This past weekend I finally had the pleasure of watching this movie in the theatres. Though it was released a few weeks ago I hate going to see a movie on the opening weekend. Too many people and it takes away from the actual viewing of the film. That being said, I loved this movie! Though it was not without a few disappointments (which I will get into specifics in a moment).
Skyfall stars Daniel Craig in his recurring role as James Bond. Also returning from the previous three movies are Judi Dench and Rory Kinnear. New to the cast this year were Ralph Fiennes as Gareth Mallory and Ben Whishaw as Q.
Skyfall is the twenty-third movie in the Bond franchise and has so far grossed $249,433,656 at the box office alone (as of December 5th). 2012 also marks the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond movie, Dr. No.
At this point I must warn you. If you haven’t seen the movie yet I would recommend you stop reading as I am about to reveal some plot points and would not wish to spoil the movie for you. Consider yourself warned!
I grew up watching the Bond movies. I will admit that I am probably more of a Roger Moore fan simply by my age and the fact that they used to air the reruns on television constantly while I was a kid. This is not to say that I have not enjoyed the Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Pierce Brosnan and Timothy Dalton movies, just that I saw more of the Roger Moore films. Some things I have always loved about the films were the action sequences, the gadgets created by the Q Branch and Bond’s innate ability to always carry off the impossible while still showing grace and more than a little style.
Skyfall delivers this and more, though there were some disappointments when looked at with scrutiny. The measurements I’ve used are those collected by talking to Bond fans for years through my previous jobs in the entertainment industry (retail and rental) and by those afforded through conversations of friends and family members. Put simply: the couch critic’s opinion.
- The Bond theme song. Every movie has a theme song and where some of the Bond movies have had some great theme songs, Skyfall delivers with an amazing one song written and recorded by Adele (and her songwriter Paul Epworth).
- The opening scene. This one falls in with number 1 listed above and is the opening montage. The more recent films have been lacking a bit in this area but Skyfall delivers with a dark, haunting and somewhat beautiful montage that definitely alludes to the theme of the movie itself.
- The car. James Bond has always been known to drive in style. Invariably there is always a car chase scene in the film and Skyfall is no different. The vehicles used in the chase scenes are not those of the infamous Aston Martin though the vehicle does make a cameo near the end of the film showing off two of the gadgets it’s equipped with (though it only uses 1 in the film before being destroyed).
- The Bond girl. There have been many a Bond girl over the years and some of the movies have actually launched the careers for the actresses playing the role. Put simply, the ultimate Bond girl is the love interest for 007 and can be an ally or a villain. The Bond Girl’s role in Skyfall is short lived. Skyfall does, however, introduce Miss Moneypenny who has been classified as the longest lasting Bond girl.
- Q Branch. The Q Branch has always served to be a source of humor for the films when Bond is assigned to gather his weapons and gear before going on his missions. Often he is given some gadget that is newly tested and highly dangerous and this is also where he has gotten some of his infamous vehicles. The gadgets are often looked at with suspicion by Bond yet have always pulled him through some tough situations. In Skyfall, there are no ‘exploding pens’ as the new Q informs Bond when they meet. There is only a gun with grips equipped to only recognize Bond (so that nobody else may fire his weapon) and a simple radio transmitter. This point also leads me to…
- Q. Skyfall does see the return of Q to the series bringing with it the youngest Q in the series’ history. The most notable Q was Desmond Llewelyn who starred in the films from 1963 until his death in 1999. John Cleese took his place and starred in the role until 2002. The reboot of the series did not feature this role until Skyfall. I will admit I was excited to see Q return yet equally not exactly thrilled with the change. Q and Bond have always been polar opposites: Brain vs. Brawn. Yet in the end the two combine quite nicely and get the job done. In Skyfall, Q’s intelligence is only superseded by his arrogance and the movie is taken from a ‘ground fight’ to a cyber battle. In this viewer’s opinion…the two equal a flat part of the movie which is thankfully short lived. Which brings me to my last point…
- The villain. The Bond movies have historically posed some of the greatest villains brought to the big screen. Inevitably the two meet, fight scenes and explosions ensue and the audience is happy. To be honest, I wasn’t exactly thrilled with Skyfall’s villain, Raoul Silva. The build up to Silva by Sévérine was that he was a man to be feared. Yet when he is revealed to us, he simply came across as a whiny child who became a cyber bully with a bunch of guns and minions to do his bidding. A far cry from the former 00 agent his back story reveals him to be.
Overall the disappointments are small when compared to the breadth of the film. Previous actors have all provided a different angle to Bond’s persona and I still feel that Daniel Craig has personified him the best. Though I will miss watching Judi Dench in any future films, I feel that Ralph Fiennes will make a great M should he continue with the franchise. When the credits rolled I was pumped to begin watching all the movies from the beginning. Watch out Netflix, here I come…
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