Covalent Bond

If there is one thing we have learnt in the past fifty years, it is that if you make a really good film in the same year as a James Bond film, the best you can hope is for you to end up making the second most awesome movie of that year. Sadly, it isn’t true about Skyfall. Yes, it is a great action thriller, and yes, the central character is secret agent 007, but this isn’t a Bond film in its truest sense. An expectation laden fan who enters the cinema hall hoping to witness the greatness of a cinematic legend, ends up coming out a tad bit disappointed.

Silver, a former secret agent that went rogue, returns to terminate M and has a grand plan that involves high-tech computer hacking and years of planning. James Bond, as usual, is in the service of the Majesty and is determined to foil the plan - a pursuit that takes him to a place in Scotland, Skyfall, where the final confrontation takes place. A relatively predictable plot that you just wait to unfold in an interesting manner takes some percentage of the thrill out of the experience, however, apart from a few moments in the middle third, the scenarios keep you on your toes.

What takes your attention away from an astonishingly boring storyline is the high octane action. The film opens with a chase sequence in Istanbul, which, FYI makers of Taken, is how you choreograph an action scene on the roof tops of houses in that city. The explosive finale and classy punch-lines that magnifies the impact of every gunshot, are what make it a better action film than many that we have recently watched. The end, once again, is a dampener as it brings down the graph unnecessarily. And no matter how excited the action gets us, what’s missing from the film is the (there is no better way to say this) Bondness of the thrill. Daniel Craig proves for the third time that he, and this is quite debatable, isn’t suave enough to pull off a Bond.

Although the latter films have been superior in terms of production quality, they have lacked substance as the fans of this series have always wanted something new. With Skyfall, comes another disappointment – the gadgets are not sophisticated enough, and as much as one may avoid saying, the Bond girls also lack (still no better way to say it) Bondness.

As far as the performances go, to his merit, this is Daniel Craig’s best Bond film. Judi Dench as M is charming and Ralph Fiennes in a short but significant role only adds value to the presentation. Javier Bardem, in his role as Silver, is a severely undercooked character that the actor has put his craft into. He is distinct in his ways and is a character that one will take some time to forget.

The animated opening credits to Adele’s track are the highlight of the film. In the years to come, this Bond film will probably be known as ‘The One with Adele’s Song in It’. That apart, the background score and the Bond theme is adapted quite brilliantly and keep up with the pace that the visuals create.

Cinema is in its hundredth year in India and Bond films have been there for fifty of those. The franchise is not only a series of movies but is now a part of our cultural existence. Whether or not it is the best Bond film ever is a judgment call for every individual, but the film is quite entertaining, if nothing else.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on November 3, 2012