Skyfall (2012)

Let me write this before I get influenced by many conversations that will now take place about Skyfall: I liked it.

Potential Spoilers Ahead

Now that I have got that out-of-the-way, I was disappointed by Javier Bardem – he looked ridiculous in that get-up and as far as Bond villains go – was the least intimidating of all. My personal issue? I like Javier Bardem. He is a very good actor. I raised my expectations. He stamped on those. Bérénice Marlohe’s role seemed to be furiously edited, and the women in the recent Bond movies who have received their politically correct place in what was always supposed to be a Bond movie, have not received their rightful place, either.

My friend, (thank you for the tickets!) was quite disappointed with the plot. To my mind there wasn’t a plot, as such. To my mind Skyfall is a set up for the next Bond movie. I do not remember the last time, they announced on the credits that, “Bond will be back soon” (I may be wrong – but this hasn’t happened before.) But let’s speak about the plot a bit. A list of undercover agents is now out in the open (something like what we saw in Mission Impossible – the NOC list) and Bond works to get the list back. It is fair to assume that after all that Bond does in the movie, MI6 do get back the list. (It isn’t obvious.) After 50 years, we get an idea about his past life.

They undid the gadgets and the girls, but not the guns. And at times I was reminded of Die Hard – with the volume of the firepower.

The movie ended on a wonderful note, introducing us to a character we have known for long. There is a circularity of the stories that we seem to be missing. Non-linear story-telling is in vogue, and so is Bond-bashing. Someone decided that he had to be corrected politically, and we are now paying the price. There is hope because of M. We are hopefully coming back to the Bond we know, because of what happens at the end of the movie.

But the coolness of James Bond is intact. No doubts there. Should you see this movie? If you love James Bond, you will; I do not have to tell you. If you don’t care, you don’t care. Right?

Skyfall was a trailer. A 140mins trailer. Wait for the next one. The few ingredients missing were added in the last few minutes.

Wait for the next one.