That was an epic Opening Ceremony.

I can’t fathom how the planning for something so huge would even begin!

I was quite cynical going into it. I’m in England at the moment and the entire country has been buzzing with excitement/dread for these games, and particularly for the opening ceremonies which were designed by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle. It couldn’t possibly be as grim as Trainspotting, could it? Could it?? That would have been pretty awesome. But the result was just as spectacular.

The four-hour extravaganza (yes, four hours!) was far from perfect, but it managed to pay tribute to (the positive aspects of) Great Britain’s industrial, geographical, political, and cultural history and identity. Pacing is bound to be a problem with a project of this scale, but on the whole it was a very well-organized, inspired, dramatic, and masterfully-executed production.

My biggest complaint was that there was simply too much going on to see or appreciate. That was my biggest complaint, but not my only one. The blast through Britain’s musical past was a hodgepodge of psychedelic outfits and neon face paint that ended up being utterly vacant, never letting any of the musical masterpieces shine. The whole plot line of the girl losing her phone amidst a flurry of text messages and status updates was totally contrived and unnecessary. The full-scale song-and-dance celebration of the National Health Service was a bit much. David Beckham driving a speedboat didn’t need to happen. The Paul McCartney sound cock-up was painfully cringe-worthy. And finally: 27 million pounds. Ouch.

With all that said, the positives far outweighed any negatives there might have been. The British countryside, complete with horse-drawn carriages, cricket and rugby matches, grassy knolls, Kenneth Branagh reciting from The Tempest, and 70 sheep was gorgeous. Factory chimneys rising from the Earth to symbolize the industrial revolution were amazing and poignant. The giant Olympic ring being forged and then rising into the air was a fantastic visual achievement. The entire video with James Bond and the Queen had me laughing out loud. I really enjoyed the children in hospital beds with their lit blankets and how it linked up with all the infamous villains from British literature and culminated with Mary Poppins flying in and saving the day. But I missed Peter Pan. Even funnier than Her Majesty parachuting from a helicopter was the whole Mr. Bean sketch. It was spot on. Maybe my favorite part of the entire ceremony was the powerful dramatization of Britain’s struggle to come to terms with mortality, choreographed by Akram Khan. And the elegant cauldron, set ablaze from the Olympic torch and showered by a regal display of fireworks from above, was a dazzling way to end a truly epic evening.

Beach volleyball, gymnastics, and volleyball begin tomorrow. Let the games begin! I know where I’m going to be for the next two weeks.