Skyfall: James Bond Resurrected

After Quantum of Solace, the forgettable second installment in the revamped James Bond series, it was such a sigh of relief to experience the third offering, Skyfall. The opening section does not disappoint, which finds 007 and fellow agent, Eve (Naomie Harris) tracking down a thief who has stolen a list of embedded/undercover international field agents. Daniel Craig’s Bond is once again fearless and relentless; scarred and flawed. This impressive clip from the opening sequence is a confirmation of the steely, yet dapper sociopath that is James Bond:



This sequence transitions into the opening credits, which features the musical theme by the singer Adele, and iconic visuals for which James Bond opening credits are known, always hinting and foreshadowing certain key themes and images one will see throughout the film.

Skyfall moves along nicely, focusing more on speed, action and explosions, and less so on Bond’s proverbial, pun-laced encounters with the ladies, of which there are actually (only) three in the film, a relatively small number for the super agent. This no doubt references the modern world in which Bond lives—there’s more focus on the mission for “Mum” than the conquest for self. And speaking of “Mum,” Skyfall also focuses more on Bond’s own backstory, as well as his complicated relationship with his superior, M, played by Judi Dench.

The film also features a credible “Bond girl” performance by Berenice Marlohe, who plays Severine, a strikingly beautiful woman trapped in a “relationship” with the wonderfully frightening villain and cyberhacker, Silva, played by the consistently terrific Javier Bardem. Marlohe’s Severine, during a scene with Craig’s Bond at a chic bar in Macau, conveys a sleek, tough, dragon-like exterior as she sports black, talon-like nails, yet she quickly fails at controlled terror and briefly shows her vulnerability, only to quickly return to the tough, veiled shell. A performance not found in many “Bond girls.”

When we eventually meet Silva, we understand the reason for Severine’s terror. His reveal is paced nice and slow, revealing a cold, blond man, and shall we say, ambiguous too, as is displayed during a scene that has Silva questioning and literally examining Bond, who is strapped to a chair. Bardem’s unpredictably quiet Silva is slightly reminiscent of Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal mixed in with a little bit of Richard Kiel’s Jaws character in the late ‘70’s/early ‘80’s Bond films. (All will be clear.)

Skyfall’s final act is explosive, literally, so much so that the crescendo unfortunately brought about a chuckle in me, only for its sheer, unimaginable monstrosity. Then again, it’s a Bond film, and whether it’s a lair off the coast of Thailand, Zorin’s zeppelin over the Golden Gate Bridge, or a palazzo in Venice, one expects the end to be big, no, not big, colossal.

Skyfall is a completely satisfying film that respects the series' past and brazenly moves it toward the future. Although Craig finds himself only on his third-time’s-the-charm outing, the franchise looks to be getting a slight makeover as is evident in the final moments. The themes of life and death, change and transition, old and new run throughout the film, as is evident in one scene between villain and hero. Silva asks Bond what his hobby is. Bond simply replies: “Resurrection.” BSo

Here's the official teaser trailer: