Skyfall

            The new James Bond movie, “Skyfall,” was directed by Sam Mendes and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan and Ian Fleming, who is uncredited. Some of the actors include Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes and Naomie Harris. The movie is currently 92% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which is really good ratings. This is only the third Bond movie I’ve seen, but this one is my favorite.

            Bond (Craig) and an assistant, Eve (Harris), were tasked with finding a computer drive listing the identities of secret agents. Eve shoots Bond in an attempt to recover the list, and he’s thought to be dead. After an explosion at MI6, Bond returns to finish the mission. M (Dench) and Bond have to deal with their pasts to finish the task.

            This storyline was very good. Since I don’t know a lot about the Bond stories, I liked that I learned some background information about Bond and M. It made the characters seem more real. I also liked that there were mini storylines going on around the main one to add more depth to the plot. The opening credits foreshadowed the events of the movie. If you pay really good attention, you could probably guess a good portion of what happens throughout the movie.

            The action scenes were a lot of fun. The filmmakers did many things I hadn’t seen before. There were reptiles, trains, explosions, a chase scene across rooftops on motorcycles, an underwater fight and more. One of my favorite action scenes was at the beginning when Bond was trying to get the computer drive. He uses a crane claw to keep some train cars from separating, runs and jumps inside the train car at the last second and then stops and takes the time to straighten his tie before pursuing the thief.

            The movie included some great classic Bond moments. Throughout the movie, some snippets of the Bond theme song play to give a little extra oomph to a scene. In a casino, Bond gets a martini shaken, not stirred. He doesn’t say the classic line, but the visual alone is enough to create that nostalgic moment. Another great moment is when Bond gets some gadgets from Q, who jokes with Bond about the exploding pen he was given previously. This film includes some of those great moments everyone associates with 007, but uses a more modern take on them.

            Are you wondering about the gadgets Bond gets this time around? Q gives him a gun that only works when he uses it and a tiny radio. He doesn’t get anything over-the-top, but they’re still pretty cool. I was a little disappointed in the way they were used though. The gun is used very quickly into the movie in one scene, and then it’s gone. The radio is also used just once, and it’s very obvious when it comes into play.

            I’ve seen other movies Mendes has been involved in such as “Revolutionary Road,” “Starter for 10,” “Away We Go” and “American Beauty.” Purvis and Wade wrote the other two Bond movies I’ve seen, “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace.” Logan wrote “Hugo” and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” I’ve seen other things Craig has been involved in such as “The Adventures of Tintin,” “Quantum of Solace,” “Casino Royale” and “A Kid in King Arthur’s Court.” I’ve seen Dench in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” “Quantum of Solace,” “Casino Royale,” “Pride & Prejudice,” “Chocolat” and “Shakespeare in Love.” I have also seen Bardem in “Eat Pray Love.” Fiennes is known for his role as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter films. Other movies I’ve seen him in are “The Duchess,” “In Bruges” and “Maid in Manhattan.” Lastly, I’ve seen Harris in “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.” This experienced cast made a great movie, and I strongly suggest that you see “Skyfall.”