A traditional folktale for the ages ...and for all ages

Rating: 9/10 (13 June 2016)

The Bond movies transcend the Bond books, in the same way "Casablanca" transcended a so-so play that never made it to Broadway: "They All Came to Rick's." Where Ian Fleming ground out snobbish and often silly stories in imitation of a rather nasty and racist writer, "Sapper" McNeile, the Bond films have created their own magic. Not all the movies have been great, of course. But in a half- century, a surprisingly number of them have achieved greatness. One of them is "Skyfall." It takes the by-now familiar ideas and themes ("tropes" in critic- talk) of beyond-the-pale arch-villain, technology bent to evil purposes, scenic tours of the world's most photogenic spots, scenic tours of the world's most photogenic women, noise and gadgetry, a preposterous plot/scheme/conspiracy, and a secret agent with the skill sets of Hercules, Horatio Hornblower, Sir Galahad, Michael Strogoff, Courier of the Czar (check him out) and Mr. Spock ... and conjures up a breathtaking world of action and entertainment -- a circus with a theme, or trope, if you will. But best of all, it uses an extremely able cast to tell an adult story. Yes, adult! By now the whole world knows that Judi Dench is one of the greatest actors living today. Here, she shows us why. This is not the "M" of 10-second tirades, or an exasperated school- marm. In "Skyfall," "M" is a three-dimensional person. Dench's scenes will probably be studied in acting classes for some time to come. Daniel Craig finally comes to grips with the Bond character, and, in so doing, creates a believable James Bond who is really capable of the derring-do that's part of his job description, yet maintains a very touching humanity. He harks back to the proletarian roughneck of Sean Connery, a type today's British Intelligence and SAS are more likely to employ than aristocratic dilettantes (although the latter did prove their worth in leading charges against machine guns in World War I, armed with nothing but a swagger stick and a Webley Mk VI revolver.) All this could not have been made possible without cinematographer Roger Deakins and director Sam Mendes. They've made a Bond film that's watchable. That you must watch.