Skyfall
– for intense violent sequences throughout, some sexuality, language and smoking.
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe
Running Time: 2 hours, 23 minutes
Theatrical Release Date: November 8, 2012
Official Site
Plot Summary
Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in Skyfall, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In Skyfall, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. (Skyfall-Movie.com)
Film Review
It’s now been six years since Daniel Craig first suited up as the iconic super spy James Bond, and for two films, the actor has been adjusting to the big shoes he’s had to fill. Casino Royale was a restarting point for Bond, and the Bond that fans have come to know and love was someone Craig’s 007 was a pretty fair distance from settling into. Skyfall is the long delayed, long awaited third outing for Craig as Bond and, as some have already started to call it, it may very well be the best Bond film yet in the character’s 50 year history.
Skyfall‘s Bond is probably the closest Craig has come to 007 yet. I loved the James-becoming-007 origin story of Casino Royale and I enjoyed seeing how it shaped him and his decision-making in Quantum of Solace, but Skyfall is the first time Craig is just playing James Bond. However, instead of ignoring the previous Craig films, Skyfall is indeed the next step as it continues his evolution. For example, we finally meet the new Q in this film, as well as some distinct nodding to past films and the past incarnations of the character. Some of it borders a little too much on paying homage in a way that distracts from letting this Bond just be James Bond, but at the same time, each obvious nod generates cheers from the audience and laughs from those who get it. While Quantum wrapped up the story started with Royale, Skyfall makes it clear that some considerable time has passed between that tale and this one. Since Quantum, Bond has gone from a questionable new recruit and loose cannon to a trusted and respected agent. While I do feel like there was probably a story or two that could have easily been told between these two movies (we can probably thank the greedy Hollywood hands that let the rights to the Bond franchise cause rifts between companies for that), Skyfall is enough of what Bond fans like about Bond and what others liked about the Daniel Craig films to make any of such fans giddy with delight.
Enlisting the aid of a dramatic director doesn’t always work; Marc Forster probably hadn’t directed a lick of action before Quantum and, quite frankly, it showed. It was an entertaining film, but it lacked painfully after the fine work that Martin Campbell did with Casino Royale. Sam Mendes (American Beauty) enters new territory on Skyfall, and seemed wise enough to avoid making a lot of the same directorial and editing mistakes that Forster did on Quantum. The action is still wild and frenetic at times, but Mendes makes it easy to follow — especially in comparison to the previous entry into the series. But Mendes’ approach is one of the most stylish in the series as well. It’s slick, colorful, cool; while Royale still had elements of previous 007 ventures in its look and feel (and it didn’t hurt that Campbell had also previously done Pierce Brosnan’s first 007 movie, Goldeneye), Quantum took on more of a raw, Jason Bourne-esque look and feel and Skyfall takes it all a bit further. It’s obvious that Mendes is taking everything to a different level. There’s a greater deal of dialog, head games, and character moments here–which all lead up to a very James Bond over-the-top (but not simultaneously, surprisingly poignantly human) action finale (And given its running time, Skyfall does feel like Casino Royale in the sense that it’s such a long movie that it feels like it has more than one ending). Something that really adds to the different feel of Skyfall is the enlisting of a new composer for 007 in Thomas Newman. See, Newman has worked with Mendes many times before, and while the directors have changed with each Bond film, the composer had remained the same from 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies on through 2008’s Quantum Of Solace. The extraordinary and versatile David Arnold had created a sound for Bond that was unmistakable. While Arnold’s work on Brosnan’s films (Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day) became progressively more electronic in nature, Arnold changed it up appropriately for Casino Royale with a more theatrical vibe. Still, Arnold’s scores were undeniably James Bond. Skyfall is the first Bond film since Goldeneye that has been almost entirely forgettable (It got to the point where I knew I could buy a David Arnold Bond score before the movie came out and love it. This isn’t the case with Newman’s work). In fact, while Arnold’s themes were cool and appropriate for the film it supported, there are a couple laugh-inducing cues from Newman that are disappointing, if not offensive, in that they border on hurting an otherwise great moment in the movie. This is when film scores can do more harm than good. Arnold knew Bond; it’s obvious that Newman does not. My only hope is that whoever takes on 007 for the next film in 2014 will heed the cries of those disappointed with Arnold’s snub and either re-hire Arnold or enlist a more appropriate composer than Newman.
The score is really my biggest complaint about Skyfall. The film otherwise almost hits all of the right notes itself. A James Bond movie can’t really be a James Bond movie without some over-the-top action, and there are a couple moments that fit the bill here. Explosions are the norm for these movies and, while some of the past films just seem to have very random things exploding just for the sake of there being an explosion (I believe it was The World Is Not Enough that has an opening that’s quite guilty of this), it mostly makes sense in context here. The opening chase sequence with Bond pursuing a man who’s lifted a chip containing very sensitive material includes some wonderful fights as well as some fun and insane stunts involving a speeding train, a bulldozer, and an agent realistically taking a hit or two. Some other great moments feature Bond traveling to Shanghai and a finale that takes everything back to the basics, bordering on a classic western shootout (yes, you read that right). For those wondering about Bond’s womanizing ways, the previews for the movie make it look a bit more like Bond is back to sleeping with any possible girl he can. There’s a hint of that, but two encounters are shown here in very brief glimpses. It doesn’t all seem quite as goofy or icky as, say, Connery’s or Brosnan’s Bond, but it’s still one of my least favorite traits of the character. The longest one has James walking into a steamed-up shower where he joins a woman and the two briefly passionately kiss and embrace before the scene ends. Before that, we see Bond embracing a woman in the heat of the moment before it cuts to just the two lying in bed clothed afterward. They’re scenes that make sense for Bond’s character but don’t go overboard in their sensuality. Like the two Daniel Craig-starring 007 movies before Skyfall, there’s a lot more humanity in Bond and his surrounding characters that seemed to be lacking in Bond films of decades past. It brings a depth to the character and his world that was sorely missing, but there’s still that sense of good vs. evil and slick super spy fun that the character has been rooted in. Because of that, this action thriller is exciting.
Aside from the two brief love scenes, there’s a painfully awkward encounter between Bond and the male villain, Silva. Right after the bad guy makes his anticipated entrance, he delivers his obligatory master villain monologue to 007 who’s tied up in a chair. Soon, the villain unbuttons the top of Bond’s shirt and inspects his chest a bit. He lightly caresses James’ neck and then glides both of his hands across the top of Bond’s seated legs (I’m not even kidding). Bond seems more disgusted by this than anything, but he keeps his cool. When Silva makes a remark about what he just did, James jokes, “What makes you think this is my first time?” (or something like that). It’s a bizarre exchange between the two, and it’s never made clear if Silva was just trying to rattle the spy or not, but when we actually see Silva kiss a girl no later than a scene or two after that, it just makes his character seem all the more unstable and psychotic. The profanity in the film is about on par with most 007 movies, but Judi Dench’s M does use the “F” word once at a moment when she reflects on their situation (She says, “Well I really ****ed things up, haven’t I?” or something like that). Q uses the “S” word four times in one scene with it being uttered once later on by a peripheral character. Otherwise, there are a couple uses of “Chr-st” and a handful of “G-d,” “h*ll” and “d*mn.” Finally, there’s the violence. As can be expected, there’s quite a bit of violence in Skyfall, but most of it isn’t graphic. We do see some dead bodies in the opening scene with a little bit of blood around them, as well as blood on Bond’s shirt and jacket after taking a bullet to the shoulder in the beginning. The worst, however, is when we see Bond plunge the blade of a knife into his bare shoulder to dig out shrapnel from the bullet. It’s somewhat brief, but definitely the most graphic moment in the movie.
As mentioned before, there are some great references to other films in Skyfall. My favorite, however, is the continuity across the three Daniel Craig movies. There’s a subtle reference to Casino Royale where Bond commands Eve not to touch the ear piece in her ear while communicating with him (just like when Bond reprimands another agent before the big foot chase in the beginning), while the best and most obvious moment comes when Bond is talking to Sévérine and “reads” her by observing her body language and surroundings–exactly how he did when he first met Vesper on the train in Royale. There are also a couple references to Goldeneye, from the more obvious “exploding pen” gag to the set design on Silva’s island (the giant statue ruins), and even a trait about the villain himself. And then finally, there’s the Bond car — which I won’t spoil here — which earned some delighted reactions from our theater audience, and rightfully so.
For those curious about how the movie fairs on IMAX, I was actually really impressed with its presentation. The format was nearly the entire screen and Mendes had taken advantage of the on-location filming to create some fantastic scenic shots. I also literally got a bit wrapped up in the closeness of the presentation and almost had the impulse to dodge a crashing truck that came at the screen at one point during the opening scene. As far as I’m concerned, that’s accomplishing what was intended with an IMAX presentation.
Skyfall may arguably be the best James Bond adventure yet (although I’m still pretty partial to Casino Royale). Sam Mendes brings some needed depth to the story while keeping it exciting and unique, all the while winking and nodding to the audience about the previously established 007 lore (the final scenes are priceless). After the set-ups of the previous two Craig outings, Skyfall feels like quite the pay-off, and it’s good to see Craig more comfortable in his Bond skin and owning the role a little more. Granted, there are some setbacks to Craig being 100% James Bond in this movie, thanks to a unique twist on things, but it just adds to the human element of the story, making Skyfall a great Bond film and easily one of the best movies of 2012.
– John DiBiase, (reviewed: 11/9/12)
Parental Guide: Content Summary
Sex/Nudity: The opening credits show some obscured silhouettes of nude women, but nothing explicit; We see Bond in a beach hut of sorts making out with a topless woman who’s pressed up against him as they kiss and move toward a wall. It’s super brief, dimly lit, and no nudity is visible; We see Bond in just a towel in his hotel room as Eve shows up and suggestively makes some comments about supplying all of his needs. Bond then hands her his razor and we see her shaving his face for him. At one point, he reaches to unbutton the top of her blouse, revealing just a hint of her bra for a second, but she stops him and continues to shave his face. The scene then ends; Bond learns while talking to a girl who he hopes can lead him to Silva that she’s some kind of slave or prostitute. We see her later waiting in her room for him, but he does not show. We then see her taking a shower, back lit with just a light behind her and the fogged up glass totally blocking any nudity of hers. Bond then enters the room and walks into the shower with her. He comes up behind her, starts kissing her shoulder and then she turns around and the two begin passionately kissing while in the shower. The scene then ends; Silva (a man) approaches Bond who is tied with his hands behind him to a chair. Silva unbuttons the top of Bond’s shirt and investigates the scar of a wound on James’ shoulder. He then caresses his neck and top of his chest a little with his finger, and then rubs both hands over the tops of Bond’s clothed thighs while he’s seated. Silva makes a comment of Bond needing to try men (or something to that effect) and Bond jokes that maybe he has.
Vulgarity/Language: 1 “F” word, 1 “c*ck it up,” 5 “S” words, 3 “h*ll,” 3 “G-d,” 2 “Chr-st,” 1 “b*tch,” 2 “d*mn,” quite a few uses of “bloody”
Alcohol/Drugs: We see Bond drinking with a scorpion on his hand as part of a drinking game in a bar with many people cheering him on; Bond is seen drinking and drunk at a bar; Bond is possibly hung over when he meets with M; Some characters have drinks throughout the film; Silva pours a drink for him and Bond. Bond drinks his and Silva puts his on top of a woman’s head to use as target practice.
Blood/Gore: We see two men lying dead on the floor. One of them has a pool of blood around their head; We see a wounded man sitting in a chair with blood on his shirt and face. Bond then applies a towel to the man’s wound (over his shirt); Bond is shot in the shoulder and we see the blood on his jacket and a growing bloody stain on the shirt underneath as the scene plays out; During the credits, we see Bond’s image with a hole in his shoulder many times, with the camera passing through it. There is some blood and such shown in the water and in graphic form during this montage (not gross, more animated or stylized); We see the scars on Bond’s bare skin throughout the movie (at different times) of his bullet wound. While standing in front of the mirror at one point, he takes a knife and digs it into his shoulder, drawing some blood. We then see his bloody hand with tiny pieces of metal fragments resting in his palm (from the wound); Bond has a cut over his eyebrow; A woman has some blood over her eye and some blood running from her mouth down her chin after being hit (not seen); Bond shoots a bunch of men and we, for a split second, see the non-graphic wound out the back of one of their shoulders; A man removes his fake front teeth, causing his one cheek to sink in and his eye to droop a bit. We also see his disgusting, rotted (and missing) front teeth; A woman has blood on her hand and side after being shot.
Violence: (Possible spoilers ahead!) Excessive violence; The movie opens with some dead people on the ground and Bond tries to help one before pursuing a thug throughout Istanbul — riding motorcycles on rooftops and onto the top of a train and then fighting each other. Bond uses a bulldozer on the train to rip open one of the cars and then climb inside. He’s shot while in the bulldozer. The two take the fight to the top of the speeding train and then another agent takes a shot at the villain but hits Bond instead, knocking him off the bridge into water below; We see the top of MI6 explode; Bond pursues a man to the top of a building where the main assassinates another man in a building across the way from where they are. Bond then fights the man, ending with him falling off the skyscraper to his death; Some men attack Bond and they fall off a small bridge into a Komodo dragon pit. One of the dragons drags a man away and we hear his screams. Meanwhile, Bond fights the other men, hitting them with a briefcase. Eve steps on the wrist of one before they can shoot Bond; We see a woman who’s apparently been battered up. Silva puts a shot glass on her head and asks Bond to shoot it off. He can’t, fires and misses, so Silva shoots her in the head, killing her (not seen, we just see her slumped over). Bond then starts a shootout which results in him using some of the guys as body shields and everyone but Silva ending up dead; Bond chases Silva and they meet in a tunnel. Silva blows a hole in the tunnel and then we see a huge train/subway rush through the hole and crash inside the tunnel; Silva launches a major shootout in a room that results in lots of deaths and some characters being wounded; Some characters fortify themselves inside of an old house, making various booby traps and such as a group of bad guys approach. A car with guns on it opens fire on some guys, wounding them, until return fire is unleashed on the vehicle. Some characters inside the house fire back with shotguns, pistols and various exploding booby traps, killing and wounding the attackers. A helicopter then comes and Bond opens fire on it. We see some explosions inside the house as well. We then see another explosion which damages the helicopter, causing it to crash into the house and explode, killing the men inside of it; We see a character is bleeding from a wound, and another character holds a gun to their head and theirs, pleading them to fire, killing them both; A man is killed by having a knife thrown into their back; A person dies from bleeding to death.