The cars. The gadgets. The girls. The martinis (shaken, not stirred). I love the James Bond movies and I have been anticipating Skyfall, the newest installment in the franchise, for months! I finally got to see it tonight and I absolutely loved it. I think it might be my favorite Bond movie yet! MI6 is under attack when a list of agents who have infiltrated terrorist organizations is stolen and identities are revealed. Bond (Daniel Craig) tracks down the culprit and discovers that it is a former agent (Javier Bardem, definitely one of the best Bond villains) with a grudge against M (Judi Dench) for betraying him to save a large group of agents. Bond's loyalty to M is questioned because she recently made a decision which jeopardized him in the field as well. This movie definitely reflects the changes involved in espionage in a post 9/11 world. There is a new, and much younger, Q (Ben Whishaw) who tells Bond that a Walther PPK is more effective than silly gadgets like exploding pens. Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, believes that agents must come out from the shadows and be accountable to the people of Britain so he brings M in to be questioned. However, the movie also pays homage to the Bond we know and love from the 1960s and is brimming with nostalgia. Bond ultimately uses his iconic Aston Martin DB5, equipped with machine guns under the headlights, to save the day! The character of Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), M's secretary, also returns with a large dose of suggestive banter with Bond. The action sequences are fantastic, especially the motorcycle chase through the bazaars of Istanbul and a fight silhouetted against the skyline of Shanghai. But director Sam Mendes also emphasizes character development, particularly the difficult decisions M has had to make as director of MI6 and Bond's feelings of inadequacy. I recommend this movie to everyone, not just fans of 007!
Note: I also love Adele's theme song for the movie!
Saw it with my husband and the time flew by! Almost cried when his Austin got blown to bits, even if it was a faux Austin! Great fun.
ReplyDelete