This is a proper Bond movie, but more thoughtful than any before

Rating: 9/10 (28 October 2012)

The 50th anniversary is a landmark which the promotional hype for Skyfall has not shied away from, and so expectations are high. But are they sky high, or bound to fall?
A third outing for Daniel Craig has undoubtedly meant he is now comfortable with his double-oh role, which is good because these are big shoes to fill even for a veteran. No concerns there then, but there are also new avenues being explored in terms of production and casting, and this is the real concern for Bond fans, the vast majority of whom have embraced Craig, but are aware that Bond is a franchise which has to continually reinvent itself. The most successful Bond movies are often a careful mix of tradition and innovation, and it is this more than anything which determines whether we get a classic Bond movie, or merely another one of the set of 23 Bond films. So which is it?
Skyfall kicks off with a lengthy chase sequence which, for a movie going generation who come with attention deficit syndrome fitted as standard, lights the fuse at the pre-requisite mach 1. The inclusion of a Land Rover in the chase helps to stamp that 'Brit' label on proceedings. Clad in metallic grey, echoing not only the DB5 but also Daniel Craig's similarly classic grey Tom Ford suit, with its sixties-esque tailoring a nod to Connery, thus we can see from the off that this is a thoughtful production.
After the establishing opening sequence, we swiftly determine this is one of the more grounded Bond movie plots; no underwater secret Caribbean base, no super-laser threatening the planet. Nope, this time it is a simpler tale, of revenge and redemption, albeit one which takes in a few exotic locations. Having been wounded in the opening sequence, upon his return to London, Bond addresses being older and the need to stay in trim. Ghosts from his own and M's past emerge. These manifest for M in the guise of a former operative who seeks revenge, and for Bond in his childhood, hinted at during a psychological profile test to determine whether he is still fit for duty. Thus the stage is set for a subtly-nuanced showdown.
The villain of the piece is played by a very sinister and disturbing Javier Bardem, who slowly emerges as a credible threat in the modern landscape by having embraced technology, again here we see the theme of old and new which echoes the challenges the Bond franchise itself faces. The point of old and new merging is further driven home with the introduction of a new, younger Q, in the shape of Ben Wishaw. It's no small task to replace the virtually irreplaceable Desmond Llewelyn, but thankfully this is a good try, also succeeding in hammering a nail in the god-awful appearance of John Cleese as a substitute for Q.
The simpler approach to a plot might not please those who prefer seeing Roger Moore do battle aboard a fleet of Space Shuttles to prevent a megalomaniac taking over the world. But Skyfall's more emotive plot brought a gritty, believable aspect to matters suitable for a modern audience who want to see him at least have a bit of a stab at living in the present. It won't be everyone's cup of Vodka Martini, but I'd like to see more of this kind of thing. I daresay the journey Bond takes with M being a metaphor for the journey the Bond franchise is taking into a more modern world of cinematic exposition might have sailed over a few people's heads, but they can at least take a quantum of solace from the fact that there is still plenty of debris to be found sailing over their heads in Skyfall too, as an explosive finale sees Bond and M confront and defeat MI6's nemesis.
Along the way there are numerous nods to previous Bond films too, the DB5 shows off its features, the Walther PPK is a plot device, there is a hint at Roger Moore's run across the alligators in Live and Let Die and many more such salutes to previous movies.
CAUTION: SPOILER ALERT!!
Still here? Okay then, Dame Judy Dench's M dies at the end of the film, having sustained a gunshot wound.
What?! I hear you say? Bond fails in his mission to protect M?! Well, nope, actually he doesn't; with a mere two months left to serve in the role as head of MI6 before she is to be forced to retire owing to the perceived intelligence failure which drives the plot, she acts as the bait to capture the villain, successfully avenging agents who have been killed and finishing off the villain, also going out fighting and winning, rather than retiring to boring obscurity, which would be the real death of her. Needless to say Bond is suitably upset at the demise of the mother figure whom M represents for him since he is an orphan, leaving him once more alone, but this sadness wonderfully echoes the chilling end of On Her Majesty Secret Service, which as any Bond fan knows, is certainly a contender for the best Bond film of all.
As the titles roll, we see the familiar 'James Bond will return' message, and we can only hope that when he does, it will be with this kind of thoughtful scripting and direction. If you want to see massive fights with hordes of boiler-suit clad henchmen driving Mini-Mokes around underground secret bases as Bond makes smutty one liners to bikini-clad bimbos, then this won't be the Bond movie for you. But if you want to see a great and thoughtful modern spin on Bond, here it is.