Sally Cross,

Correspondent (Film)

 

We’ve waited four years since the last James Bond and on the 26th October, 2012, the world queued in thousands to watch the eagerly anticipated SkyFall. With our favourites reprising their roles, Daniel Craig as James Bond and Dame Judi Dench as ‘M’, along with the promising new cast members, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Albert Finney and the evil villain Javier Bardem, it is no wonder that audiences flocked in during its opening weekend.

The plot is something I cannot give away but what I can say is that it does not disappoint. Craig shows a masterful performance as the buff James Bond and Dame Judi has her biggest role in the film to date. Who can ask for anything better? As always, the trailer came first and we were taken into the world of the Secret Services from the very beginning; its captivating setting and thrilling montages suggested that Sam Mendes directed one of his best films to date. And that was before even seeing the film! And what would be Bond if there weren’t a good soundtrack? For months we had been speculating the idea that power voice Adele would take the challenge and when it as confirmed and SkyFall was released a week before the motion picture, it became the number one on iTunes and brought the many audiences, old and young, together with what can only be described as a ‘classic’ Bond theme!

Then came the film. I had seen interviews and reviews and only heard that the plot was top secret in only a way that James Bond could be. But, my God, wasn’t it worth the wait! The cast, the fast moving action sequences, right from the beginning, the cars, the music, the humour, the landscape, the shirtless Daniel Craig… okay, so I may be getting carried away. But it shows how the film is there to suit all ages! Dame Judi Dench is her usual witty, bossy self, with a bigger role to play that only she can fulfill. Craig was moody but with a lot more humour this time that really added to his role. And as for Javier Bardem, his villain appeal gave a certain chill factor; I would go as far as to say in some scenes he rivaled Heath Ledger’s psychotic Joker character in The Dark Knight.

However, the film did come with a few flaws. The lack of gadgets was something that could be overlooked but meant that the film didn’t have so much added excitement to it. There was no moment where you could shout ‘that’s cool’ or ‘I want one of those,’ it was just the average gun that took the appeal. Also, a lot of press surrounded Naomie Harris as a Bond Girl as well as Berenice Marlohe, the pair did not have the usual Bond girl criteria, as great as their characters were too much was built around them before the film began which made it sort of disappointing when there was no real ‘Bond Girl Power’.

But I do not want to end on a bad note. Mendes took a lot of effort into what he was creating. He made a Bond film, which personally, was the only one that has genuinely had me ‘on the edge of my seat’ nervous. A great cast and a fantastic plot line that has been one of the best-kept secrets in Hollywood film history. The movie ends in a way to make you want more, and smirk at understanding exactly what Mendes is trying to create! Overall, the Bond film gave everything and more, which would not surprise you if you were familiar with Sam’s work; American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, it just proves that some directors are not just one trick ponies. A man, who created some of the most famous romantic films in the film industry, has just directed one of the greatest Bond films in history.