Ok, I admit it. The only reason my wife and I saw "Skyfall" recently was because the "Lincoln" showing we wanted to see was sold out, and we didn't want to waste a drive. And although we would have preferred to see "Lincoln", "Skyfall" turned out to be thoroughly entertaining.
If you read my "The Dark Knight Rises" blog, you'll know how critical to me a villain in an action movie like this needs to be. If they aren't, then the movie risks being a bore....at least to me. Fortunately Raoul Silva, the villain in "Skyfall" fits the bill. Played by Oscar winner Javier Bardem, Silva is an ex-M16 agent who, some years back, had issues with leader "M" (Judi Dench) and is out to get revenge.
Silva is cool as a cucumber yet always on the edge. He's extremely smart, yet creepy, strange, while very unpredictable. And talk about an entrance! We first meet Silva about to introduce himself to Bond who's tied up in a chair. With a view from behind Bond's shoulder, we see Silva enter from the far side of the room. With the camera stationary, Silva slowly makes his way towards Bond (and the camera) like a snake stalking its victim, verbally toying with him the entire way.
Bond, oh yea, that's right.....this is a James Bond movie! And Daniel Craig's portrayal of an aging, vulnerable James Bond could very well be his best performance of the three he's done so far. Stepping up to protect "M" from the vengeful Silva, Bond is forced to use his brains as much, if not more, then his brawn in order to stay a step ahead of his brilliant foe. This game of "cat and mouse" extends to the audience, as we as well try and figure who's going to do what next. And that's what makes this movie engaging. Not to mention the occasional surprise to keep us on our toes. A lot of the credit for this should go to director Sam Mendes, who also helmed the critically acclaimed "American Beauty" and "Revolutionary Road".
Bond isn't alone in battling the dangerous Silva, however. Far from it. In fact, it's safe to say that Bond probably wouldn't have survived hadn't been for the help of fellow agent Eve Moneypenny (yes, the future receptionist for "M", and the same Moneypenny the first Bond, Sean Connery, began flirting with mercilessly back in the sixties), played by Naomie Harris. Not sure if that means this James Bond movie was a prequel to "Dr. No", the Sean Connery Bond movie which started the whole ball of wax in 1962, but that's a debate for another time. Harris was very good as Bond's sidekick, and was a big factor in the ultimate outcome of the movie. Dench, Ralph Fiennes, and Albert Finney round out the top notch cast.
Finney, the 76-year old five-time Oscar-nominated actor who played the role of Kinkade, the groundskeeper for the Bond family home, was terrific during his few minutes of screen time, but I couldn't help think what a great cameo role that would have been for Sean Connery. At 82, I'm not sure he's even healthy enough to act anymore, but how fun would that have been to see Connery in that role! If you saw the movie, then you'll know what I mean!
In conclusion, based on my rating system (1= skip it, 2= rent it, 3= worth a matinee, 4= worth full price), "Skyfall" gets a "4". Great "Bond" action, and more importantly, you get to actually use your brain throughout the movie!
Great write up. I agree the villian was well done. Seeing Bond have to use his brains a little was refreshing too. This movie was worth seeing in the theater and very entertaining.
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