Rated PG-13 for violence, sensuality, some language and some intense sequences

By Patrick Sessoms
Beacon Columnist

posted Nov 16, 2012 - 1:53:13pm

Skyfall is the 23rd entry into the James Bond franchise, and while the recent installments have served as grittier, more intimate stories, director Sam Mendes’ take on the series is by far the most personal. Writers Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan deliver a story that makes the super spy face his own mortality, which gives him pause. This is what makes Skyfall so different from the films that came before it: There’s still the reckless nature we all know and love, but this time, we find a more reflective Bond.

Her Majesty's own James Bond (Daniel Craig) finds himself off-balance when a mission leaves him legally dead for several months. His return to service comes in the wake of a terrorist attack that seems to be focused on his handler, M (Judi Dench).

Skyfall is focused on backstory more than action. Both Bond and his newest adversary, a former MI-6 agent (Javier Bardem), find themselves unable to let go of their traumatic pasts, which gives us a little insight into how they got to be the characters we know now.

Bardem’s character is fixated on M, viewing her as a motherly figure that betrayed him. This anger, another omnipresent theme in the new Bond films, fuels his drive for revenge.

Craig has always played Bond as a little rough around the edges, but this time around we see him slowly growing into the tuxedo-wearing, martini-sipping spy we’ve always known Bond to be, one who is loyal to his country, but who at the same time uses his loyalty as justification for his actions. This Bond knows he’s a killer, pure and simple, but he doesn’t dwell on it. There’s no moral turmoil; just the harsh realization that, for everything he does, he’s still an expendable pawn in the game of espionage.

Both Craig and Bardem deliver brilliant performances as old war horses adapting to the changing climate of the spy game. Bond seems fixated on the old ways, sticking to tried-and-true tactics, but Bardem takes a more modern approach, resorting to cyber terrorism and sticking the mantra of “brain over brawn.” This is what makes them so suited as hero and villain: The subtle way they circle each other. In this rivalry, Bond grows as a character, becoming a more refined agent, a surgical knife rather than a blunt instrument.

The great performances and ambitious script place this action flick that right at home in Oscar season, but it’s still an action flick. It’s filled with drama, beautiful women and plenty of chase scenes that live up to what we’ve come to expect not just from this newest iteration of Bond, but from Bond films in general.

That being said, this is a very different animal than you might expect. It still maintains the grandeur for which the franchise is known, but this film feels a little smaller, more focused than its predecessors. This formula isn't likely to work again.

No matter what's in this character's future, for now, Craig has grown into the classic Bond, earning a place alongside the likes of Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan. With a nod to where the character has been, Skyfall prepares audiences to move forward with a solid right hook and a cheesy one-liner to finish off the villain.

Stars & Popcorn grade: 4 stars, 4 1/2 popcorn

— Born and raised in the sunshine state, Patrick grew up loving movies. He’s currently attending the University of Central Florida and is a Cinema Studies major. Along with being the president of Stars and Popcorn, he’s a player in the independent comics scene.

Sponsored by Liebe Entertainment Group, Marketplace 8. Click here to see showtimes for Skyfall

Visit Stars and Popcorn at www.starsandpopcorn.com

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