The Modern Spy

Rating: 8/10 (23 November 2012)

The new James Bond movie is a fantastic movie. While maintaining the allure and stylish action of the Bond franchise, it adds a significant amount of depth to both its plot and its characters. Perhaps this 23rd (or 24th depending) installment in the James Bond series might not be as visceral and archetypal as the Sean Connery movies, Skyfall is a triumphant attempt to bring 007 into the modern era.
The plot of this Bond movie is much more personal than any one before it. After faking his own death (once again), Bond lives out his time on some unspecified beach. However, he learns that MI6, the agency he works for, has been bombed by a terrorist. So Bond heads back to England to make sure M, his mother figure, is safe and unharmed. She has him come back to the force and try and track down the man responsible. All of this happens during a barrage of politics and somewhat heavy handed dialogue about how the world doesn't need top secret agents anymore. Of course this movie then goes about making the case for why we still do, at least in the 007 universe.
Daniel Craig really delves into his role as Bond in this outing. He gives the character added depth and complexities that were previously never even considered. Although Craig seems like a strange choice for 007, he has been doing it for 3 movies now, and he seems to fit the role really nicely. Along with Casino Royale and especially this new one, Craig has helped shape the series into relevancy in the 21st century. Judi Dench plays M, the leader of MI6. Her role is greatly expanded in this movie, and Dench really delivers a knockout performance. Javier Bardem plays the villain, a evil mastermind (of course) who is hellbent on killing M, for his own mysterious reasons. Bardem is maybe the best Bond villain of them all, giving a fascinating performance that is highlighted by his character's disturbing back story.
The only character who seems flat and uninteresting is the new Q, head of gadgets. Played by Ben Wishaw, he seems to be more of a "lets try and appeal to the indie crowd" move than an actual character. Also, the gadgets are a little disappointing. Bond only gets a handgun that only he can shoot, and a radio device for them to track his signal. No fancy stuff, but this Bond movie is doing that on purpose. It seems to be a minimalist Bond film, trying to purge itself of all the overblown and needless aspects of previous installments, and reinvent itself in a way that is both exciting and necessary. Bond is barely the suave, debonair Cary Grant type figure. Classic lines and motifs from other movies are only hinted at here; and even the Bond girl is little more than a plot point. How you feel about all of that really depends on your taste, but it is certainly a very interesting take on the franchise.
Sam Mendes, who has directed such classics as American Beauty and Road to Perdition helms this spy movie with stunning visuals. Mendes creates a dangerous and attractive world that marked by assassins, dangerous women, and modern architecture. The action scenes are tight and fun to watch; Mendes never tries to be too flashy with the camera work, letting the fights and chases and shootouts speak for themselves. And the dramatic scenes are emotionally engrossing—especially when Bond cries at the end. Yeah, that's right.
Skyfall is a great James Bond movie, and an even better action film. Adele's title song is the best since Live and Let Die. The movie is a phenomenal experience, and seeing it on the big screen is well worth the time and money.
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