Seeing Skyfall

I can’t help but agree with some of our other writers that the casting of Daniel Craig as James Bond and the removal of his gadgets have made the longest running franchise look more like Jason Bourne than James Bond.

No offense, but before Daniel Craig took over, my favorite 007 movies were The Spy Who Loved Me with Roger Moore and Die Another Day with Pierce Brosnan. And the reasons they were at the top of my list were because their Bonds were refined, the gadgets were amazing, the cars were breathtaking, and the stories were quite entertaining.

Daniel Craig’s Bond was rough, didn’t have any of the gadgets, and had stories that were a little too dark. I felt that his version of Bond hopped on the action bandwagon instead of leading it.

Then this movie came along and rewrote the entire modern James Bond franchise for me. Daniel Craig is more refined this time around, has some of his gadgets back, and the story… well, the story simply blew me away.

Skyfall is now my favorite Bond movie, which is something I enjoy watching over and over again because it doesn’t seem to get old.

Story

The movie opens up with James Bond chasing someone who has stolen a hard drive containing the list of all British agents scattered around the globe. Since this list of agents can mean certain death for them, it must not fall into the hands of people outside MI6.

The problem is that Bond was unable to recover the list, thanks to the field agent assisting him in its retrieval. And as the entire MI-6 tries to get back the list, the agency is led down a path they did not expect.

An old deceased rogue agent surfaces from M’s past. And just like many of Bond’s enemies, he is madly brilliant and frighteningly insane. With the unknown enemy always a step ahead, the entire MI6 scrambles to catch up, only to find themselves still being manipulated at every turn.

Overall, the story was very well written and executed. The only loophole was when Q attached the laptop of the unseen enemy to MI6s computer network. It’s something even a moderately experienced network engineer with a fraction of Q’s knowledge would never do because the laptop may contain a virus. The most that someone is Q’s place would do is connect the laptop to an isolated network during testing.

[A terrible rookie mistake.]

Character Development

After 22 movies and 50 years at the time of the film’s release, James Bond’s character is pretty well developed. Even M, being a woman, was a carryover from Peirce Brosnan’s time, so she is quite established as well.

The difference this time around is that 007 looks and acts really old. And while Daniel Craig’s version is probably the most muscular and physical Bond to date, his age balances things out. It is these opposing points that make Bond a somewhat relatable hero, instead of someone who is perfect and invincible.

The good thing about the 23rd movie in the franchise is that M, played by Judie Dench, is much more consistent this time around. She does not jump between extremes of being emotional and motherly to coming off as strong and unfeeling, which has been the case in the last six Bond films. In Skyfall, she is the strong leader she should be, yet with just the right amount of vulnerability at the appropriate times.

And while the film may have redeemed itself with M, it continues this streak by finally re-introducing a couple of long-missing characters. The character development of Moneypenny and Q are spot on, albeit quite late.

And what would a James Bond movie be without the villain? With Bond being larger than life, nothing but the worst will do. And that villain was Silva, played to an amazing degree by Javier Bardem. Not only was Silva brilliant, he was driven, insane, and creepy all at the same time. Javier Bardem’s portrayal is probably the most complex antagonist of the entire franchise.

[This guy was pure eeeevil.]

Animation and Special Effects

With 23 movies and 50 years under its belt, the one thing I will say about James Bond movies is that their special effects continue to have a consistent realistic appearance. While many movies today make heavy use of computer graphics for their stunts and special effects, the James Bond franchise seems to never stray from the path of using real people, real, equipment, for really dangerous stunts.

The best example has to be the motorcycle chase on the rooftops of Turkey. Seeing motorcycles running on a thin path on the roof then jumping into a window only to land several feet down to corridor was breathtaking.

Then there was Bond jumping on to a moving train. What made this one different was the way the scene was filmed because the jump appeared really high and the landing looked to be quite painful.

That’s not to say Skyfall didn’t make use of computer graphics; it’s just that when it was used, it seemed to be a little less obvious. I’m assuming that short scene when Bond hit the water after falling off a bridge was computer generated. Another one was the explosion of M’s office appeared to be enhanced to make it bigger and more colorful. Yet another one, which happens to the most disturbing, was when Silva took out his teeth when he was talking to M.

[Then again, I could be wrong and would be more than happy to hear that these were real.]

In the scene with the Komodo Dragons, the lizards were actually very nicely rendered. And it’s not because of the colors that I assume them to be fake; it because the producers most likely wouldn’t have one of their extras get eaten on purpose.

[Unless they didn’t want to pay their extras; in which case, I stand corrected.]

Favorite Character

As much as I enjoyed Silva’s character, he was just too evil for me. So, for the very first time since Daniel Craig took over the character, James Bond is my favorite character in the Skyfall.

Yes, he still has the face, haircut, and body of a marine in the United States armed forces instead of a so-called officer in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy, but this time the story and the cinematography made full use of his assets.

This Bond’s physical actions and emotional reactions were perfect for each situation. While this Bond is buff, he wasn’t invincible as he did get hurt; and when he did it wasn’t because of stupidity. And finally, this Bond has begun to embrace his being suave.

[With certain limits, of course.]

Favorite Scene

James Bond movies are known for opening scenes that just blow the socks off people. And this Skyfall is no different. That extended chase scene, where Bond is going after the person who stole the operative list, is one long roller coaster ride. Being breathtaking and keeping me on the edge of my seat means that it is easily my favorite scene.

The precision needed to drive along and jump along thin pathways and angled roofs and at seemingly high speeds is something that must have required a ton of concentration. One mistake and the stuntman would end up falling off or going through a tiled roof.

[But wait! There’s more!]

The second one that captured my attention was the scene of Bond fighting a shooter in the skyscraper. The bright background and dark foreground meant that it was more like the silhouettes of two people locked in mortal combat.

And if one looked closely, the actual fight scene was well orchestrated. Each punch, kick, and rifle thrust felt like it connected painfully, making it look like a brutal close-quarter brawl. And the decision of the director to do it in the shadows made such a visual impact to enhance the scene.

[No canned punching sounds either.]

Final Thoughts

As the 23rd movie, Skyfall is perfect for James Bond’s 50th year in film. The story was great, the characters were engaging, and the action scenes were amazing. And for the first time since he took over, I will say that Daniel Craig has finally earned the right to fill the shoes of James Bond with his own unique take on the character.

That’s not to say that Skyfall was perfect. Yes, I will go as far as to consider it perfect for an action film. But the James Bond franchise is not just any action film. It answers to higher calling. And under those standards, there were a few minor details that were off.

The first, of course, is the loophole I mentioned earlier when Q attached Silva’s laptop to the MI6 network. This was a rookie mistake that someone in Q’s position should not have committed.

The second that none of the girls stood out this time. Severine, who was played by Bérénice Marlohe, didn’t shine like past Bond girls.

The third is that he didn’t have a new British-build car with him. But then the story didn’t require it so that can be overlooked. Besides that, his old iconic one made one heck of a splash.

And the fourth is that there was no witty line to remember this time around. Sure, Bond uttered things like, “Good luck with that” or “It’s a waste of good scotch” or “Last rat standing,” but they just weren’t enough to make it to bar rooms all over the world.

At this point, you probably think I’m nitpicking, and you’d be right. I am. I’m being a little finicky because Skyfall is not just any other action film, it’s a James Bond film.

However, I will go on record to say that these three minor things have absolutely no bearing for me. My experience with the movie was still outstanding, despite them. And I will also go further to say that if the girl and witty lines were done right, the effort might actually have affected the film in a negative way because they would feel forced.

They did, of course, tick off a lot of the Bond movie staples like the stunning graphics that every 007 film has when going through the opening credits. And since this time it was done to the hauntingly beautiful voice of Adele as she sang the Skyfall theme, they again have an award-winning song. Then of course, there were the breathtaking vistas all over the world and the impeccably tailored suits.

Having said all that, I can’t wait for the next James Bond film. There have been many positive changes done in Skyfall. And if it will be the standard that succeeding 007 movies follow, then I’ll be in the movie house when number 24 comes out.

[Bond. James Bond.]