[Films] Skyfall

Bond is back! Hurrah! I’ve been a fan of the series for a long time, and have really enjoyed the two most recent films starring Daniel Craig. These were something of a ‘reboot’ for the series, and were clearly influenced by the gritty and realistic Bourne films. Craig’s third outing as the eponymous secret agent marks the 50^th anniversary for the franchise, but is it up to scratch?

Skyfall marks the 50th anniversary of James Bond. (Credit: facebook fan page)

Lets start with Bond himself. On his first appearance, Daniel Craig immediately brought something new to the franchise. Taut, controlled, and unsmiling, the new incarnation of Bond more strongly resembled a caged tiger than the playboy portrayed by previous actors. Gone too were a lot of the wisecracks (although a few one-liners remained), the more silly gadgets, and the over-the-top action scenes. Some loved it, some hated it. Personally, I thought it was a great new take but still remained recognizably ‘Bond’.

The international teaser poster for the film shows Daniel Craig in full-on 'brooding

and purposeful' mode. (Credit: 007.com)

This time around we see a different aspect. Craig is still excellent, but more of the humour and playfulness has found its way back into the character, particularly during his interactions with other characters. In the field his portrayal is as ruthless and uncompromising as ever, but the double entendres are back in a big way.  I was quite strongly reminded of Timothy Dalton’s Bond. The big departure is an acknowledgement of Bond’s weaknesses. He’s shown to be slowing down, mentally suspect, and not cut out for field duty. Yet Judi Dench’s M still sends him into the line of fire, where naturally he acquits himself well.

Speaking of Dame Judi Dench, she is as excellent as ever in her role. Her M has been a perfect match for Craig’s Bond, in as far as she is as uncompromising as he is, and will do anything and everything necessary to fulfill the mission. In this case it leads to Bond being shot! It was slightly odd that for large parts of the film she was the de facto Bond girl, but watching her get her hands dirty with booby traps and fighting bad guys was a lot of fun.

The full poster shows Bond, the girl, the bad guy, and.....a mystery character who's

a blast from the past. No spoilers! (Credit: blackactors.net)

As well as the wisecracks, lots of other old habits have crept back in. There’s plenty of over-the-top action for example, particularly during the final act that’s set at the titular Skyfall House. And when you stop to think about it, not a lot actually happens during the course of the film. There’s just lots of shooting, chasing, and blowing stuff up. There are also some character and franchise developments that are clearly telegraphed, which is a shame. The big reveal at the end, for example, was something that I’d figured out as soon as it was made clear it would happen.

Being an anniversary, there are of course several nods to the history of the franchise. However these don’t always manifest or conclude how you would expect. For example, the original Aston Martin from Goldmember turns up, but is completely destroyed by the end of the film. And an old character makes a return, from a slightly unexpected angle.

Bond's looking old, but he's as sharp as ever. (Credit: hollywoodreporter.com)

It might sound as though I’m a bit down on this film, but it’s nitpicking really, and done out of love. I really, really enjoyed Skyfall, and was grinning almost the entire way through the film. It’s a worthy addition to the Bond series, and anyone who enjoyed the previous films will find plenty to like about this latest installment.