Film Review - Skyfall (2012)

Skyfall is the 23rd James Bond film and the 3rd film to star Daniel Craig in the role of Agent 007, the story here concerns a cyber attack on MI6 by a ghost from M's past, so it's up to Bond to put a stop to it.

I went into Skyfall with a sense of cautious optimism, I've really loved Craig in the role and even enjoyed Quantum of Solace despite that film having some of the worst action scenes I've ever seen from any film, so did this new Bond film return Craig's tenure to the form promised after Casino Royale in 2006?

Happily, yes it does though I also think it surpasses Royale and becomes my favourite of the three films Craig has made so far in the role, he seems much more assured, more confident and more physical than he did in Quantum where at times he seemed to be lost and confused as to where to go with the part.

But he's not alone here, Judi Dench, Albert Finney, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Wishaw all chip in good performances and the film is beautifully shot by Roger Deakins, his use of light and shade and locations is outstanding, I really hope he is considered to be the DP on the new Blade Runner film being planned as the look he created for this film is what that film needs.

Sam Mendes's direction is also quite good, keeping a steady eye on the action scenes and making sure the balance between them and the more dramatic moments is maintained so that one element doesn't overshadow the other, the film also has some very good editing by Stuart Baird, a very nice title song by Adele and a very good musical score by Thomas Newman who wisely avoids trying to sound like the late John Barry as David Arnold tended to do at times.

But sadly there is a fault here and that is the villain played here by Javier Bardem, don't get me wrong it's a good villain one of the better ones the series has had (and there have been some real duds in this series to be sure) and on the page I'm sure everyone thought this would be a real winner and it sure sounds that way when you think about it but on the page is one thing the execution is another and Bardem's performance does not deliver.

The main reason is that for much of the time he's on screen he comes across as a blend of the late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker in the Dark Knight and his own performance as Anton Chigur in No Country for Old Men, I found there to be a little too much of the villainous cackling of the type Dr. Claw might do and not enough of the menace that the character needed to make him a standout villain in a series where those sort are few and far between.

And lastly I had this thought come to my mind as I watched the film and that was "I wish Timothy Dalton got to do a film like this one or a third film in general" as it took three films for both Roger Moore and Sean Connery to define their tenure's in the role and both Goldfinger in terms of Connery and The Spy who Loved Me in terms of Moore are seen as the best films those actors made during their time in the part.

Dalton sadly only made two films as 007 and his second Licence to Kill in 1989 proved divisive for audiences much like Craig's second film was and he needed a third film to set things right just as Moore did after the Man with the Golden Gun left the series in dire straits, sadly a bitter legal fight with MGM in the early 90's saw Dalton's planned third film be scrapped and in time it would end his tenure in the role so as a result he left audiences divided whereas a film like this or his third film planned for late 1991 (though my feeling is that it would've come out in 92 for the 30th anniversary of the series) just might have set things right but these things happen and happily Craig has continued along the path he began 25 years ago with the Living Daylights.

So all in all Skyfall delivers a worthwhile if minorly flawed film for the 50th anniversary of Bond and for me it was certainly worth the wait and worth seeing, 3 out of 5.

Film Review - Diamonds are Forever (1971)

Diamonds are Forever sees Sean Connery returning for one last time as 007, the story here concerns diamond smuggling which Bond is sent to investigate but instead will send him face to face with an old enemy and unfinished business.

Diamonds are Forever is pretty much the biggest misfire of the entire Bond franchise, after the emotional ending of On her Majesty's Secret Service the stage was set for a great sequel that would've given that ending the rightful closure it deserved but sadly that never happened and instead we get a VERY average diamond thief plot with Connery simply going through the motions one more time before being able to move on to greener pastures though given what happened on the last film I can't blame United Artists for wanting him back as much as they did.

But apart from that, the film is also really dull in its direction and a near complete bore to watch as the storyline regarding the diamonds isn't very interesting and the film overall just makes you bored while watching it from the tiredness displayed on screen, what a shame that Connery's tenure as 007 ended so flatly.

As I said this is probably the series' greatest misfire outside of another film in the series and this was not the exit Connery deserved as 007, 1 out of 5.

Film Review - On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Following the temporary departure of Sean Connery from the role, Australian George Lazenby takes up the mantle of 007 for this film and the story here has him pursuing Blofeld (Terry Savalas) to the Swiss Alps to stop his new plan to conquer the world, at the same time he comes across the spirited and somewhat reckless woman Tracy (Diana Rigg) for whom he has all the time in the world.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service was easily my favourite of Fleming's Bond stories, the character felt human, there was a great plot and a well written leading lady in Tracy which gives the story a real human heart, with that how was the film version?

Surprisingly the film version is pretty good, one of the best films in the series for sure, director Peter Hunt (a long serving editor of the series before this film) seems very confident in the director's chair, no doubt helped by his editing experience, his action direction is very good indeed and very fast paced especially the skiing scenes which are terrific to watch.

But my praise doesn't end there, John Barry produces what is arguably his best score of the series as well as the beautiful song "We have all the Time in the World" Louis Armstrong's last recorded song before his death and Rigg is just wonderful as Tracy as is Savalas as Blofeld.

If there is one fault with the film it is Lazenby himself, don't get me wrong he handles himself very well, his action work is great, he handles the humour with a nice tone of cheekiness and gets right the most important scene in the movie but what undercuts all of this good work (and it is good work indeed) is his lack of acting experience, something that was not noticeable in a later film of his, 1975's The Man from Hong Kong where he was great in that film and came across as someone who had had more acting experience.

But despite that minor negative, OHMSS stands tall as a very well made and exciting Bond film, 3 and a half out of 5.

Film Review - From Russia with Love (1963)

From Russia with Love is the 2nd James Bond film and again stars Sean Connery as Agent 007 with a Licence to Kill, the story here sees Bond going after the Lektor decoder, a prize highly valued by British Intelligence in their fight against the Russians, but Bond will soon find himself a piece in a very deadly chess game with an old enemy.

From Russia with Love is easily one of the best Bond films and for me, the highlight of Connery's tenure in the role, he seems more assured of himself in the role and his confidence shows in every scene he's in, he smiles a bit more than he did in Dr. No, he comes across as tougher and he handles the action and the humour quite well and as a result, we want to follow him and cheer him on during his mission.

But he's not the only one with more confidence in their roles, director Terence Young seems more assured in the director's chair, always finding the right note in each scene and how it all comes together to fill the overall whole of the film itself, John Barry produces one of his best scores for the series with a nice undertone of dark tension throughout the whole score, Peter Hunt's editing seems more assured with his action editing being more tight and his editing of quieter scenes and the overall film having a tense feel to them as well.

But what makes this movie really shine is the villain played by Robert Shaw, don't get me wrong Lotte Lenya is perfectly fine in her role as Rosa Klebb but Shaw steals the show and stands as one of the very best villains of the entire series, Shaw's Red Grant is every bit the equal of Bond in terms of both brains and brawn and the confrontation between the two is simply spectacular and one of the very best fight scenes in the entire series.

So all in all, From Russia with Love stands tall as a real highlight of the James Bond film series and is certainly one that should not be missed, 4 out of 5.

Film Review - Dr. No (1962)

He carries a 00 number and he's licensed to kill, where he chooses, whom he chooses and when he chooses, he's also known as Bond, James Bond of Her Majesty's Secret Service and in this the first of the Bond film adventures he's played by Sean Connery and the story sees him sent off to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of another agent named Strangways but what he'll find is just one small piece of a big puzzle.

Dr. No is a fantastic start to the series, director Terence Young wastes no time in hitting the ground running and establishing the style, tone and energy that will run through the whole film, he also has a lot of patience with the film and a lot of it is quiet with little to no underscore in several scenes and long uncut camera takes that are a real joy to watch and sadly something that you don't see a lot of nowadays for so many films throw in a near constant underscore and a constant cutting of shots lasting less than 2 seconds.

But Young is only one half of why this film is as good as it is, the other half is Connery, an inspired choice for the role, he moves like a panther, has a fantastic presence on screen and carries the film effortlessly, only Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig have done as well in the part and it's easy to see why their interpretations were as successful.

But my praise doesn't end there, both Joseph Wiseman and Ursula Andress also do good work in their roles especially Wiseman who nicely sets the template for the Bond villains that followed with his cool, calm exterior that hides a cold interior and a deadly handshake that you'll certainly not forget anytime soon.

So all in all, Dr. No is a stylish debut for the Bond film series and certainly worth a look, 3 out of 5.