Monday, November 12, 2012

Skyfall

Skyfall is one of the most ambitious and risky Bond films ever made. It is also one of the best of the series, and one of the best films this year. Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) is an extremely unlikely candidate for a Bond film, having mostly done serious dramas rather than action. But what results is a more personal and vulnerable Bond, something audiences have never seen before from 007.

After being declared dead, Bond makes his return to England after an attack on MI6. The good guys have lost control of a list containing the identities of all MI6's undercover agents. M (Judi Dench) sends Bond, perhaps unwisely, to pursue the list and the man who obtained it.With a little help from Q (Ben Whishaw), Bond finds Silva (Javier Bardem), a jilted ex MI6 agent out to seek revenge against M. Now Bond has to protect his country and his boss against an extremely capable adversary.

After Bond's supposed death and return, James has lost a step. His aim is off, his body is no longer in top physical condition, and he is mired in alcohol abuse. Bond is no longer the invincible machine he's been. Previous films have somewhat explored Bond's vulnerability; whether it be for a woman, his quest for revenge, or serious physical injury. But we've never seen Bond so slowed by the natural process of age and worn down by his hard life. Bond being so cool and so invincible has been something that has made the character. One of the many reasons I love watching Bond was his ability to always outsmart, always outplay his enemies. Skyfall makes you believe that James has lost it a bit. It makes you genuinely feel like Bond can be beaten, a feat that no other Bond film has come close to. We also get a look into Bond's past, something that has rarely been tackled in a Bond movie. Much of Bond's character comes from his mystique, but Skyfall's exploration into Bond's background give the film more weight, rather than detract from who 007 has always been.

Another unique feature of Skyfall is its "Bond girl". Most Bond girls are either the love interest for 007, or a femme fatale that either helps or hurts James. But Skyfall's Bond girl does not fit into either of those categories, because essentially, M is the Bond girl. M is very much the central female character, and her relationship with Bond and role in the British government is very much at the center of the film. Hats off to Mendes for taking such a risk, especially with 22 other films proving that the previous formula works. Don't worry though, James still has time for a love interest or two.

With 2012 being the 50th anniversary of the premiere of Dr. No, the first Bond film, there was bound to be many ties to the series from the past. There are loads of references to older movies; GoldenEye, Goldfinger, and License to Kill are just a few of the films alluded to off the top of my head. Thomas Newman, who produced the score, uses the original Bond theme more than any other Daniel Craig Bond film, and it definitely works. Plus the final scene will make every Bond fan smile; I'm not sure they could have ended it in a better way. Skyfall plays out to set up many Bond films to come, something that makes me very happy.

The set pieces in Skyfall are dazzling, especially in Shanghai. A battle with a secret agent in a skyscraper is a visually impressive scene towards the beginning of the movie. Another staple of the Bond series, an artistic opening credit sequence, fully lives up to its predecessors. Choosing Adele to sing the theme song was a logical choice. Adele is a Brit, and her album "21" was a massive hit, critically and commercially. Her song resonates throughout the rest of the score, and Newman does a fine job in his first hack at Bond.

The villain in Skyfall is one of the best in the series. This is almost exclusively due to the fact that it is being played by one of the most talented actors out there, Javier Bardem. Bardem turned in one of the most chilling and haunting villain performances of all time as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. In No Country, Bardem was stoic and terrifying. As Silva, Bardem is just as terrifying, but in a different way. Silva is focused on revenge against MI6, but he's not just a simple bad guy. You can almost sympathize with his plight. Silva's monologue as he first takes the screen is one of the more memorable moments of the film, and you will know it when it happens.

I highly recommend Skyfall to any Bond fan (not that you needed a recommendation to go see it), and even for non-Bond fans, Skyfall is a great action-drama. Director Sam Mendes takes the movie in a different direction for the good, and it excites me that James Bond is back.

4.5/5

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Bond... James Bond

It's been a long time since my last post. School, work, and life have made sure of that. I am going to see the new James Bond film Skyfall tonight, my first trip to the theater in over a month. Skyfall is the 23rd entry into the Bond series, by far the longest running franchise in movie history. Before Skyfall, I thought I'd take a look back at the other 22 Bond films.

Christmas break 2010-2011, I was a senior in college with a LOT of time on my hands. I chose to spend that Christmas break watching every single Bond film, in chronological order. I love the Bond franchise, and it's definitely seen its share of highs and lows. From the great early Connery films (considered by most to be the best actor to play Bond), to the absurdly silly Roger Moore films, and to the gritty new Bond's played by Daniel Craig. I believe that there are a few simple things to make a great Bond film:

1. Exciting Locales- A staple in the James Bond series is Bond's ability to travel to anywhere in the world. The character has spanned the globe many times in his rich history. A great Bond film sets 007 in the most intriguing and beautiful locales. Casino Royale had Montenegro, Dr. No had the gorgeous beaches of Jamaica, and On Her Majesty's Secret Service had the Swiss Alps.

2. A Good Villain- Bond has encountered many villains over his career, and a memorable villain is key to a great Bond film.

3. A Strong Female Character- Bond has a different love interest in every movie (sometimes several), but the best movies have strong, interesting female characters.

4. Serious But Fun- Bond films sometimes have trouble with the fine line between silly and fun. A great Bond movie still keeps the fun of the over the top nature of the character (the gadgets, the action, and the girls), but does not delve into silliness. 

Given these elements, the formula generally works. For me, of the actors who have played Bond, I would have to rank them like this:

1. Sean Connery
2. Daniel Craig
3. Pierce Brosnan
4. Timothy Dalton
5. Roger Moore
6. George Lazenby

And now, every single official James Bond movie, from best to worst (excluding Skyfall):

1. Casino Royale

Casino Royale was thought to be a wild card before it came out. MGM had cast a blue eyed, blonde haired Bond that promised more realism. The Bourne series had stepped up the spy genre, and many people were thought to be tired of the character of Bond. Casino Royale totally reinvented the character for the 21st century, made him believable, and kept all of the cool. I think that this one is an easy pick as the best Bond film.


2. GoldenEye

GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64 is one of the best video games ever made, and when I got it Christmas of 1999, I poured my life into it. One of the things that made it great was it's source material. GoldenEye is a top tier Bond. Pierce Brosnan's first foray as the character proved to be a major success. He is a very suave Bond, and GoldenEye is easily his best material. The villian, played by Sean Bean, is one of the best in the series, launching it to greatness.

3. Thunderball

My favorite starring Sean Connery. Intriguing story, an incredible performance by Connery, Bond at his best. The only detraction is the jarringly outdated special effects sequence towards the end. Bond is piloting a boat at what seems like 500MPH and can turn the boat on an absolute dime. The underwater actions sequences are good however.

4. Goldfinger

 Considered to be one of the best in the series, Goldfinger is another Connery great. Auric Goldfinger is one of the best Bond villains, along with his henchman Oddjob. Lots of iconic moments, and one of the most egregiously suggestive names for a Bond love interest (look it up). The assault on Fort Knox, while somewhat dated, is still a great action scene.

5. Quantum of Solace

Riding high on Casino Royale's success, Quantum picks up right where the last one left off. Most Bond films are singular stories, but this one continues the story started in Casino. Many hated this one for its frenetic action, but I am in the minority that loved it. The female character, played by Olga Kurylenko, is fun to watch, and the locations are some of the best in the series.


6. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

The only George Lazenby entry, OHMSS is an oft-overlooked Bond classic. Lazenby is pretty wooden, but the story is good and the action in the snow is great. As I've mentioned before on this blog, actions scenes in the snow are almost AUTOMATICALLY better, just because the snow is that cool. OHMSS takes some risks, helping it to attain new heights for Bond. Most people hated this when it came out because it was the first non-Connery film.


7. From Russia With Love

I felt like this was the most "spy" Bond film. Lots of gadgets and an intricate plot, plus some really great scenes on a train. Connery is at the top of his game.


8. Dr. No

The first ever Bond film. Ursula Andress set the standard for Bond girls, and Connery's cool endears you to the character immediately. When I watched it felt a little bit dated, but Dr. No is still great.

9. The Spy Who Loved Me

One of Roger Moore's greats, mostly because there was a great love story and a great villain. Jaws is a menacing and scary force, never saying a word.

10. Tomorrow Never Dies

Brosnan is still great, the action is good, and Teri Hatcher turns in a memorable Bond girl performance. This one sort of gets lost in the shuffle, but it is a good time.

11. The Living Daylights
12. License to Kill

The two Timothy Dalton Bond's were a huge leap forward from the previous Roger Moore predecessors. Bond was more serious, and less of the cartoon that Moore had turned him into. Both of these are good films, and Dalton is a capable Bond, I just don't remember much sticking out to me from these. A re-watch might bring them higher.


13.  Live and Let Die

Not a bad film, but there are definitely early signs of Roger Moore silliness. There's definitely a great boat chase, a staple of James Bond, and several larger than life characters. Jane Seymour is one of the absolute best Bond girls.

14. The World is Not Enough

TWINE holds a special place in my heart. I received it from Santa as a Christmas gift in 1999, and I wore the VHS tape out. I loved Bond, the Bond girls, and the mysterious Renard (a man who could feel no pain). Further re-watches have made me like this one less, but it will always have great nostalgic value for me. Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist was a less than inspired casting choice.


15. You Only Live Twice

I don't remember much about this one, and that's a problem. Very average.


16. The Man With the Golden Gun

Christopher Lee is great as the titular villain, but he's definitely the best part.


17. Diamonds are Forever

Connery came back after the commercial failure of OHMSS and is WAY too old to play Bond. This one is extremely boring, and has some bizarre action scenes. Bond's fight with two girl gymnasts is definitely unintentionally hilarious.


18. Die Another Day

The movie that caused Bond to be rebooted. DAD is too much action, and too over the top. I remember seeing this as an 8th grader and almost walking out of the theater. I pretty much liked any movie with a car chase at 13, so if I considered walking out on a movie it must have been really bad. For goodness sakes, the villain is using a giant "laser", as if it was taken straight out of Austin Powers!


19. For Your Eyes Only

Moore is old, the formula is old, and nothing much happens. Oh, except for a weird fight between Bond and hockey players.

20. Octopussy

Ditto minus the hockey fight. Plus, how in the world did they get away with that title!?


21. A View to a Kill

This movie is saved for from the last spot only by one thing: Christopher Walken's absurdly over the top performance as the villain (MORE POWER!!). Moore is ridiculously old in this movie, and it really detracts from the film. This one is pure cheese.


22. Moonraker

In the wake of the massive success of Star Wars, MGM felt like they had to bring Bond to space. The results were an absolute disaster. The movie is incredibly silly and cheesy, especially the last 20 minutes. Jaws has a love interest, if that tells you just how silly it is. The only good thing coming from Moonraker is the cool extra level in GoldenEye on Nintendo 64.

I am guessing Skyfall will enter at the top of this list. James Bond movies are great fun, and if you like one you will at least be somewhat interested in any of them. Go ahead and make a vodka martini (shaken, not stirred), and enjoy some old Bond classics! Every year a cable channel will run a marathon around Christmas, so watch out and set your DVR!




UPDATE: I think that Skyfall would enter at number 2 or 3 on this list. Yeah, it's that good.