With the reboot done, it was time to set the stage for a version upgrade. ‘Skyfall’ marks 50 years of the franchise by paying homage to various symbols that typified the man, only to destroy them to prepare James Bond for the future.
In ‘Casino Royale’ and ‘Quantum of Solace’ the story delved deep into an important emotional dimension of Bond. They peeled off his suave exterior to reveal a heart that fiercely loved a woman, a heart that was winning the battle with the mind, something that his training had taught him to prevent. In ‘Skyfall’, it is Bond’s MI6’s and M’s very existence that is questioned as the very nature of international espionage is brought under Parliamentary scrutiny by the British Government after top secret information about MI6’s international operatives is stolen from M’s laptop post which MI6 itself is bombed.
Bond finds his age and his waning powers exposed in the spotlight of youth and the new age of cyber terrorism that works at ‘the press of a button, whilst wearing pajamas’. Bond’s only relevance is when ‘a trigger has to be pulled at times’ and he is given the go-ahead to find the man behind a web of cyber deception that has been woven around MI6. Soon, he discovers that the actual target is M and the trigger is an old wound that relates to her handling of a past situation. As he struggles to tackle the menace of the cyber avenger, Bond goes back to another hitherto unexplored emotional dimension – the death of his parents. It is in dealing with his own relevance and the most painful chapter of his life, that Bond needs to find the wherewithal to protect M and prepare himself for the future.
Acclaimed director Sam Mendes works with a script created by Bond regulars Purvis & Wade and John Logan, the writer of such films as Hugo, Any Given Sunday and Gladiator. Together they create a dramatic canvas far richer than any of the early Bond films, so much so that ‘Skyfall’ could pass off for a drama film. What Bond fans will miss is the stylish detailing of Bond’s gadgetry and of his villain’s elaborate empires. What Bond is handed by a young Q is a gun that fires when it matches his palm print and a radio transmitter. Closer to the end it is shotguns and knives that he gets to use, not exploding pens and submersible cars. The setting is very visibly British with Jaguars and Land Rovers galore and is set in the heart of Bond’s work – England.
Structurally, the story has many loop holes and flaws and misses the slow lure of ‘Casino Royale’ which sucks Bond into a pivotal moment that defines him for the future. The central concept is introduced rather abruptly towards the end when it could have been allowed to sink in slowly. Daniel Craig as James Bond convinces us yet again that he is the Bond for the moment and for the future as news of his new 5-film deal comes in. He shows physical and emotional vulnerability in a fast changing world but is not given enough dramatic license by a weak script. Judi Dench as M gets into the plot once again post ‘The World is not Enough’ and shows her toughness yet again in managing MI6 as well as a tenderness towards her protégé. Javier Bardem is very impressive as Mr. Silva but ends up playing the archetypal villain and is allowed to rise above that only briefly.
‘Skyfall’ is worth watching if you are interested in the future of Bond, just as much as you are in his past.
