The Big Screen: 'Skyfall'
I have a penis and testicles, therefore I love James Bond movies.
Since GoldenEye in 1995, I have made it a point to see every new Bond movie in the theater. And that is exactly what I did with Skyfall last Friday, opting to see the “old person” matinee with my dad. (Senior citizens are admitted for $4.50 or some insanely cheap price on Fridays, so the place was crawling with old people — some of whom probably saw Dr. No in the theater fifty years ago.) Sharing a bucket of popcorn and a pop, we let the action unfold.
Bobblehead provided a good summary here so I will not go in-depth regarding the storyline. However, the first half hour or so seemed eerily similar to the first Mission: Impossible: a list containing the identities of undercover agents has been taken and Bond is on a mission to track it down. In London, M has fallen under increasing political pressure regarding the mishap and is targeted by a cyber terrorist, who bombs MI6 headquarters. Bond returns after an unplanned sabbatical and follows leads to Shanghai and Macau before connecting with Silva, a former secret agent gone rogue. Silva is taken to London, where his history with M is revealed. He escapes and takes Bond on one hell of a chase to a meeting where he tries unsuccessfully to assassinate M. Silva’s plans are thwarted and Bond takes M north, leaving electronic “crumbs” behind to lure Silva to Skyfall, Bond’s boyhood home in Scotland. Skyfall becomes the scene of a truly epic climax, which was surprisingly bittersweet.
Ever since leaving the theater, I have been turning Skyfall over in my head. My initial reaction: it was good, but different, and very slow at times. Was it the “best Bond ever” as so many others are claiming? Hmmm… Not really. I think that hype is more of a marketing tool than anything else.
True to the Daniel Craig era, though, Skyfall continues the departure from the well-worn and basic formula to bring the series into the twenty-first century. Or does it? Aside from the emotional insights and complex nuances of the new storylines, Craig’s movies are not that much different than those staring Sean Connery or Roger Moore. Good guy, bad guy; sexy women; fast cars; explosions; good guy wins. The big difference is Bond’s introspection and physical/emotional vulnerability — a refreshing change from his infallible and indestructible portrayal of yore. Regardless, the plotline is much more mature and involved. M plays a much larger role, as has been the trend in the Judi Dench era — something which has lent much more variety to the series and given fans another developed character to follow, as opposed to the familiar cameos from past editions. Truth be told, though, I never liked Judi Dench’s M — at times she seemed too much like a voluntary concession for the sake of variety and political correctness — and (spoiler alert!) was relieved when she died at the end of Skyfall.
However, one thing really disappointed me: there was no continuity from Quantum of Solace. I assumed the mysterious Quantum would develop into the SPECTRE of the modern era, and it still could. (Because, much like terrorists, I assume evil corporations will not be going away anytime soon.) But Skyfall took its own path to stand alone by itself, which is fine, and the only continuity from this movie will supposedly be the new actors in recurring roles. I do expect Quantum to make an appearance in future Bond movies, though. With so much competition not only among action movies but also newly-established franchises (a trailer for Iron Man 3 was among those showed before the movie), it behooves the writers and producers to think long-term. Their base demographic is getting older and they cannot slide by on dedicated fans like me much longer. The series needs to evolve and adapt to stay relevant.
On that note, this Bond was different in a number of instances. First, there was a noticeable lack of nifty and outlandish gadgets. No “ghetto blasters” or exploding pens — something which was specifically targeted in the movie as being outdated. The new Q is much more of a new-age cyber nerd than innovative engineer, so I do not expect Q Branch to deliver another submarine-convertible Lotus (my absolute favorite Bond car). But we will see. Speaking of cars, Skyfall also did not feature a signature car, though the Aston Martin DB5 makes another appearance. (When the car is revealed in storage, there was an audible “Whoa!” from everyone in the audience.) Also, no definitive Bond girl. I suppose that title would fall to Sévérine, but (spoiler alert!) she dies so the only love interest maintained throughout the movie is that of the new Eva Moneypenny. (Apparently, no one has confirmed that Naomie Harris is the new Moneypenny. So why the tease?)
My big gripe with Skyfall is the beginning. The chase through Istanbul and the bazaar, and the continuation on the train, was a little over the top. (Kudos, though, for not resorting to computer animation and green screens.) And then Bond is shot, freefalls hundreds of feet to a river below, and somehow survives? Give me a break! It made a bad first impression and I expected the movie to recover. I want to think it did.
I was also less impressed with the theme song, which many are also claiming to be the best ever. Unless it is truly iconic and memorable, the theme song is more of a formality for me. Frankly, I think the Quantum of Solace opening and theme was better.
Zee German pointed out that Skyfall paid tribute to the past in a number of ways, possibly in recognition of the series’ fiftieth anniversary: Silva’s prosthesis, the classic Aston Martin, MI6 moving underground, the character’s Scottish roots (I am not sure if it was a nod to Connery or if Ian Fleming’s Bond was truly Scottish), and the supposed return of Moneypenny. The end featured a reenactment of Bond’s classic office entrance from the Connery and Moore era: the hat rack, Moneypenny at the desk, the leather-padded door, and M’s office, where Bond receives orders for a new mission. It is tough to tell whether those will be hallmarks of upcoming movies or if they were one-offs just for Skyfall and the anniversary. I would be fine with either.
Overall, Skyfall kept me intrigued and interested in the series. It was intelligent, insightful, and calculated. I especially liked the chase through London and the scenes at Skyfall. Though meaningful, there were parts of the film that felt slow; I even looked at my watch a couple times and wondered if my dad was getting bored. It was a decent and welcome addition to the series and, of course, I cannot wait until the next one (set to be released sometime toward the end of 2014).
