Welcome back, Mr. Bond.
The H-Bomb: A list containing the names of all the deep cover operatives embedded in various terrorist groups has been stolen in Istanbul, and while in pursuit of the thief, James Bond (Daniel Craig) finds himself taking a nasty dive after catching a bullet fired by fellow agent, Eve (Naomie Harris). Believed to be dead, 007 takes the opportunity to drop off the radar for a couple of months, living in a lovely little beach bungalow, shagging gorgeous women, playing drinking games with scorpions at the local bar, ya know, the normal things that dead secret agents do.
But when Bond finds out that the MI6 headquarters in London has been bombed, he decides it’s time to go back to work. And his old boss, M (Judi Dench), couldn’t be happier to see him, as not only has the security at MI6 been compromised, but the list that was stolen months ago has been decrypted, and the names and photos of undercover agents are being posted online. As if all this isn’t enough, M is facing political pressure to resign in the wake of this massive security breach, and is being closely scrutinized by government bureaucrat, Mallory (Ralph Fiennes).
So, with no time to lose, she sends her best agent on the trail of this cyber terrorist. But, the question arises, is Bond up to the task? He’s been out of practice for quite a while, and the less-than-stellar results of his physical and psychological exams have raised a few eyebrows. Nevertheless, he will have to do. So, armed with his own personalized Walther PPK from the new Quartermaster (Ben Whishaw), Bond follows a lead that takes him to Shanghai, and eventually, after a few nasty scrapes, as well as a close encounter with a hungry Komodo Dragon, to Silva (Javier Bardem).
Who is Silva? Well, aside from being the mastermind behind all this madness, he’s a “ghost” from M’s past who has come back to haunt her. A psychotic genius with a mean axe to grind with the old gal, he will stop at nothing to see her, and all of MI6, burn to the ground. Now, 007 is going to have to shake off the ring rust, and get back on his A-game pronto, before this bleach-blond whack-nut makes good on his promise to make “Mommy” atone for what he feels are her past sins.
Well, I said it couldn’t be done. After first seeing Casino Royale back in 2006, I said, “This is as good as a James Bond movie can get, and it will never get this good again.” As much as I absolutely loved it, I feared it might have been too good, in that it set the bar so high that no subsequent film in the series had even a prayer of living up to it, and after Quantum of Solace- which isn’t a bad movie, but as a sequel to Casino Royale, is underwhelming- it seemed that my fears were very much founded. Casino Royale was just too fucking good.
However, having now seen Skyfall, the 23rd official Bond film, and the third to star the rugged, steely-eyed Craig as the legendary super spy, I can say that being proven wrong has never felt so good. This film is easily as good as Casino Royale. Whether or not it’s better, I’m not prepared to say, as I should see it a second time. But for right now, it’s tied as my favorite 007 flick. What we have here, compliments of Craig, Dench, Bardem and director Sam Mendes, is a very special James Bond movie that I can say, with confidence, is perfect on every level. Make no mistake, people, 007 is back, and he is firing on all cylinders (or more appropriately, barrels).
In a way, Skyfall acts as a bridge between the Bond of new and old. The gritty intensity of the Craig films is very much present, but Mendes also incorporates a number of old school Bond elements, the most apparent being the look of the film, which, as photographed by the great Roger Deakins, flawlessly mirrors the early movies while giving it all an extra visual pop. If nothing else, Skyfall is easily the most gorgeous 007 film ever made (if there’s a real IMAX screen near you, see it on that).
In addition to the classically inspired cinematography, Mendes also welcomes back the gadgets and the witty humor. Now, the gadgets promise to be of a less fantastical and more practical nature (“What were you expecting, an exploding pen?”), and the humor is dry, but very present. It’s as if the producers are appeasing those who bitched about the more recent outings being too serious and not “Bondian” enough, without making it obvious that they are, in fact, appeasing them.
But the way in which Skyfall annexes the old and new the most is in its treatment of Bond himself, in how he’s written and portrayed. He is no longer the hotheaded, overly impulsive, trigger-happy novice of Casino and Quantum, he is now a battle-hardened veteran with many, many missions under his belt. Missions that have taken a toll on him over time. He’s still a lethal motherfucker, but he‘s also looking haggard and tired, as if all the years of running and gunning have caused him to “lose a step.” This, above all else, is what defines Craig’s Bond, he is all too human. That humanity, that mortality, is what makes his take on the character so wonderfully unique, and this time he truly outdoes himself.
As M, Dench is given her largest role ever in the franchise. Now, that may make some of you, who thought she was in Quantum way too much, groan. But, let me put your minds at ease, she isn’t just some henpecking old nag who pops in to berate Bond every five minutes. No, this time M is actually an integral part of the story, and the way it plays out is one of Skyfall’s many surprises. Her sort-of mother/son relationship with Bond gives the movie a genuine emotional payoff, and performance-wise, Dench rises to the occasion.
If there was one thing that was missing from the Craig Bonds, it was the presence of a truly great villain. Skyfall rectifies that with the frighteningly psychotic Silva, embodied by none other than Anton Chigurh himself, Javier Bardem. A larger-than-life villain who “comes from the shadows,” Silva will no doubt become iconic in series canon. Bardem gives him a playful side, as he taunts Bond with genuine glee. But, much like Heath Ledger’s Joker, underneath the playful facade, there is something very dark and sinister about Silva. He is one sick, disturbed puppy, and perhaps, the greatest Bond villain of all time. Bravo, Mr. Bardem, you and your hair have managed to scare me shitless yet again.
Fiennes, Harris, and Albert Finney all do solid work in their supporting roles, but since I can’t say a whole hell of a lot about them without dropping spoilers, I’ll just have to leave it at that. French beauty Berenice Marlohe, as the requisite femme fatale, brings a sexy mystique to her character, it’s just too bad that she exits the film as quickly as she does. Whishaw gets some laughs as the new Q, and I look forward to seeing him banter with Bond in future films.
Looking at the actors named above, it is very safe to say that Skyfall has the greatest cast this series has ever seen, and in Sam Mendes, it also has the greatest director to have ever worked on the franchise. This guy is not only a world class, Oscar-winning filmmaker, but he’s also a lifelong Bond fan, who clearly understands that it’s the character of Bond, and not the over-the-top chases and gun battles, that makes this series special. In fact, not only does Mendes not shoe-horn a ton of needless action set pieces into the film, he actually scales the action back, and uses it to serve the story, instead of merely supplementing it. What we get is something unheard of, a Bond flick that favors character and story over stunts and explosions.
That’s not to say that it doesn‘t have its share of spectacle. From the opening train top chase in Istanbul, to the western-style showdown at an old Scottish manor, there are pyrotechnics aplenty. For me, since Craig is so physically adept, the action works best when he gets up close and personal with his adversaries. And this time, my personal favorite slug-fest would have to be the life or death scuffle in a Shanghai skyscraper that’s entirely backlit, so only the silhouettes are visible, and that plays out in one uninterrupted shot. A finer display of Craig’s mad ass-kicking skills I have not seen.
Add, as a cherry on top, a sensational title song by Adele, and what we have with Skyfall is a truly exceptional entry in the 007 canon. One that upholds the traditions of the series, while also breaking away from the standard formula by serving up a number of surprising twists and turns throughout, including a real zinger of a climax. The James Bond franchise turns 50 this year, and I can’t think of a greater gift that the producers could have given the fans who have stuck with it for half a century. It‘s our editor Rick Swift‘s new favorite of the series, and as stated earlier, it‘s deadlocked with Casino Royale as being mine, as well. I can’t put it any plainer than that, Skyfall is Double-O Awesome!
