accomplished by a national of communistic conformity unlike the messy capitalistic democracy.

[KPeters_from_UK]

it is ironic how the Right Wingers loved and praise how the Communist dictatorship of China did but refuse to support the UK's celebration of capitalism and democracy. Weird.

I also think it is because these Tea Party guys are just holding a grunge against the UK for blasting their hero, Romney. It is the only reason I can think why the same people who worship Romney also hold the communist is just high esteem and knock the capitalists

[Jaylah54200]

Wow, Just wow.

The British have nothing to be ashamed of. What a show! I'm guessing the Americans that found it confusing, convoluted, nonsensical, disjointed, dysfunctional, silly, and irritating have never been out of their own country and/or think that only their own country's history matters.

I found it interesting that Danny Boyle had said that he was glad that nobody would be able to outdo Beijing because he found that freeing.

In comparing the two, Beijing seemed like the person with an inferiority complex. Always a bit sure that they don't quite measure up, so substituting for that with way too much flash and glitz. Rather like the old W.C. Fields line: "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullsh*t."

Britain, however, was like a person who knows they have good reason to be secure in themselves. They know that who they really are is plenty. So they did a brilliant story about who they are and how they got where they are today.

I loved the stage set. The pastoral field being turned, in front of our eyes, to a large, industrialized city. (And cheers to all of the volunteers taking part in that transformation. Sod is HEAVY and yes, that was real sod!) Yet the tor remained. Using the tor as a place to plant all of the participating nation's flags was brilliant.

Forging one of the Olympic rings and then having it rise up to join the other four was inspired. Those actually attending the event even got to smell the scene as well.

My cheeks were sore from grinning like the village idiot by the time Rowan Atkinson hit his final sour note in the theme from "Chariots of Fire."

I love the Queen's parachuting into the stadium, but my favorite bit of that was watching the corgis being left standing on the palace steps alone and Bond's smug look at them as he flies away with their mistress.

If Britain is proud of their NHS, who are we to judge? Even without the nod to the NHS, the whole bit with the children on trampoline beds, Mary Poppins, the Queen of Hearts, Voldemort, and Captain Hook, with J. K. Rowling reading a paragraph from Peter Pan, was both amusing to watch and amazing in its design. The POINT, my illiterate fellow Americans was that the opening ceremonies were a visual history of Britain. All of the books referenced were written by British writers. (Which, by the way, is also why the Queen parachuted from a helicopter with James Bond and not MacGyver.)

I thought the design of the Olympic cauldron, and the way it was lit, was inspired. How best to make the point that this Olympics belongs to ALL the represented nations other than to have each country bring a piece of the cauldron in with them in the Parade of Nations?

And speaking of the Parade of Nations, the US commentators even mentioned that it was the shortest they'd ever seen. It was perfect. Every participating nation had a chance in the spotlight, yet the parade didn't seem to drag on endlessly as it has in other Olympic opening ceremonies.

My only three "complaints" were:

1) I, too, didn't understand the whole thing with Ali. Yes, he was given the honor of lighting the cauldron once, but it's not like he's some Father of the Olympics. He doesn't need to be dragged out for every opening ceremony.

2) I was seriously disappointed in NBC's coverage of the Parade of Nations. I do understand that there were sponsors for showing the ceremonies, and that those sponsors expect to run ads for their products in return for their money, but it seems that NBC decided they could put most of them in during the Parade of Nations. As a result, we missed at least a third of all nations as they entered the arena. Then, when NBC came back to the ceremony, they'd show one very quick shot of each nation that had come in during the commercial break. Given that so many nations parade in national dress, we missed out on a lot of color.

3) I'm sorry to have to say it, but I wish they hadn't dragged Paul McCarney out yet again. While I do understand that he is a very visible symbol of England, his once-interesting voice has long gone all old-man-quavery. The great cover of "Come Together" by the Arctic Monkeys was, in my opinion, enough of a nod to The Beatles and would have spared us having to endure what the original has become.

Other than that, I was thrilled to see that Britain's opening ceremonies had actual substance, and didn't depend entirely on pyrotechnics to "baffle with bullsh*t."

[hypnotoad72]

Re: each complaint:

1) possibly

2) that just shows how much more powerful advertising is -- and imagine, if there were no advertisements, would product prices trickle down or would they remain the same? (Hint, they might not go down, since other forms of "trickle down" have proven to be false over the decades...)

3) "Come Together" was probably used out of context, and people still enjoy the myth of the Beatles and McCartney is still alive. It's easier to cash in on living myths anyhow, see point 2 above for more.

[KPeters_from_UK]

I wish I could copy your comment and glue it to the eyeballs of every Tea Party supporter who is holding a grunge against the Brits for being angry with their hero, Romney otherwise why are they praising the accomplishments of a communists conformist country rather praising the history of a industrial capitalist country?

[walyern]

Well, Britain, that was easily the best Olympics Opening Ceremony I have ever seen. Easily blew the Beijing Olympics opening out of the water. Sorry China, but Britain's had substance rather than just theatrics. Well done. Very much liked seeing London and all of Britain embracing their engineering heritage as well as being proud of their national health system. HRM Queen Elizabeth II played along VERY well! Also...MARY POPPINS FTW!

[Filmguy870]

Interesting perspective....it was a bit too strange for me....but it takes all types. Up to and including the Ring logo was really great...after that it was all downhill for me!

[KPeters_from_UK]

I spoke to my family back in the States and they just didn't see what we saw back in the UK. The BBC coverage was never broken for a commercial. Too bad that the American networks were full of commercials. You guys did miss a lot.

When the homage to the NHS appeared I did wonder how many GOP supporters were going to suddenly dislike the Opening Ceremony.

But...this won't go down well..I heard that during the part celebrating the lives of the 7 July terror victims..the American network cut it out to do some interview with a cyclist! Seriously? Can't even bother to watch the British respecting the victims of 7th of July?

Still, it wasn't Beijing...the UK just can't control its people as the Communist Dictatorship of China.

[KPeters_from_UK]

Another point is: it is ironic how the Right Wingers loved and praise how the Communist dictatorship of China did but refuse to support the UK's celebration of capitalism and democracy. Weird.

[hypnotoad72]

KPeters -

Agreed, on ALL counts.

Great points and observations, and having the guts to getting to the point and just saying it in a way they might understand.

[silvereagle2718]

Too bad I missed the opening. I hadn't thought of Elizabeth as a Bond girl.

[EdHank44]

Well, it wasn't bad..I seen worst..I got a "kick" by watching James Bond & Good O'l Queenie jumping off the helicopter and their's National Anthem was nice, it's better than "USA" anthem ..geezzzzzzz !!...Imagin, if "USA" were the "Host" and the host city would be "Miami" with their "illegals" (who wash-out on the beach) "Racist Blacks" (who are mugging & raping white women) and the "f---ing idiots" (who are from NJ/NYC/LI & Mass.

[EmpireGeorge______--]

Sounds like I didn't miss anything special.....nothing will top, what the chinese did on their opening ceremonies, now that was incredible.

[enough-already]

That's exactly what I said. And no, you didn't miss a THING! The whole mess was "confusing, convoluted, nonsensical, disjointed, dysfunctional, and silly", to quote another poster. It was horrible, and nothing can top the Chinese opening ceremony. I couldn't agree more.

[retmw1]

Ah yes the chinese communists are the best, just proves who a lot of Americans support.

[varigdc10]

It was really bad, totally confusing, commentators tried to explain what was going on, how about the spectators, did they know what was going on. I bet next one in Rio with all the girls from Ipanema will be hot, can't wait !