*mild spoilers*
Bond is back, and most would be hard pressed to argue that Daniel Craig’s modern portrayal of 007 is one of the best of all time. But most fans would also be quick to point out the disappointment felt with Quantum of Solace, the last film in the franchise that continued the superb story from Casino Royale. Through no fault of Craig’s, the movie just felt flat and lifeless, effectively killing the monstrous momentum he brought back to the character. A change was needed, so acclaimed director (and unorthodox choice) Sam Mendes was brought in to right the ship for the latest effort, and he does a bang up job, offering a not perfect but extremely strong addition to the James Bond mythos.
Skyfall is a complex film dealing with the many psychological elements inside the mind of an aging and battle-worn James Bond, which makes this a very personal film for the character. For the most part it makes for an intriguing movie, but part of it didn’t connect with me because seeing a Bond film where he’s a grizzled veteran physically past his prime whom everyone thinks is obsolete feels weird, especially knowing this isn’t the swan song of the franchise, or even Craig’s last run as 007.
But what really works in the movie are the characters and the actors playing them. Craig is as fiery and dangerous as ever as a somewhat disillusioned version of Bond. Skyfall feels much more like a transition of the character from his origin in Casino Royale towards the classic Bond we all know and love, as opposed to the minimal character development that he received in Quantum. He has the recognizable taste in many women, cars (yes that one), and witty puns all while still retaining the steely modern assassin persona introduced by Craig.
The majority of the fun in Skyfall is actually had by the supporting cast and their interactions with Bond. As “Q,” Ben Whishaw is a stroke of genius and extremely fun out-of-the-box casting. I became familiar with his work while recently watching BBC’s The Hour and was delighted to hear he’d gotten the nod as “Q” because he exudes quiet confidence from his intelligence and is a real find talent-wise. Rounding out the rest of the cast are the always excellent Judi Dench, given the most material she’s had so far in her beloved portrayal of M. Naomi Harris and Ralph Fiennes also have nice small but key roles to play, but revealing what they are would spoil some of the fun of discovering the film’s secrets.
But really, this movie belongs to Javier Bardem as Mr. Silva, the very theatrical and creepy old-school Bond villain that has been sorely missing in the Craig era. Bardem is terrifying yet hilarious and just a bit over the top in every scene, but absolutely captivating every time you see him. His back story with M is the other underlying theme of the movie, and adds yet another personal element to the stakes for all the main characters.
One of the biggest issues with Skyfall is that Bardem’s Silva doesn’t even show up until at least an hour into the film. Outside of the breathtaking action sequence that opens the film, and the stunning opening credits sequence featuring the gorgeous Adele theme song, the first hour sorely needed to be edited down. Most of it deals with the horribly overused plot device of a list of undercover secret agent identities being stolen by the enemy. On top of that, we get to see a Bond that, despite still being ripped, is “out of shape” and has lost his marksmanship with a gun, which he never really regains in this outing. I found myself starting to get uncomfortable and preparing myself for the eventuality that this film was not going to be good, but rest assured that once it kicks in during the last hour or so, prepare for some of the best Bond of the Craig era.
What really sets this installment apart is that while Casino and Quantum did their best to redefine Bond for the modern audience, Skyfall gets to play in that universe, but starts merging the old franchise into new one, creating an awesome 007-hybrid. When the credits roll, virtually every staple of the Bond mythology is back in place. Unfortunately, it’s not all good news as this one suffers from a few too many secret agent film clichés and action sequence that rely too much on convenient timing and coincidences even for a Bond film. But the excellent performances by the cast and retro throwbacks to classic Bond films, mixed with an intensely personal script makes Skyfall a great time at the movies for Bond fans.