Skyfall fails to pass the three 'G' test (Girls, Gadgets and a Goldfinger)

Rating: 4/10 (17 November 2012)

This is Daniel Craig's third performance as James Bond--why can't it be his last? Craig is a decent actor who should never have been cast as James Bond in the first place. He's certainly excellent when it comes to the physical requirements of the job as it appears he doesn't shy away from giving it his all in the action scenes. But he exudes little wit which is a key important component of this iconic role. This is borne out by Craig's reported professed desire to have his contract bought out since he's been quoted as saying that he finds acting as James Bond to be "boring."
For a James Bond film to be successful, it needs the three g's (Good girls, gadgets and a Goldfinger). Skyfall pretty much fails in all three departments. Take the 'girls' for instance. Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny is quite pleasant to look at but is given little to do here as agent in the field turned secretary. Initially, we're led to believe that she'll be an integral part of the plot, Bond's 'point man' in the exciting chase scene where he battles mercenary/assassin Patrice on top of a speeding train. After botching the shot that takes out Bond instead of Patrice (how Bond survives the shot and subsequent fall off a bridge is never really explained), Eve is relegated to office work and has little more direct interaction with Bond for the rest of the film.
Then there's Bérénice Lim Marlohe as Sévérine, a concubine of sorts of the Skyfall villain, Raoul Silva. Unfortunately Marlohe does not get the opportunity to show her stuff as an independent 'Bond woman' as she is petrified of Silva and hints that she will soon meet her own demise. There is a perfunctory shower scene with Bond on her yacht which is mercifully short. The end comes rather quickly when Silva dispatches Sévérine on the island with a bullet to the head. It would have been much more tasteful if Director Sam Mendes had chosen to depict the killing off screen but when has Sam Mendes ever been known for being tasteful?
As far as gadgets, 'Skyfall' is even more disappointing in that department. The young and geeky Ben Wishaw, has now taken up the mantle of a modern day 'Q', the quartermaster of the MI6 spy service. He even spells it out quite succinctly when he tells Bond there are no fancy gadgets this time around. Instead, we're left with a miniature radio tracking device and a gun that will not fire unless it recognizes Bond's palm print. Q of course is a computer expert and he stands around trying to hack into bad guy's computer or prevent being hacked himself. The yawn factor is in full force as we've been privy to all this computer mumbo-jumbo, oh so many times before!
Finally there's a 'Goldfinger': If the Bond antagonist is not larger than life, with the much needed ubiquitous charm, it's hardly likely that a Bond film can be truly successful. Unfortunately, Javier Bardem as the aforementioned Silva, hardly inspires confidence as a truly endearing Bond villain. Silva is merely a former MI6 agent who improbably was given up by M (Judi Dench) to the Chinese in exchange for a coterie of MI6 double agents. His goal is to take revenge on M as he blames her for his subsequent imprisonment and torture at the hands of MI6 opponents.
For some reason, Silva acquires super powers of sorts after being released by the Chinese and now has the ability to hack into any computer, resulting first in the ridiculous theft of a list of all undercover NATO agents in terrorist organizations and subsequent bombing of MI6 headquarters itself. If that isn't absurd enough, computer genius Silva escapes from MI6 custody and then attacks politicians where M is giving testimony at a public inquiry.
'Skyfall' of course does not refer to jumping out of a plane but rather, Bond's family estate where he grew up as a child. After Silva's failed try at assassinating M at the public inquiry, she decides the only way to capture the former agent is leave an electronic trail (facilitated by Q) where Silva can find her. Holed up at Skyfall is Bond, M and Kincade, the gamekeeper at the estate. Silva attacks in two waves: the first is a group of his henchmen, all wiped out by Bond and company, utilizing primitive weapons found inside the Bond mansion (how crazy Silva manages to get all his confederates to follow him, is a mystery to me). Silva then makes his grand appearance via a helicopter, which of course is shot down after Bond detonates a couple of gas canisters. Later, Bond falls through the ice and engages in a death struggle with Silva's last henchman. Like the earlier scene where he survives Eve's errant shot, it's unclear how Bond manages to extricate himself from the icy pond, after being submerged in icy water for so long.
I suppose it is appropriate that Silva should meet his end not as a result of a technological advantage but simply due to the flick of an old-fashioned knife into the back. There are other satisfying moments in 'Skyfall' including some dazzling opening credits, a sultry opening number sung by Adele, the aforementioned Bond/Patrice fight on top of the speeding train, lovely panoramas shot in Istanbul and Shanghai, another unlikely but exciting train crash in the London Underground and the big fight to the death action scenes on the Skyfall estate.
I have no idea whether Judi Dench also wanted out of her contract and it was her suggestion to finish off 'M' with her playing the role. Let's hope that Mr. Craig follows suit and the producers then conscript new writers and a director. With a new team, the next 'Bond' can be much better than this current hokey effort.