A Golden Bond for the Golden Jubilee!!!

Rating: 10/10 (2 November 2012)

Fifty years ago, Sean Connery first walked onto screen as the suave and sophisticated secret agent, James Bond, 007-looking dapper in his tuxedos, swilling down his vodka martinis 'shaken not stirred', bedding a bevy of alluring women and dispatching England's enemies with cold dispassion. In the decades since, 007 has taken on spies and counter- spies, crime lords, nefarious international organizations, and megalomaniacs who seek to destroy the world! But the 50th anniversary outing, 'Skyfall', isn't about any of that. Well, actually, it DOES touch upon those iconic elements, and many others, but above all, it is an insightful piece of self-introspection by the franchise about its lead character and his relevance in contemporary society.
'Redundancy' and 'resurrection' are the twin themes that drive the narrative of this film, as Bond, M, and the very concept of intelligence agencies are all deconstructed and deemed to be redundant. 'Skyfall' is thus the story of their resurrection, as they rise from the ashes to meet the seemingly insurmountable challenges that face them and persevere. Their antagonist, Silva, too has had a 'resurrection' of his own, albeit of a darker variety...
Another underlying theme which the movie keeps returning to is the adage that often, the 'old ways are best'...a fitting meta-textual reference to the age-old traditions of the Bond franchise, many of which are revived for this installment. The conflict between old and new is best reflected in the banter between veteran field agent Bond and tech-whiz 'Q'...and much as the two learn to work together through the course of the film, the old and new seamlessly merge together in this film in the broader context of the franchise.
Beyond the themes and sub-texts, the film boasts of some stunning locales-the scenes in Macau are virtually scenic pornography!-mind- blowing action sequences, and some good old fashioned dry humor. And of course, the brilliant performances by Javier Bardem (who's Silva owes as much inspiration to Heath Ledger's Joker as it does to classic Fleming- esque bad guys), Judi Dench (as masterfully imposing as ever in the character of M), Ben Whitshaw (a younger avatar of the beloved character Q), Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, and last but not the least, Daniel Craig. Craig has really come into his own as Bond now...no longer is the 'new' Bond...he IS Bond, pure and simple; ready to save the day for a few more thrilling cinematic escapades...
Ultimately, 'Skyfall' is everything the 50th anniversary of any film franchise should be (not that there are any others that can boast of this distinction thus far!) Willing to respect the old while welcoming the new, it has brought the series full circle, figuratively AND even literally (as shall be evident to anyone who watches it)...reminding us not only of who Bond is, but why he has endured for five decades and will hopefully endure for several more to come!