SKYFALL looks forward while also
acknowledging the James Bond of the past in the first new James Bond film in four years which was held up due to MGM’s
financial problems which held up the production for two years along with the production of THE HOBBIT. I enjoyed the movie, but sometimes I am also a little ambivalent about how it doesn’t feel
enough like the typical James Bond movie. However, SKYFALL does set itself as
a turning point and an introduction to the various things we have loved about previous films.
The climax and bad guy motive seem a little too personal while I rather have James Bond get back to the business of
stopping the Bond villain’s plan that effect the world as we know it. M
(Judi Dench) does make a good point that the face of the enemy has changed from nations to faceless groups like terrorists. SKYFALL is trying to blend the James Bond of the 20th century with
the James Bond of the 21st century.
Bond fakes being dead after a mission goes
wrong to retrieve a hard drive containing a list of all MI-6 agents undercover in terrorist organizations. Bond is hit by the bullet of another MI-6 agent as she tries to hit the guy Bond is fighting with on a
moving train. When MI-6 is hit by a cyber attack three months later, Bond
comes back from the dead to help M find the cyber terrorist Silva (Javier Bardem) who has a personal vendetta against M. He wants M to pay for her sins as he threatens to release five names form the list
of undercover agents each week.
SKYFALL does have a solid script, but sometimes
I like a James Bond film to blend the best elements of the movies of what came before while trying to add something new. It is a well cast film with some of the better British actors in it and Javier
Bardem being over-the-top and menacing as (bisexual swinger)Silva. I do think the film does feel a little too
personal where I want Bond out on a mission in another country by the end of the movie where he ends up at his childhood home. I do miss David Arnold not providing the music this time around (which was the director’s
choice and frequent Mendes collaborator Thomas Newman isn't in the same league as Arnold) and you end up with a score
that is somewhere between an unusual score like Goldeneye and your usual Bond score (composed by John Barry or David Arnold). Again, I would see this movie again and it just isn’t in my top five James
Bond list. I do like the title sequence which reminds me of some of the
classic title sequences from other James bond films and Adele’s title tune is miles better than the misfire of a song
written for QUANTUM OF SOLACE. James Bond is going strong after 50 years
and I hope the next film learns to blend the old and new better even though I did enjoy some parts of SKYFALL better than
other. I hope it doesn’t take another four years or more for another Bond
film.
This review is (c)11-11-2012
David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. Send all comments
to feedback@enterline-media.com
