Skyfall has largely been touted as the best Bond movie to date. For me, that honor still belongs to Casino Royale, largely due to the novelty of Daniel Craig as the brutish, bloodied reincarnation of Bond. However, Skyfall is certainly a top Bond movie, and continues the trend of lending more depth and dimension to this character that was getting dangerously cartoonish.
The central plot of Skyfall involves MI6's attempts to retrieve a stolen hard disk that contains the names of agents working undercover in terrorist organizations across the globe. M (the ever engaging Judi Dench) has to make some tough calls, resulting in the apparent death of 007 himself, but (and this shouldn't be a spoiler), Bond returns after a three-month hiatus and is back on the case. It becomes clear that M is being persecuted by someone from her past who has stolen this hard disk to instigate a personal vendetta. That person turns out to be the movie's supervillain, Silva, played by a very blonde and wonderfully twisted Javier Bardem. Silva might be one of my favorite Bond villains to date - his interactions with Bond and M are creepy and hilarious in equal measure, which is a difficult feat to accomplish. In some scenes, you can almost imagine Daniel Craig is trying to control his laughter as he watches Bardem engage in typically villainous prose.
Skyfall pokes fun at its origins but reminds us why James Bond still holds sway in our hearts 50 years after his first appearance on movie screens. Some of the action sequences feel over-long and tiresome, but the emotional pay-off is well worth it and 50 years down the road, we are reminded of how little we know about James Bond. Hopefully, future movies will continue to offer insights into this enigmatic character and ensure the franchise is well and truly shaken, not stirred.
The central plot of Skyfall involves MI6's attempts to retrieve a stolen hard disk that contains the names of agents working undercover in terrorist organizations across the globe. M (the ever engaging Judi Dench) has to make some tough calls, resulting in the apparent death of 007 himself, but (and this shouldn't be a spoiler), Bond returns after a three-month hiatus and is back on the case. It becomes clear that M is being persecuted by someone from her past who has stolen this hard disk to instigate a personal vendetta. That person turns out to be the movie's supervillain, Silva, played by a very blonde and wonderfully twisted Javier Bardem. Silva might be one of my favorite Bond villains to date - his interactions with Bond and M are creepy and hilarious in equal measure, which is a difficult feat to accomplish. In some scenes, you can almost imagine Daniel Craig is trying to control his laughter as he watches Bardem engage in typically villainous prose.
The Bond girls (Naomie Harris and Bérénice Lim Marlohe) serve their usual purpose, although Harris' character has a small surprise in store. There are chase sequences, explosions, and brutal fights where Craig reminds us that his Bond is more interested in hand-to-hand combat than firing a pistol and keeping his suit tidy. And the movie's title, Skyfall, is a reference to a part of Bond's past that helps explain how 007 became the man he is. The movie is action-packed but also packs an emotional punch in the finale, which highlights the franchise's attempts to become more than just a series of slick and predictable action sequences. Along the way there are a lot of sly and hilarious references to prior Bond movies, including a cameo by a particularly beloved car.
Skyfall pokes fun at its origins but reminds us why James Bond still holds sway in our hearts 50 years after his first appearance on movie screens. Some of the action sequences feel over-long and tiresome, but the emotional pay-off is well worth it and 50 years down the road, we are reminded of how little we know about James Bond. Hopefully, future movies will continue to offer insights into this enigmatic character and ensure the franchise is well and truly shaken, not stirred.
No comments:
Post a Comment