Olympic Opening Ceremony 2012: Biggest Shockers of London Games Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics was filled with excitement and delivered on the anticipation it had built.

Danny Boyle, an Academy-Award winning director, produced the event dubbed “Isles of Wonder” for a whopping $42 million (USD).

Those of you reading this from the United States have yet to experience the majestic performance. There has been a cry of outrage from the U.S. as Americans must sit and wait to watch the ceremony at 7:30 p.m. ET, three and a half hours after it happened live.

Those who wait to watch, though, will not be disappointed.

Boyle’s production gives viewers a look into British history while channeling inspiration from Shakespeare, British Pop-Culture, music and other literature.

SPOILER: If you are planning on watching from the United States at 7:30 p.m. ET, read on at your own discretion!

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest shockers of the opening ceremony:

James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, escorted Queen Elizabeth to the opening ceremony

Bond was rumored to be involved in the start of the festivities, as an event celebrating British Pop-Culture and history wouldn’t be complete without 007.

However, Bond’s trip to Buckingham Palace and his escorting of Queen Elizabeth –Corgis included—to the opening ceremony in a helicopter was one of the biggest shockers in recent memory.

Not only did Bond bring the Queen to the ceremony, they “both jumped” out of the helicopter and parachuted in.

Mr. Bean uses an iPhone during “Chariots of Fire”

Rowan Atkinson, aka Mr. Bean, played a small role in the opening festivities as well. He was put in the symphony to help play “Chariots of Fire.”

He looked bored and certainly showed it by taking pictures and messing around with his iPhone. He also sneezed a few times and looked uninterested.

Then, he daydreamed he was suddenly playing a part in “Chariots of Fire.” With the help of a car, and a driver, Bean took the lead and won the race!

Seven young athletes light the Olympic torch!

The lighting of the Olympic Torch to kick off the Games is the most anticipated moment of any opening ceremony. This year, the lack of a shocker is, in itself, the biggest shocker of the event.

Seven young athletes, nominated by British Olympic legends, were ultimately the ones who kicked off the 2012 Olympic Games.

With all of the glitz and glamour surrounding the spectacle, the purity and simplicity of this moment created a symbolic gesture that spoke to the true reason for these games.

Athletic competition.

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