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Here's my random and very rambling thoughts concerning the new James Bond film "Skyfall":
As a fervent fan of all things James Bond, my expectations were quite high as I sat down yesterday at a showing of the latest film to feature Britain's most famous super-spy, the simply titled "Skyfall". However, I was also nervous due to my great disappointment with the long running franchise's previous entry, "Quantum of Solace," a film which mistakenly assumed that a dourly serious, no-nonsense Bond out for revenge was enough to carry the production. Luckily for myself, and whoever else decides to go see "Skyfall," veteran director Sam Mendes has crafted what is perhaps the most ambitious Bond to date, giving us a film that is refreshingly unafraid to veer off course into uncharted waters, even if the water does occasionally become tepid.
The film begins as all James Bond films do: with an action scene, and quite a ballsy one at that. We quickly find Bond and fellow field operative Eve (Naomie Harris) mid-action in Istanbul, engaged in a high-octane chase that somehow includes a car chase, motorcycle chase, and then a final fight above a speeding train in an attempt to recover a stolen hard-drive that contained the names and identities of secret agents in terrorist organizations the world over from rote bad guy Patrice. And in a twist that would have been surprising if not for the current trend of revealing everything about a movie in its trailers, Bond is shot and plummets into the cold waters below. Cue moody Adele music because people think she's good for some reason. Needless to say the hard-drive falls into nefarious hands and Bond quickly rises from the proverbial dead to help his boss M (Judi Dench) deal with the threat. But is he ready to do so? Injured, disillusioned with his job, and with a full-blown alcohol problem, the film's plot strives to ask the question 'is Bond too old?' Thankfully it's a question asked by the filmmakers in an attempt to delve into themes of obsoletism and not a rude joke directed at an aging Daniel Craig as was once done to previous Bond Roger Moore. Unfortunately, the film tries to do too much at once, giving us a third act that pales in comparison to the first two with a final fight that seemed horribly shoehorned to fit the theme of "old dog, new tricks".
It isn't the easiest thing to modernize and rejuvenate a five decade old series, and Mendes and screenwriters John Logan, Neal Purvis, and Robert Wade decided, quite correctly I might add, that injecting new blood into "Skyfall" would help keep things fresh beyond the back-story laden plot with pacing issues and unique fight scenes including the Home Alone inspired finale. New to the film are MI6 director Garreth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), Bond's old Groundskeeper Kincade (Albert Finney), the already mentioned not quite crack shot field operative Eve, the criminally underused Bond Girl Severine (Berenice Marlohe aka token hot chick), and the much younger but still gadget giving Q, played with great wit by Ben Whishaw. These new faces kept the film fresh and fun, even as the plot decided to take it's time telling its sometimes surprisingly moody story. Dark, yet wittily funny in all the right places, this Bond finally shows some of that classic coolness that has been long lost since '95s "Goldeneye" (Featuring the 5th James Bond, Pierce Brosnan). "Skyfall" is a welcome harkening back to the good old days that now shows that Craig can be just as vulnerable and nuanced as established in his first go-around as Bond in "Casino Royale" while still retaining the martini drinking, womanizing, quip-spouting suaveness we all have come to know and love. Sam Mendes has thankfully found a way to strike the perfect balance between the souped-up moron Bond had become who drove an invisible car upside down in "Die Another Day" and the solemn realism that bogged down his last outing and relegated the suave spy down to British Jason Bourne status.
Visually stunning (with action scenes we can now finally enjoy due to the much needed scrapping of the quick cuts that plague most action pictures nowadays), "Skyfall" is pure ocular brilliance, featuring stunning vistas of exotic locales ranging from the Scottish moor to the beautifully lit Macau, and an unforgettable, albeit short, fight scene in a skyscraper thousands of feet above Shanghai. But while cinematographer Roger Deakins clearly imbued his shots with incredible style and a surprising amount of polish and care that isn't seen in many action films, there was the occasional dialogue scene where it seemed as if Deakins has never heard of a tripod, with the camera shaking about just enough to be quite off-putting. But luckily these misfortunate shots are very infrequent as most were simply stunning, such as the slow reveal of Silva, the film's villain.
In another great throw-back to the franchise's memorable villains of old, Silva is delightfully and gleefully manic yet subtlety menacing. An apparent paradox that might not hold up in today's times, yes, but in the hands of masterful actor Javier Bardem, Silva is quite a force to be reckoned with. However, for all his Hannibal Lecter-esque posturing, the script seems to suddenly stop knowing what to do with him after the character is only three scenes in, turning Silva into just another villain that Bond has to chase and then generically stop through traditional means, welshing on the too good to be true promise of a fun, crazy, and intelligent villain that would really challenge Bond, and thus the audience. But there lies the problem, Silva never really challenges Bond; his real quarrel is with M. Without delving into spoilers, let's just say that Silva is out for revenge against an injustice perpetrated by M years ago, a fact which unfortunately sends Bond to the sidelines despite being front and center throughout the whole movie. But M's prominence in the film isn't all for naught, as she is "Skyfall's" true Bond girl. Forgoing the traditional romance for a mother and son relationship that comes with the prickly badinage of an old married couple, the M/Bond dichotomy really shone as it gave both characters a welcome chance to divulge their emotions in a way that didn't feel forced, out of place, or worse, corny.
But the question still remains, is "Skyfall" what critics and fans alike are saying it is, the best Bond film ever? Sadly, no. It's a film that gambled by trying a lot of new things, and it admittedly won way more than it lost. Sam Mendes gave us a Bond with style to match the substance. But for all the right steps Mendes made, it still feels like the franchise could easily slip back into the doldrums of mediocrity because there were still missteps made. And for all its innovation and nods to previous installments, there was still a hint of the laziness that made "Quantum of Solace" so unbearable. Hopefully the next installment continues the upward trend of new ideas and the willingness to try something different as "Skyfall" ended rather optimistically with things coming full-circle for Bond, an ending which seemed to say "We've got this." I really hope they live up to their word and the next one isn't as rough around the edges.
What did you guys think about the movie?