Skyfall

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Written by: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan







Is this it?  Is this the film that finally elevates James Bond from mere genre flick to, perhaps, maybe, actual film?  My conclusion: maybe.

The third installment in the Daniel Craig iteration as 007 separates itself from the first two (2006's "Casino Royale" and 2008's "Quantum of Solace") while simultaneously establishing more connections to the earlier Bond worlds (the introduction and modernization of Q, for example).

Let's get straight to my point, though.  This film has a lot more depth to it than most of the other Bond films.  The characters actually have flaws!  And backgrounds! Oh my!  One of the hallmarks of everything Bond before "Skyfall"was the lack of background - as if nothing really existed before the moment the film began.  Even one of Bond's most significant moments - the death of his wife in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" - is all but ignored in every other movie in the series.  This is the first movie (beyond a few casual references in "Casino Royale") that James Bond was once a little boy.

Suddenly, Bond is grounded in reality!  Not only that, but he's actually lost a step or two (because of a minor plot point I'd rather not spoil here), and maybe isn't quite the agent he once was.  He makes mistakes - major ones - which have ramifications throughout the whole movie.  He's much more human than usual - almost weak - though he still kicks butt.

Mendes and the writers build into the story some recurring themes which help lift this film beyond the drudge of mere genre action.  For example, every character is dealing with some major setback in their past - Bond, M, Eve, Silva (the villain) - which has thrust itself into their present lives.  To overcome the drama of the present, though, they must confront and explore their pasts.  This element leads to one of the most significant revelations about Bond's past - a visit to his childhood home named... Well... You'll have to see that for yourself.

There is also the recurring element of betrayal. Or, at least, actions which could easily be interpreted as betrayal.  A significant portion of the film is spent with characters betraying each other, apologizing for betrayal, justifying betrayal, or recovering from betrayal.  And all of it is rich and subtle and deep, except for the blatant symbolism at the climax of the film - a literal knife in the back - but I'll forgive them that.

So, the usual question that follows all this is "Where does 'Skyfall' land in the pantheon of Bond?"  A lot of critics (especially the type quoted in advertisements) claim it's the best Bond film ever.  Personally, I'm not a huge fan of "ranking" things, but much prefer categorization.  Anyway, I would definitely list it in the same category as the other elite Bond movies.  Well done!

Quantum of Solace

Directed by: Marc Foster

Written by: Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade

With most film series, you pretty much know what you're getting by the third film. Although the writers and producers like to keep things fresh, the same holds true for "Quantum of Solace,"the twenty-second film in the 007 James Bond series.

This movie picks up right where it's predecessor (2006's "Casino Royale") left off. Bond (Craig) is in hot pursuit of the villains who killed the woman he loved. Along the way, he begins to unravel a plot to start revolutions by securing water supplies around the globe, all under the guise of environmentalism. The main villain is Dominic Greene (Amalric), an operative of the secret evil organization Quantum, who has been making deals to help military dictators in exchange for seemingly useless pieces of land, then forcing those dictators to accept Quantum's monopoly on water supplies. As usual, Bond saves the day, though the true designs of Quantum are never revealed.

I liked the fact that this film is a direct sequel, referencing specific events from "Casino Royale" and using it to develop the characters. Previous Bond films were linked by recurring characters, but the films tended to be isolated from one another. It was nice to see things that were established in the previous film - such as Bond's relationship with Felix Leiter (Wright) - carry over and have an effect on events in this movie.

I was struck by how visually beautiful this Bond film was. Some of the color schemes and cinematography were striking - especially the desolation surrounding the climactic confrontation.

The film is long and drags along at points, especially in the middle. So that's one in the "con" column. At several points, just as it seems like it's picking up momentum, it slows back down again. Some scenes felt excruciatingly long to reveal a plot point that could have been found some other way. In this case, I'm thinking specifically of the long air battle in the desert which eventually leads to Bond discovering the secret water reservoir.

Despite the somewhat choppy pacing, "Quantum of Solace" does manage to keep the tension very high. The stake-out at the opera house is a great scene with some fantastic cat-and-mouse drama mixed with small-but-effective.

You don't have to be a huge James Bond fan to enjoy this movie, but it will definitely help. "Casino Royale" is essential viewing first, though. I wouldn't recommend this as a starting-off point for Bond rookies, either.

Cowboys and Aliens

Directed by: Jon Favreau

Written by:

- Screenplay: Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby

- Screen story: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Steve Oedekerk

- Comic book: Scott Mitchell Rosenberg

There are few things that capture the pre-adolescent male mind more than cowboys. One of those things, though, may be aliens. Jon Favreau asks: why not both?

Jake Lonergan (Craig) awakens in the New Mexico desert with no memory of his past and a strange metal bracelet attached to his wrist. He wanders into the nearest town to try to put the pieces together, only to see aliens abduct several people of the city. With the help of Doc (Rockwell), the lovely but mysterious Ella Swenson (Wilde), and Woodrow "biggest cattle rancher in town" Dolarhyde (Ford), Lonergan chases after the aliens to rescue the missing people.

Favreau's film attempts to balance the tropes of both the western ("Cowboys") and science fiction ("Aliens") genres. The exposition draws on western film tradition - a lone gunman wanders into town and upsets the status quo - while also remaining fresh and original. The resolution is also gleaned from past westerns, although it slips slightly into the cliché. In fact, the whole plot culls from the annuls of the great American western film tradition. But, the action and effects - which make up a significant chunk of the screen time - are totally science fiction. It's amazing how the two styles were sewn together almost seamlessly.

The actors were, generally speaking, great for their roles. Sam Rockwell felt out of place for the first half of the film, although that may have had more to do with his character than with his performance. Olivia Wilde's character - and the fact that no one in town noticed her presence - also struck a false chord, although (without spoiling anything) it does get explained away later in the film. Craig and Ford were both top-notch and it was good to see Ford back in the action genre.

The special effects were good, but they were not outstanding. I was not blown away by any sequences in the film, which I had been expecting. On that end, I was disappointed. I was hoping for at least one earth-shattering effect, but, alas.

In general, kudos to Jon Favreau for making a pretty wonderful film. It gave exactly what it advertised - "Cowboys and Aliens" - and even a little more than I expected.