Skyfall

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 1st November, 2012
Time : 141 minutes
Director : Sam Mendes; Writers : Neil Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan, based on the character created by Ian Fleming; Music : Thomas Newman
Starring : Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Berenice Marlohe, Naomi Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Ola Rapace, Rory Kinnear

I liked Daniel Craig (a lot), Adele’s opening credit theme music (though not necessarily the visuals), Berenice Marlohe (not just for her commendable acting skills) and the visuals / locales (a fight in Shanghai against LED displays, a casino in Macau and a Scottish moor locale staying in the memory). The rest, the plot, the pace of the film, the stunt sequences and even the villain, Javier Bardem (one of my favourite actors), all disappointed.

At first its about a list that has been compromised. A list that shouldn’t have existed in the first place. Which details every NATO agent embedded in every terrorist or mercenary gang across the world. It then moves, for a little bit to the internal battle in Britain, where pompous, pontificating politicians (are there any other kind ?) are determined to see an end to MI6 and its bunch of thugs, chasing enemies, who, in the politicians eyes, just don’t exist anymore. And finally it shifts focus to the person responsible for stealing the list and putting it up on the internet. Bond and M, both, have their hands full right till the end.

You actually have time to fidget in this one. Also, in terms of the action sequences, usually Bond films set the standard for a thousand imitations but there is nothing here we have not seen before. Most memorable Bond villains have designs on planets, satellites, countries or at least unimaginable wealth. Here, Javier, having achieved so much, seems to be obsessed with personal vendetta. And while I accept every secret agent film usually has tank-sized loopholes, this one, especially the ending, is scarcely believable.

Daniel Craig shines through it all, looking every inch the part, adjusting his sleeve as he jumps inside a moving train, complimenting the bartender as she shakes a perfect Martini and suavely handing over a razor blade for an unusually close shave. All this while attempting to clear a medical and thwart the villain (not sure which was tougher).

You feel you can trust Daniel with your life, that he’s human, like one of us, only better, and that’s a rare, raw quality in a Bond, where too often the men have had this Superman-like ability to them. However, the rest of the film doesn’t quite live up to its leading man here.