Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in SKYFALL. (Photo: Francois Duhamel, ©2011 Danjaq, LLC, United Artists Corporation, Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.)
In the action genre, Hollywood keeps raising the bar for thrills, and the James Bond series is no exception. In Skyfall, Bond (Daniel Craig) does combat on top of a moving train, motorcycles up a flight of stairs and across rooftops, and rides to the top of a building hanging below a glass elevator, all the while impeccably dressed in his designer suits. Even the explosive title reflects the destructive power of this international spy thriller, though it’s actually the name of the Bond family estate in Scotland, which was Ian Fleming’s nod to Sean Connery.
Director Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition, American Beauty) delivers the 23rd installment of the Bond series that is not to be missed, with the largest box office opening in its 50-year history. Skyfall is the third Bond role for Daniel Craig, who at age 43 still performs many of his own stunts. And as the sixth actor to portray the legendary spy for Her Majesty’s Military Intelligence (MI6), Craig provides a refreshing new tone for these changing times and always looks hot in a tux.
Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in SKYFALL. (Photo: Francois Duhamel, ©2011 Danjaq, LLC, United Artists Corporation, Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.)
Skyfall honors its legacy with some handy high-tech gadgets, some seductive Bond women (Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe), the iconic Aston Martin, and some clever moments of comic relief. And Craig’s Bond is still the fearless, tireless 007, but a grittier version, with his own brand of unshaken, unstirred appeal. He lures the women with his intense energy and direct style, but the campy scenes of foreplay are out of character with his persona and need an update.
Ben Whishaw in SKYFALL. (Photo: Francois Duhamel, ©2011 Danjaq, LLC, United Artists Corporation, Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.)
The old Bond movies felt more like an incidental delivery system for showcasing the suave, indestructible hero. Skyfall is different. Screenwriting team Neal Purvis and Robert Wade instill a strong human element that sets this adventure apart from the rest. Skyfall gives us three-dimensional characters who are vulnerable and might make mistakes. It examines the responsibility of the Secret Intelligence Service to protect its agents. And it conjures up a dangerous villain, played to the hilt by Javier Bardem, who is not some random megalomaniac bent on world destruction, but a plausible character driven by revenge, and whose motives add emotional depth.
The magnificent Judi Dench stars in SKYFALL. (Photo: Francois Duhamel, ©2011 Danjaq, LLC, United Artists Corporation, Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.)
Skyfall depicts a world-weary Bond, and for good reason, as you’ll see in the opening scenes. It’s also because one of the themes considers the utility of aging agents and of Bond’s superior, M, played for the seventh time by Dame Judi Dench.
Naomie Harris in SKYFALL. (Photo: Francois Duhamel, ©2011 Danjaq, LLC, United Artists Corporation, Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.)
Don’t worry, Skyfall is not soppy. Its superb cast delivers all of the satisfying action we’ve come to expect, along with some dazzling visual effects. But unlike some Bond movies where following the plot is optional, Skyfall tells a story that draws us in, carries us along, and gives us pause for thought. A-