Sam Mendes / UK/USA / 2012 / 143 min
How best to approach the latest addition to the Bond saga? Staring down the list at 22 forerunners and withstanding pressure to produce a hit on the franchise’s 50th anniversary was always the task facing director Sam Mendes. But he has delivered a delicately balanced thrill ride, integrating early Bonds with modern threats to refresh the espionage experience.
The writing team have placed M (Judi Dench) alongside JB (Daniel Craig) at the heart of the story. After a NOC list is stolen, Bond discovers the criminals behind it are out to do more than just expose the real identities of MI6 agents. Ringleader Silva (played with typical creepiness by Javier Bardem) aims squarely at the organisation itself, on the hunt for M and prepared to cause havoc on the streets of London (and Scotland).
What’s energising about this latest Bond is that it’s about our dalliance with the series, fondly packed with in-jokes and nods to previous 007 missions, from the reintroduction of classic cars to its 60s sounding theme tune: a Bassey-esque ballad of pure luxury. This isn’t to compare them too closely; Adele’s is nowhere near as stylish and confident as Bassey’s. The lyrics are bland and the melody is average, but it does contain a terrific chorus drop. Also, the opening credits foreshadow the breathtaking cinematography of the film, rich with mingling colours, glamorous suites and majestic landscapes.
It’s true that most Bond films signal to their predecessors but Skyfall goes further, questioning what the franchise itself has become: a slave to the mightiness of technology. The fight is taken to the very doorstep of MI6, an agency which lives in the shadows yet now finds itself exposed to the world by hackers and cyber-terrorists. We received a glimpse of this in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, but Skyfall pushes ahead to imply that the concept of security has been annulled by our fixation with the digital age. Of late, this “nobody is safe” approach struck most fiercely in The Dark Knight Rises, where Bane mushrooms the invasion to the whole of Gotham.
The idea that we have become our own greatest enemy thanks to online obsession characterises many modern blockbusters, but also makes Skyfall one of the more intelligent Bonds in some time. It strives to redefine its characters which have been overshadowed by an IMAX culture, steeped in explosive set pieces ever since Brosnan paved the way for Craig. You could argue Bond has always been about the extravagant car chases and skirmishes, but the wit, suaveness and Englishness of it all have been trivialised by tawdry special effects. Mendes has tried to uproot the status quo by returning to old-fashioned storytelling, a simple yet epic conquest of Good vs. Evil. It’s tough given the evolution of the genre, and Skyfall finds itself caught between a rock and a hard place, as after all, it’s an A-list action movie with a long history.
It certainly isn’t perfect; there are plenty of dodgy script points, anchored by numerous cringe-worthy gags, and some of the plotting is unnecessary. But the sheer scale of it reminds us of the villainous adventures delivered by Bond throughout the decades. Mendes has clearly reflected on its 50 year existence and refined the film to the point of deep self-awareness. If you’re prepared to go along for the ride, it’s rewarding, tender and intense, pitched cleverly and sensitively alongside Bonds from the past five decades. For this, it is something to celebrate.
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