Bond in Film: Skyfall

2012 marked two big moments in British culture: the London Olympics and the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film series. Bond had already made a humourous cameo in the Olympic opening ceremony, but would the new film be well received? Die Another Day had marked the 40th anniversary, and that was poorly received, so it was hoped that the producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, would put together something better for the 50th. And fortunately, they did.

The story pieced together plot aspects that were introduced in the Brosnan films but improved on them. You've got a rogue MI6 agent, as in GoldenEye who has a vendetta against M, like Elektra King in The World is Not Enough. You've also got a story which mirrors Die Another Day with aspects such as Bond being defeated, growing a beard in the interim and then having to rebuild himself from scratch. Unlike the previous effort though, this is more than just a first act gimmick. The whole film is about reconstructing Bond, as he meets new incarnations of old icons like Q and Miss Moneypenny, drives the Aston Martin DB5 and ventures back to his childhood home of Skyfall. Only when he picks up his father's old hunting rival does he begin to shoot well again. Then at the end he meets the new M and is truly Bond again.

Daniel Craig has been a great Bond from his first appearance, and he continues here. There's a lot more humour in this film and he does as well as Sean Connery in combining the wit with violence.

Judi Dench's M has been a constant part of the Bond films over the last two decades and it was good to see her getting a proper role, even if it was a prelude to the character;s death. She deserved a cool death. Her replacement, Gareth Malorie, played by Ralph Fiennes, is certainly one to look out for.

Raoul Da Silva was a great villain, and well played, although he owed a little to Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight in the moments where he intentionally got captured and then broke free and also the moment where he disguised himself as a police officer. Nevertheless, he was well played and good.

With the story focusing on Bond, M and Silva, there was less time spent on the young female love interest for Bond. We do get Eve Moneypenny, a welcome addition to Bond. Unlike Caroline Bliss, she feels genuinely useful. Sevrin was also an interesting character, who initially looks like she's going to be an Onatopp style femme fatale, but then turns out to be a fearful victim.

Ralph Fiennes made a good M. A character who appears to be a bureaucrat but can clearly hold his own in a gunfight. It's the first time we've met an M before he became M. Ben Wishaw was also a good choice for the role of Q. John Cleese was great before, but in the age of computer nerds it was a sensible idea to make the character younger and geekier.

Sam Mendes does a great job in giving the film striking visuals from the misty moors of Scotland, the dark neon nights of China. The moment of Bond running away from the burning house, skies orange, is great. It is absolutely right that he should be returning for Spectre after all the work he did to make this work. The soundtrack by Thomas Newman is also good. As much as I like David Arnold, some of his Bond scores could sound a little familiar, so it was the right time for a different feel.

Overall Skyfall was a good celebration of 50 years of Bond on screen. Later this year we will get to see if Spectre can live up to its predecessor.

9/10