Skyfall (Sam Mendes, 2012)

Finally, after a lot of studio trouble James Bond is back. The fans (including myself) had to be patient for 4 years. The expectations were high, Sam Mendes (American Beauty) would direct and Javier Bardem would play villain (remember No Country for Old Men?). Yesterday was the day, premierenight, a venue full of excited people. Two and a half hours later I had to conclude I was slightly disappointed. I’ll try to explain without spoiling.

In 2006 Casino Royale was a revelation. After a couple of mediocre and even horrible Bondfilms (Die Another Day) Bond was back. Daniel Craig replaced the somewhat slick Pierce Brosnan and gave Bond a more raw and realistic look. Two years later Quantum of Solace was disappointing. It picked up where CR left off but somehow the makers made a lot of wrong choices. The story was missing a core, the villain was a bit dull, same for the Bondgirl. It did raise some expectations for a continuation of the story revolving around a worldwide criminal network. And this is where my first point of criticism towards Skyfall lies. It ignores its predecessors outlined story.

The opening of the film, which is quite good, suggests an unfortunate death of Bond. Of course, (this is not a spoiler) he is still alive and decides to stay away from London for a while. When MI6 headquarters is blown up and M is in great danger, he decides to make his return. As he had to recover from some serious injuries, he had to undergo a lot of tests, especially physical. Based on this first hour Skyfall could have been named James Bond Rises. Besides this, we see the new Q (Ben Whishaw) and some funny self-aware remarks.

What follows is some great cinematography in the city of Shanghai. Bond is going after the source of the personal threats against M and he ends up in a casino. So far, so good for a James Bond film, perfect even. There is a pretty and vulnerable Bondgirl and a classic setting for what might become one of the best movies ever in the franchise.

In the first hour we don’t see the villain Silva (Javier Bardem). This works. The mystery around him is build up perfectly and the scene where he makes his entrance, with Bond tied to a chair, is one of the best of the entire film. Bardem portrays the charismatic and brilliant villain perfectly. He is smart, funny, creepy and appears to be in control of everything. What follows is a miraculously small victory for Bond. At this point the film turns and becomes very atypical.

Some of the scenes and developments instantly reminded me of The Dark Knight and what happens to The Joker. I am sure Mendes and the writers borrowed some ideas here. Of course this is fun and exciting but I wasn’t impressed after the Jokers, Hannibal Lecters and Jack Sparrows of this world. Again, Bardem is good, impressive even at some points, but his villain is not as memorable as for instance Blofeld, Goldfinger or Jaws. I will not go into detail about the rest of the plot, but let me tell you that it is not what you expect from a Bondfilm mainly because Silva’s motivations are personal. I believe that a Bond villain should aspire to take over the world and don’t let anything stop him. Silva is not a threat to the world. Compare here with Goldeneye for instance. Sean Bean plays a a villain who also has a personal history with MI6 but tries to achieve a higher goal by stealing a lot of money.

Another critical point is the absence of the Bondgirl. Bérénice Marlohe has a total screentime of 15 to 20 minutes maybe and plays no role in the final hour which disappointed me. On the other hand, the final hour can be characterized by great directing, beautiful photography but is definitely missing the grandeur of a Bondfilm. Skyfall is not a bad film, not at all even, but to me it didn’t feel like a continuation of a franchise I have been loving for years and years and this is probably why I felt disappointed. Casino Royale is still the best Bond of the last 15 years at least.

6.5/10