Directed by: Sam Mendes
Written by: Neal Purvis, John Logan, and Robert Wade (based on the character created by Ian Fleming)
There's that old and somewhat overused saying about being able to "teach an old dog new tricks", where you can prove that something or someone seemingly beyond their prime can adapt to the times and still show the young'uns how it's done. Of course, there's always a nagging doubt about whether or not they can really catch that second wind, and whether or not it's possible to stay relevant and popular in a constantly-changing world.
This quandary can easily be applied to the venerable and iconic "James Bond" film franchise, which released its first of twenty-three entries-- Dr. No-- fifty years ago. It's astounding to comprehend that novelist Ian Fleming's British MI6 Agent 007 is marking his Golden Jubilee, but after 23 films of varying quality and six different actors playing the now legendary role, it's almost inevitable that there's been a little bit of wear and tear in the franchise.
Granted, Eon Productions tried to shake things up in 2006 by rebooting Mr. Bond into the 21st century with a grittier, more realistic, post-9/11 portrayal with the exhilarating Casino Royale, this time with the steely-eyed Daniel Craig successfully reinvigorating the character, giving him more emotional depth and pathos than previously seen. But when the subpar sequel Quantum of Solace hit theaters two years later, many thought that Bond's critically lauded relaunch was just a fluke, and that the series' better days were behind it. But thanks to a thrilling, nostalgic, and streamlined threequel in the form of director Sam Mendes' Skyfall, it's clear that 007 has a lot more fight in him than previously thought.
British MI6 Agent James Bond-- designated 007-- is believed dead after a covert operation in Turkey has gone awry. Bond and his fellow agent Eve (Naomie Harris) have been chasing mercenary Patrice (Ola Rapace), who had stolen a hard drive containing the true identities of every undercover NATO agent and is planning to sell it to an unknown benefactor. Bond is shot during the fracas and falls into the sea, adding political pressure to his agency superior M (Judi Dench) from Intelligence Chairman Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) to retire in light of the crisis.
Making matters worse is an explosion at MI6 headquarters by a mysterious cyberterrorist, forcing the agency to relocate underground. By this time, Bond returns to London and is approached by M to help find the bomber, but Mallory and others doubt Bond's abilities due to his age and nagging injuries. Nonetheless, Bond is cleared by M to return to field duty, receiving tech and weaponry support by new MI6 quartermaster Q (Ben Whishaw) and joins Eve in tracking Patrice to Shanghai.
Bond's mission eventually leads him to encounter the mastermind behind the various attacks on British Intelligence: Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), an unstable genius who may or may not have a personal connection to M. Bond must do whatever he can to thwart Silva's plot before his revenge-driven schemes succeed.
After the smashing success of Casino Royale, it really was a disappointment for Quantum of Solace to not replicate the qualities that made the Bond reboot such a blast to watch. Sprawling, confusing, and sometimes outright boring, Solace revived fears that 007 finally lost his luster, leaving the franchise's future in doubt, especially regarding the financial difficulties of distributor MGM. But the four-year gap gave Eon the necessary time to recover and rebuild rather than give up.
It seemed to have paid off, thanks to an inspired choice of a director in Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition), who gets Bond back on track with a story that acknowledges the changing times in both the real world and the film's narrative, but also acknowledges how sometimes the old ways can still work best (M's dilemma regarding the Prime Minister possibly dissolving MI6 due to supposedly being obsolete is an obvious analogy to the film series' current situation).
Mendes effortlessly manages to bring Bond back to basics, retaining the post-Royale realism while still injecting a heaping helping of nostalgia and Connery-era energy. Mendes probably also realized that when you release a Bond film on the series' 50th anniversary, you'd better pull out all of the stops to pay respect to its history and please longtime fans. There's the shaken martinis, the Aston-Martin, the thrilling action sequence cold open (this time around it's a chase on top of a speeding train, though I don't think anyone can top the crazy-as-shit footchase from Royale), and even reintroduction of classic Bond characters in the Reboot Era.
The best of the bunch is the new Q (previously played by Peter Burton, Desmond Llewelyn, and John Cleese), and here Bond's weapons and tech guru isn't some kindly old man with exploding pens and laser-armed Polaroid cameras, but a twentysomething computer nerd played with a perfect combination of wit and vigor that pokes loving fun at the cartoonish qualities of Bonds of decades' past.
Once again, Craig proves himself to be the best Bond since Connery, if not better. Taciturn, tough as nails, yet extremely vulnerable, Craig gives 007 even more depth and dimension than folks like Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan et al. ever could. We learn more about Bond's past, his shaky relationship with M, and his struggle with middle age and whether or not he's cut out for the life of a spy when he's so irreparably broken, both physically and emotionally.
The rest of the cast ranges from good to excellent, especially Javier Bardem as yet another sociopathic villain with a peculiar hairstyle (though it fails to top his Oscar-winning turn in No Country for Old Men). Though his Silva is no Auric Goldfinger by any means, it's an interesting spin the usual Bond villain archetype thanks in part to his deeply personal link to M and Bardem's wonderfully unbalanced and flamboyant performance. Dench once again nails her role as M, and it's refreshing to see Ralph Fiennes in a non-villain role for once.
The fight sequences are fantastic, thanks in large part to Roger Deakins' jaw-dropping cinematography, such as a nighttime fight with the combatants' silhouettes placed against the neon backdrop of Shanghai. Deakins captures such varied locations as rural Scotland and metropolitan London with striking vibrance and detail, and it's a brilliant complement to the already brilliant script, direction, and cast.
But, as hinted at earlier, the best part of Skyfall is the consistent vibe of Bond nostalgia, whether it's the one-liners and character quirks or the tricked-out cars and that wonderful surf-rock theme music cue that's been planted in the cultural consciousness for the last five decades. By sticking to its newfound 21st century tone while still respecting and even giving several shoutouts to what made the franchise great in the first place, Skyfall rectifies the missteps of the last entry and assures us all that no matter what era or what actor, James Bond is always here to stay.
Letter Grade: "A"
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