After a long wait, the next installment of the Bond franchise is finally here, and it was well worth the wait. After the last Bond film, I went in to the latest addition to the reboot of the 50 year old franchise with some hesitation. However, the third film in the triumvirate of Daniel Craig films picks up the slack left by The Quantum of Solace and then some, a masterful transition between the earlier films, dominated by a stripped down and gritty version of the Bond universe as the franchise moves into known and loved territory.
Skyfall gives plenty of nods to fans of the franchise of elements missing (and perhaps missed) in the earlier films. Some subtle, some not so much, many of the classic elements are reintroduced in this film and will have fans of the gadgets, cars, and bond girls cheering as they pave the way for the next films to delve back into this territory. As a person who has not necessarily been a fan of the Bond films before Daniel Craig's reign, due to a certain level of cheese, and perhaps even camp in some of the films, I found myself cheering at the reappearance of characters such as Q, and the allusion to the way Bond takes his drink.
The cinematography is beautiful, and the use of surfaces and reflections stunning to create layers and depth to the screen. Of particular beauty, watch for the scene in Shanghai where the lights and moving image that surround you in big cities make for an incredibly visually powerful scene. Also, it is refreshing to see a modern action film that is not afraid of long takes to allow the scene to unfold, and in this film, perhaps one of the best scenes is the introduction of the villain, Silva (Javier Bardem) as he walks onscreen, slowly filling the frame in one long shot and dominating every scene he is in after. The performance of Bardem steals the show, creating a character who will go down as one of the best villains in Bond history. He is simply magnificent. As the creators of the best villains know, the best villains have something imminently likeable about them (think of the levels of charm, grace and attractiveness of many of Hitchcock's villains, for example). Silva is evil, and insane...perhaps with some reason as the story unfolds, but it is impossible not to like him, and Bardem dominates the screen every second he is on it.
Finally, one of the best elements of this film is the fact that Mendes is unafraid to slow down the beginning and take time to reflect. While the movie begins with a high speed chase, Mendes slows down a notch and takes a moment to pause. The first half of the film is about the failings of the Bond institution. The mistakes (or not) that M has made. Bond himself, as the film concentrates on his aging body. In this trilogy where Bond's body is his ultimate tool, since he lacks much of the gadgetry of earlier films, the slow deterioration of his physical abilities calls his position as an agent into question. He is perhaps himself becoming too old for the job. His aim falters, his hand shakes. We see more of his origin story, and find out more about Bond's youth. It is a perfect way to round of the first trilogy of the reboot. Even if Craig is coming back, this feels like the perfect way to wrap up this gritty era of Bond and bring it full circle back to the feel of the original films (although, hopefully they won't lose all of the grit and darkness that have become the style of the new films), and it is exciting for fans and newer viewers of the series alike.
While I could go on about how much I liked this film, and how all the elements fit together perfectly, I will concluded here. All of these elements add up for an incredible film, one highly worth seeing, and seeing in the theater. Rating=A
