Skyfall is Bond at its Best

photo courtesy of imdb.com

So for this week’s new release review I was stoked to go to the theater. It took some maneuvering on my part to convince my movie buddy to go with me to see this one. Thankfully I won out, and she wasn’t disappointed. I guess the movie I chose to see is technically a sequel, but all of the movies in the long-running franchise can act as stand alone films without confusing the audience. Sunday the theatre was packed with people itching to see the latest James Bond adventure Skyfall.

The 23rd Bond film starts right off the bat with an exciting car chase. Bond and another MI6 agent, Eve, are chasing down one of the bad guys. This baddie stole a list of all of the undercover MI6 agents and their aliases. So, it's safe to say, the agents need to get the list back by any means necessary. Unfortunately that doesn’t work out for the agents, Bond in particular. After all the chaos is over, and the dust is settled, Bond is presumed dead and the list is still out there. 

After an awesome Adele sung theme song/opening title sequence, the movie fast forwards three months. Since Bond is thought to be dead in England, he’s enjoying his free time somewhere on a beach with a beautiful woman. His fun comes to an end once he sees the news about the MI6 offices being bombed and six agents killed. Feeling that it is his duty, Bond returns to work tracking down the biggest bad. Naturally, his mission involves more beautiful women, several fights, and an underground chase. 

My first reaction is that Daniel Craig killed it as James Bond. Now, that might not be the most professional terminology, buts it's the best way to phrase my reaction. Skyfall was Craig’s third go-around in the famous suit and Aston Martin. Compared to Craig’s last two Bond films, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, Skyfall took the cake. Although the movie was long, the pacing never got boring, and Craig captivated and held attention throughout the whole movie. Since Craig was Bond in a Bond movie, it's needless to say there wasn’t much of the movie he wasn’t in, and he held his own throughout. For me, Craig is shaping up to be one of the best Bond’s ever. Craig has already blown his Bond predecessor, Pierce Brosnan, out of the water. He might not be better than Bond Legends Sean Connery and Roger Moore quite yet, but he has time since its been reported that Craig has agreed to at least two more runs as 007. 

Since Casino Royale reset the Bond timeline, many of the characters in the first 20 films have a chance to be reinvented. Skyfall took the liberty to do that, and it payed off. Skyfall introduced a young, computer-savvy Q with British actor Ben Whishaw. Bond’s man gadget man is now young, works mostly from computers, and is a little cynical; a good fit for a new generation of Bond fans. Skyfall also opened the door for M’s secretary Ms. Moneypenny to come back into the Bond universe. I love the idea of brining back classic characters and remaining them. Since the Bond films started in the 1960’s, films, ideas, and characters were a little different then. The current team working on the Craig Bond films have found a way to reboot the film series while still having it tied to its roots, making room for all of the old fans of the movies and anyone who wants to join in. 

The team in charge of Skyfall was fearless to take the film in new directions. Skyfall does not just follow Bond around as he beats up henchmen and seduces women, it also takes a look into Bond’s past. Skyfall gives the audience a little peak into Bond’s world before MI6 and looks into the events that have shaped Bond into the lethal, but closed off, force of nature that he is. It opens new layers to the character, a pattern that I hope to see continue in the 24th Bond film.

The Bond movies are noted for introducing new Bond girls and Bond Villains with every chapter. Throughout the years there have been impressive Bond girls, and some that have just been bland. Skyfall’s Bond girls had me on the fence. First off, there was Naomie Harris as Eve, a fellow MI6 agent. Generally Eve was satisfactory. She had some kick-butt scenes in the opening, and proved she could be tough and hold her own against Bond. On the other hand, there was Bérénice Lim Marlohe as Sévérine; a pawn in the villains games. For me, Marlohe was too much of a victim. I like my Bond women to take charge and hold their own. Marlohe was just scared and weak. As for the role of her tormentor, Javier Bardem was captivating as Bond baddie Silva. Bardem has a magnetic screen presence, and at moments even stole the show from Craig. He portrayed a range of emotions from piercing hatred and desperation with ease. Overall, in terms of Bond babes and baddies, Skyfall was two for three, which is not bad. 

The last note I have on Skyfall is on it's cinematography. Simply on a technical standpoint, Skyfall was impressive. The camera work was smooth. All of the stunts and action flowed seamlessly. The movement kept the audience just as engaged as the acting. I hate to use the cliche, but for me, Skyfall was a well-oiled machine.

It's pretty rare when I have only one small criticism to point out. Skyfall might just be the best all-around movie I’ve seen all semester. It was an impressive feat, and I’d give it an A. Skyfall is Bond at its finest.