Skyfall

In spite of how massive the James Bond franchise is with a multitude of movies to his name, it seems to be unanimously agreed upon that the 2012 Sam Mendes film, Skyfall, is the best in the franchise. This is always up for debate and there will certainly be some who prefer the older movies, but no one can deny the impact this film had not only for the legacy of James Bond (which was currently going through a revamp with Daniel Craig now in the leading role), but also in the cinematic space, with the film being the first and so far only Bond movie to earn over $1 billion dollars at the box office and even managed to secure two Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Sound Editing. After a pretty great re-introductory movie with Casino Royale, and a messy all-around uninteresting follow-up with Quantum of Solace, this third entry was a surefire sign audiences were still in the right hands. After suffering severe injuries and seemingly being killed during a failed MI6 mission, James Bond (played again by Daniel Craig) tries to permanently disappear, but is drawn back into action after learning that the original MI6 building was bombed in a targeted attack against the head of MI6, M (played again by Judi Dench), who is currently under fire by her superiors and is on the cusp of being sacked. Believing the assailant has a personal vendetta against M, Bond is tasked with tracking down this threat with the help of fellow MI6 agent, Eve Moneypenny (played by Naomie Harris) and MI6’s new quartermaster, Q (played by Ben Whishaw). This wild goose chase eventually leads him to cyber terrorist, Raoul Silva (played by Javier Bardem), a former MI6 agent who M gave up for dead (something Bond is all too familiar with) and has pre-orchestrated a plan specifically with the intent of making M pay for her past actions. Being placed up against an equally minded foe that won’t stop until he gets his revenge, Bond is forced to fight and neutralize this threat not just for his own life, but M’s as well. Much like Casino Royale, Skyfall continued to successfully update the Bond format with stylish visuals, a grittier universe and atmosphere, and wonderfully written characters and actors, but even goes beyond what was expected of it and delivers a truly unforgettable movie with a very solid script, clean direction and a simple yet engaging narrative.

Since it had no more books to adapt, the newer films have felt distinctly different to the ones previously released, with a heavier focus on a continued narrative rather than singular one-off adventures with rotating villains and love interests, giving this section of Bond a unique identity which also comes through its more modern content and delivery. With original plans for the movie having been suspended in 2010 once MGM filed for bankruptcy (forcing the original screenwriter for the movie, Peter Morgan, to leave the project), the storyline went through several rewrites and multiple different plot ideas were being juggled even once John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade were brought in to readjust the script. The final result of this lengthy process was a story that seems a little basic on the outset but is constructed in such a captivating sense that you’re fully invested in what it sets out to tell. Being a lot more grounded and focusing more on the characters and their issues rather than socio-political conflicts, it manages to bounce between the familiar theatrical espionage the brand is known for and its newfound, sophisticated personality which upgraded the movie series from entertaining popcorn flicks to prestigious blockbusters. It’s a film that doesn’t want to play things straight and tries to take things in surprising directions, whether it be familiar scenes, cliched characters or even expected cinematic outcomes, which makes the experience wonderfully unpredictable and like it’s constantly evolving. It’s not a very complex script as it doesn’t carry much deeper meaning behind its visuals or words, but the concise nature of the picture and the flowing, dynamic and flavorful dialogue keeps things full of personality and even a little nuanced with further inspection. While the film does lose a bit of steam during the last act, with a climax that is a bit strange even for this franchise (a Home Alone set-up in a small Scottish cottage doesn’t really scream James Bond), the rest of the movie is very well paced, contains a lot of great scenes that range from bombastic action set pieces to quiet thoughtful dialogue moments, and is very seamlessly directed by Sam Mendes, who brings a gravitas to familiar grounds as well as a clean, dynamic and incredibly modern portrayal of this old fashioned brand.

The way this era of Bond updated its characters has always been impressive, and under the control of Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, there was a clear noticeable attempt to scrub clean the ‘’less-than-pleasant’’ qualities of the character without fully losing his appeal. These Craig films seem to do a great job at this, not only at being able to create brand new characters who feel like perfect additions to this world, but also in deciding to explore these once surface-level characters in a way that makes them feel more human and believable, but still recognizable to their original counterparts. In some respects, the outline for these characters is almost a little too strong and outpaces the acting, which is most apparent in Craig’s delivery of Bond. While he is perfectly fine, the way he plays the character is more inward than you’d expect as he never really shows much emotion or even playful suaveness. This does work for this iteration and the films are able to get across his brash nature, inability to follow commands, and the way his past trauma shapes his current identity, in a very nice way, but it never really feels like Craig is adding to that delivery, rather just following along and not doing anything to get in the way of how well his role has been written. He’s not bad by any means, but in a cast of actors who truly feel like they breathe a lot more depth into already well-written roles, he just does the expected amount. Judi Dench has fully cemented herself as the quintessential M (which is hilarious given that she is a gender-swapped version of the character), helping turn what was once a very bland and annoyingly stupid character in the original franchise, into a better realized role that takes those criticisms and uses them in a way that makes her have to deal with those shortcomings. Her dynamic with Bond is arguably stronger and more interesting than it ever has been, and the direction the film takes with her is certainly brave for a series so willing to brush things under the rug and move forward without consequence. Javier Bardem makes for one heck of a great Bond villain, coming across as appropriately threatening and funny whenever the moment requires it and creates a creepily enjoyable character that you never truly know how to predict. His relationship as well as similarities to Bond are interesting, his plan may fall into place a little too seamlessly to be believable but is one of the few that actually somewhat succeeds, and in a franchise with surprisingly boring and unimpressive threats, Bardem will go down as one of the most effective, and easily the best in the entire franchise. Bérénice Marlohe and Albert Finney are very captivating in very small roles, Naomie Harris and Ben Winshaw are extremely effective and charming as revamped versions of old characters, and even new characters like Rory Kinnear and Ralph Fiennes really feel like add to the story and belong in this space and universe, even though in other any film, they would just feel like inconsequential nuisances.

For a world that usually relied on its larger-than-life and mostly unrealistic portrayal of such a secretive illusive world and industry, you’d figure that pushing it into the limelight and forcing it to act more realistically would dampen the kind of escapist experience this brand is known for, but it surprisingly doesn’t lose its intrigue in spite of being in a much more current world where megalomaniacal villains with diabolical world-ending plots don’t fit anymore. When this film came out, a lot of people drew comparisons to the equally beloved reboot of a beloved franchise, The Dark Knight, with many noticing that Sam Mendes’ style of direction, pace, scripting and even visuals, shared a lot of similarities with how Christopher Nolan would lead a movie (which is ironic given how Nolan wished to direct a Bond film, but was sort of beaten to the punch). It’s largely a benefit, as Nolan’s vibe of picturesque realism heighten by cinematic tendencies is exactly what this franchise needed, and you can feel how this stylish quality amps up not only the story and the characters, but also the visuals as well, with the film looking absolutely stunning and cinematic. The cinematography by Roger Deakins is incredibly crisp and smooth, allowing the perfect amount of time for every shot whether it’s to make a location look impressive, an action scene more effective, or a conversation between two people more gripping. It’s never showy or overly flashy, the editing by Stuart and Kate Baird is tight and precise, and in spite of the film featuring some strong saturated colors, excessive silhouettes and shadows, and an overall monochromatic look, it’s never ugly or looks washed out. The action scenes, though not very frequent, are also well done, containing some decent stunt work as well as decent effects, and are elevated by a very engaging score by Thomas Newman, which gets your heart pounding and escalates things at a great pace, but still retains the dramatic symphonic quality that the Bond soundtracks have always been famous for. The opening sequence not only features a fantastically handled train chase that is thrilling and shocking with how it concludes, but the way it transitions into the opening credits is very clever. With a great song sequence led by Adele, and visuals that continue to be surreal and abstract, but feel a lot more purposeful this time around (and not just an excuse to show naked women), it’s a fantastic way to start the movie off.

In a series that will always be liked in a general sense but can be slightly inconsistent in terms of overall quality, the fact that Skyfall manages to come out on top even with 23 movies to contend with, is credit to how well this film was pulled off. While the Craig movies would fall off a touch when they concluded (with Craig being instrumental in wanting the literal death of the character in No Time to Die), no one can deny that this middle movie was monumental not just for the brand, but for cinema as a whole, cementing the role as a timeless character that would remain in the pop culture space even though he is stained by multiple outdated blemishes. It might not be incredibly complicated or push movies to new boundaries, but with an engaging plot, tight writing, incredibly effective actors, and appealing visuals, it more than deserves its high pedigree status. It’s not surprising that one of the best Bond films is also one of the first to have no core love interest (and therefore no moments to waste and exploit an actress for all her worth), Skyfall being an A-quality film is no secret.