The most accomplished director of a James Bond film ever is the man responsible for Skyfall. He is the Oscar Award winner Sam Mendes and he does a marvelous job with one of the weakest story lines for a Bond film (remember The World Is Not Enough and Goldeneye? Exactly). That being said, it's also one of the more original (if that's possible) Bond films as well and shows a true love for London. Usually Bond films have our hero traipsing all around the globe, and seldom if ever coming home. When he does, he's only there to get some new toys and then he's off again. Skyfall has James running through the London Underground tube system at rush hour, something never before seen. It's a magnificent foot race between Bond and his worthy (and often times funny) nemesis Silva played the freakishly talented Javier Bardem.
Starring alongside those two men is Dame Judy Dench reprising her role as M and that's it as far as recognizable faces go in relation to the latest Bond films. Unless of course you count Rory Kinnear who plays M's chief asst. Tanner, he was in the previous two films. This time around we get the lovely Naomi Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, Berenice Marloh, and fresh off his turn in Cloud Atlas, Ben Whishaw as the new Q. It's a strong cast and only one real performance is wasted but I won't divulge that here. The story revolves around a list that's been stolen of every British agent currently undercover in terrorist organizations around the globe, putting countless agents at risk. If that sounds familiar, just think back to the first Tom Cruise Mission Impossible movie, it's the same premise.
Now, much like it's predecessor, Skyfall starts off with one hell of a chase sequence. Bond is after the man who killed fellow agents, ripped out the hard drive that contained said list and fled into the streets of Turkey (note to filmmakers, time to find a new locale, Turkey no longer impresses). They chase by car, then motorcycle across rooftops (that actually did impress me), and then to the train where Bond and the bad guy fight on top of. Naomi Harris' character, a fellow agent is in hot pursuit and when ordered to "take the bloody shot", hits James sending him plunging into the river below. From then on, MI6 is blown up and relocated underground, Bond comes back from the dead and they realize they have a new enemy, Javier Bardem's Silva.
Silva is a vicious and violent man and has every right to hate the ground M walks upon and he is her primary target in this movie. Bond is moved into the role of protector and he plays it well, just not well enough. This movie has everything you want a Bond film to have, including the names of James' parents. Yes, we learn so much more about Bond in this film than we ever knew before. It's entertaining, breathtaking, exhilarating, and predictable. HEY, it's James Bond, after twenty three movies you're bound to get predictable. Mendes does a fine job though of putting Skyfall together, it is shot beautifully, especially if you love silhouettes because there are more than a few of those here, I'm guessing for dramatic effect. It's scored blandly by James Newton Howard until the Aston Martin shows up, Then you perk up and pay attention and actually smile. Like I stated at the top, if you've always felt comfortable keeping secret super agent 007 at arms length then don't see Skyfall, if you've always wanted to know a little more then Skyfall is the movie for you and I'll see you at the theater!
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