Review: ‘Skyfall’ takes Bond to a whole new level

There once was a time where James Bond movies consisted a certain formula that rarely strayed far from the norm. In Sheryl Crow’s theme song for the Bond film ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, she puts it quite simply: “Martinis, girls and guns.”

When the Daniel Craig era started in 2006, things changed. Vulnerable characters and heavy emotional content became as common as the megalomaniacs and double entendres of Bond films gone by. Violence never comes without a price in Craig’s films. And the stakes have never been higher than they are in ‘Skyfall’, out now in theaters everywhere.

The British Secret Service is under attack, secret agents’ names are being leaked, and James Bond is missing – presumed dead. It’s no wonder all the early scenes of London in ‘Skyfall’ feature a steady downpour or ominous gray skies. It’s a dark time for MI6.

The failures of the service become a cause for concern with bureaucrats, and M (Judi Dench) is essentially being forced out of her leadership of MI6 by a government suit named Mallory (Ralph Fiennes).  But M won’t give up until the job is done, and when Bond reemerges to protect Queen and country, things begin to look up.

But the villainous Silva (Javier Bardem) has a major score to settle and always has the upper hand in his quest for revenge.

‘Skyfall’ marks James Bond’s 50th year on the silver screen, and the franchise has had its relevance challenged several times over that half century. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the story of ‘Skyfall’ prominently examines the necessity of spies like Bond in our current world, filled with cyber terrorism and enemies with no defined allegiance to a country or cause.

This is illustrated perfectly by the character of Silva, played with perverse precision by Javier Bardem. He works for no one but himself, and uses his own personal motivation to get what he wants.

Bardem channels Bond villains of old, with his bleached blond hair, cringe-worthy disfiguration and eloquent monologue to a captured 007. He infuses quirky mannerisms into the character, which make audiences laugh and squirm at the same time. He steals the show, which is tough to do given the solid performances by Craig and Dench.

‘Skyfall’ is also beautifully shot, with cinematographer Roger Deakins using his skill to make this one of the best looking Bond films in the series’ history. A fight scene in a bathed-in-blue skyscraper stands out as one of the most stunning visuals in the film.

The movie also makes nods to elements of past Bond films, which a huge fan like myself can truly appreciate. The appearance of the iconic Aston Martin DB5 put a big smile on my face, especially when a few of the car’s “optional extras” are put on display.

Also reassuring to Bond fans is the fact that ‘Skyfall’ sets the franchise up for the future. When the traditional “James Bond Will Return” phrase hit the screen, the first thought I had was, “As soon as possible, please.”

‘Skyfall’ director Sam Mendes has made a movie that takes the traditional Bond elements and mixes them with contemporary issues to make one of the best films in the series. Bardem, Craig and Dench are all at the top of their games and the future of the franchise is looking brighter than ever.

Riveting, emotional and (most importantly) entertaining, ‘Skyfall’ delivers on every level and is sure to leave audiences shaken and stirred.

Countdown to ‘Skyfall’: Day 0022 – ‘Quantum of Solace’

And so this is it: the final film on the eve of the US release of ‘Skyfall’.

What a fun past few weeks it has been, and I am more than ready to catch the newest Bond film in IMAX tomorrow!

But before we move on to bigger and better things, we have to take one more look back at the most recent film in the franchise to hit theaters: 2008′s ‘Quantum of Solace’.

‘QoS’ is notable for being the first Bond film that is a direct sequel of the previous film, picking up right where ‘Casino Royale’ left off. The plot of ‘QoS’ has 007 investigating the organization behind Le Chiffre, as well as getting revenge for the death of his beloved Vesper.

‘QoS’ moves at a breakneck pace, and most action scenes were shot with the dreaded “shaky cam” that was popularized by the ‘Bourne’ film franchise. This gives viewers very little time to catch their breath and even less time for plot exposition.

What remains is a befuddled mess of a story, punctuated by indecipherable fight scenes and shootouts. And, more than likely, a slight headache from all the confusion.

This is due, in part, to a Hollywood writers’ strike that hit the industry in 2007. In fact, screenwriter Paul Haggis claims to have completed the script just two hours before the strike went into effect. So it can be understood as to why ‘QoS’ seems like it was hurried along.

Still, Daniel Craig and Judi Dench are top-notch in the film. Both Rene Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini) and Felix Leiter (Jeffery Wright) return from ‘CR’ and give solid efforts as well. There are some redeeming qualities in this movie. It’s just too bad they all get lost in the chaos.

In the end, Bond gets what he needs as far as revenge goes and realizes the bigger picture is more important than personal feelings. While some loose ends are left untied, ‘QoS’ completes the two-film story arc in a reasonable fashion.

However, financial troubles at MGM put future production of Bond films in limbo. It wouldn’t be until 2010 before MGM would emerge from bankruptcy and production on ‘Skyfall’ would begin.

Four years later, we are now just a day away from the release of the newest James Bond film. Check back for my review of ‘Skyfall’ in the next day or two!

Countdown to ‘Skyfall’: Day 0021 – ‘Casino Royale’

‘Casino Royale’ is the James Bond film fans never knew they wanted, but wanted more of as soon as they saw it.

It lacks the traditional gun barrel opening, minimizes emphasis on 007′s sordid sexual escapades, makes Bond seem human and doesn’t even feature the familiar James Bond Theme until the closing credits.

And, with all those changes to the oh-so familiar Bond film formula, audiences were treated to one of the best films in the series – if not in the entire pantheon of popular action movies.

The movie opens with Bond being sent on the mission that will earn him double-oh status, and his license to kill. The character’s progression is visible almost right away, as we see how the two kills necessary for promotion played out. The first kill is a messy fistfight in a lavatory, while the second is an emotionless, silenced gunshot to the head. Immediately, Bond is becoming an instrument of death and learning how to succeed at it with precision.

He’s then sent to Madagascar to investigate a bomb maker, who just so happens to be the world’s foremost expert in parkour as well. This leads to Bond’s uncovering of a plot constructed by Le Chiffre, a terrorist financier, designed to cause airline stocks to plummet. Meanwhile, the put options Le Chiffre  had taken out prior to the stock market crash would earn him millions.

The movie eventually takes Bond to a high-stakes poker game and ends with him falling in love and resigning from MI6. However, Bond learns an important lesson that rounds out his character near the end of the film.

Stunning action, exotic locales and top-notch performances make ‘CR’ a triumph from start to finish. Daniel Craig, whose selection as 007 was met with unfavorable  reactions from many Bond fans, proved to be well-suited for the role. He was able to show a wider range of emotions than any previous Bond, earning him a BAFTA award nomination for Best Actor.

Dame Judi Dench, the only holdover from Brosnan’s time as 007, offered some much-needed familiarity in Bond’s brave new world. Her presence and performance enhanced the film, as her trust in 007 increased at the same time the audience’s did. But she was always there to make sure we knew we were watching Bond in action.

Another familiar face, albeit behind the camera, returned for ‘CR’. Director Martin Campbell, who had helped Bond return from a six-year hiatus with ‘GoldenEye’, was again tasked with ushering 007 into a new era. The quality of his work on the film is evident, and ‘CR’ sparked the new James Bond revolution.

All would not be peachy keen in the world of 007, however. With pressure to release a sequel of equal quality and an impending Writer’s Strike on the horizon, the next Bond film would stumble and lead to another lengthy layoff.

Countdown to ‘Skyfall’: Day 0020 – ‘Die Another Day’

‘Die Another Day’ was released in 2002 as the 20th James Bond film, and was supposed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the franchise.

Instead, it essentially killed 40 years of cinematic history and ended the path the film series had been on for the better part of half a century.

The film actually started off with promise, as 007 was sent to North Korea to disrupt an arms deal in which a North Korean colonel was trading African conflict diamonds for weapons. Bond is betrayed by someone, captured by the Koreans, and tortured in captivity for 14 months.

Bond is granted release via prisoner exchange, and goes on to pursue a terrorist named Zao – the prisoner whose release bought Bond his freedom. He also sets out to find the party responsible for his betrayal in North Korea.

The first third of the movie is actually pretty entertaining, as the pre-title hovercraft chase, Bond’s visit to Cuba and a tense sword fight in London prove to be exciting and well-crafted.

Things fall apart when the movie switches locations to Iceland, where implausibility and heavy doses of computer-generated imagery take over. An invisible car, space laser weapon and CGI 007 surfing a tsunami send the movie (and the franchise) to rock bottom.

Acting pedigree seemed to be in place, as Pierce Brosnan returned to the role of James Bond. He was aided in the film by an NSA agent played by Oscar winner Halle Berry. Brosnan turned in a solid performance, but Berry felt out of place and was never convincing in her role. A planned spin-off series featuring her character, Jinx, never got off the ground due to the negative reactions to her performance.

It’s pretty clear that I harbor some ill feeling toward ‘DAD’. The Bond franchise, for so many years, took pride in the use of actual stunt work in its films. To see such extensive, shoddy CGI in a Bond film was almost sacrilegious.

Most Bond fans felt similar to the way I did, and the producers behind the films took note as well. Following ‘DAD’, Brosnan quit the role of James Bond in 2004. Daniel Craig was hired to take over as 007 and the direction of Bond films switched to a more gritty, realistic approach, showing Bond as a young, inexperienced agent.

In a way, ‘DAD’ led to the birth of the “new” James Bond series. However, it was also responsible for ending the direction 19 other movies had taken the series over the course of 40 years.

Thankfully, the new direction Bond films took was met with overwhelming approval, as seen with tomorrow’s film.

Countdown to ‘Skyfall’: Day 0019 – ‘The World Is Not Enough’

Pierce Brosnan’s penultimate Bond movie is up tonight, with 1999′s ‘The World Is Not Enough’ next on the list.

Originally slated to come out in 2000, ‘TWINE’ became the first Bond film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer instead of United Artists, with UA now a fully owned subsidiary of MGM.

‘TWINE’ was also the last Bond movie to feature Desmond Llewelyn as the character “Q”. MI6′s quartermaster for almost 40 years, Llewelyn supplied James Bond with gadgets in 17 films from 1963 until 1999. In this film, John Cleese was shown to be a character chosen to eventually replace Q, but Llewelyn had made no indication that he was leaving the franchise. Unfortunately, soon after the release of ‘TWINE’, Llewelyn died in a car accident. He was 85 years old.

Bond’s mission in ‘TWINE’ revolves around investigating the assassination of a billionaire oil magnate at the headquarters of MI6, as well as the subsequent protection of the magnate’s daughter. When a plot to increase oil prices via a nuclear meltdown in Istanbul is discovered, it’s up to 007 to identify who the real threat is.

Box office returns again flew in for ‘TWINE’, with the movie making over $360 million worldwide. Critical reaction was mixed, with negativity being directed at the convoluted plot and the casting of Denise Richards as a nuclear scientist. In fact, Richards was named the worst Bond Girl of all time by Entertainment Weekly in 2008.

While some of the criticism was warranted, I feel ‘TWINE’ is another solid entry in the series and entertains throughout. Another poster child for Brosnan’s “good, but not great” run of Bond films, ‘TWINE’ was followed by Brosnan’s last appearance as 007 in a movie that took the franchise to – arguably – it’s lowest point.

Countdown to ‘Skyfall’: Day 0018 – ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’

A media mogul plans to spark World War III in tonight’s film, ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’.

More significantly, ‘TND’ was the first James Bond movie made after the death of Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli, who had been a part of the series since its inception. Broccoli had passed control of the franchise on to his daughter, Barbara, and stepson, Michael G. Wilson. They remain in control of Bond films to this day.

‘TND’ went on to earn more at the box office than its predecessor, despite the fact that it was the only Pierce Brosnan Bond film not to open at No. 1 in the U.S. This was thanks in large part to the fact that ‘TND’ opened the same weekend as a movie you may have heard of, called ‘Titanic’.

After a memorable tank chase scene in ‘GoldenEye’, the creative team behind ‘TND’ came up with a memorable vehicle chase of their own. ‘TND’ featured a remote control car chase through a parking garage, with 007 operating a BMW 750 and a cell phone. It was an inventive scene that kept viewers on the edge of their seats and became an instant classic in Bond lore.

Critical reaction toward the rest of the film was mixed, with the dissenting opinion claiming that the film felt all too familiar and offered little to separate it from the rest of the series. Positive reviews praised the film’s style and Brosnan’s performance.

While it has its moments. ‘TND’ is a middle-of-the-road Bond film – entertaining, but not revolutionary. This tends to be a familiar theme in the Brosnan era Bond films, as tomorrow’s movie will also show.

Countdown to ‘Skyfall’: Day 0017 – ‘GoldenEye’

The world changed greatly after ‘Licence to Kill’ came out in 1989. Mainly, the Soviet Union no longer existed, eliminating the basis for many of James Bond’s fiercest foes.

James Bond was seen by many, including mew M, Judi Dench, as a relic of the Cold War. In fact, ‘GoldenEye’ was able to prove that Bond films could exist in a post-Cold War world where enemies and friends are difficult to distinguish.

Donning the tux for his mission as 007 was Pierce Brosnan. Long considered for the part, the Irishman took the suave, humorous elements of Roger Moore with the seriousness of Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton to create a Bond well suited for the 1990s.

In ‘GoldenEye’, 007 investigates the theft of Russian satellites capable to emitting an electromagnetic pulse and destroying anything with an electrical circuit. Involved in the theft is a shady criminal organization called Janus, named after a two-faced Roman god. It’s a name that turns out to be very apropos.

Selected to direct ‘Goldeneye’ was Martin Campbell. The critical and commercial success of ‘GoldenEye’ ensured James Bond’s relevance, and made Campbell the obvious choice to direct another series-saving Bond film in 2006.

The popularity of the movie led to the development of a successful Nintendo 64 video game released in 1997. ‘Goldeneye 007′ went on to sell eight million copies worldwide and was instrumental in the development of other first person shooters that followed.

Ushering James Bond into the post-Cold War era, ‘GoldenEye’ made sure that 007 could exist in a modern world. Pierce Brosnan also proved that he could carry the James Bond mantle into the 21st century.