Just a quick post from the road to let you folks know I pulled the last two posts detailing the upcoming Bond film SKYFALL, to consolidate them into one bigger post. This is the format we will follow whenever we do a preview of an upcoming film. It echoes our movie review format. Please see below:
SKYFALL (Release Date: 11/2/12 in the U.S,; 10/26/12 in the U.K.)
CAST: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Berenice Marlohe, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Ola Rapace, Ben Whishaw, Helen McCrory, Tonia Sotiropolou.
DIRECTOR: Sam Mendes
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and one testosterone-driven British spy - straight ahead
IT'S LIKE THIS: In his 23rd adventure, perennial daredevil playboy James Bond (Daniel Craig) of Her Majesty's, uh, MI-6 finds himself dealing with his boss M's (Judi Dench) dark past when some nasty business from her CV comes back to bite her in the tushie. Throw in a mysterious bad guy named Silva (Javier Bardem), an even more mysterious half-Chinese chick called Severine (Berenice Marlohe) who may or may not be helping Silva, and yet another "Female Bond" in the form of field agent Eve (Naomie Harris), and you've got one of the most serpentine Bond thrillers since THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH. With locations in England, Scotland, Turkey, and China, SKYFALL promises to be more of a return to Bondian form than the Bourne-like QUANTUM OF SOLACE. Oh, and Ralph Fiennes is also onboard as Gareth Mallory, M's number two. I guess it's safe to say Fiennes isn't making a cameo appearance. Ahem.
Our boy Bond:
Bond follows Severine in Shanghai:
Silva disguises himself as a London cop:
Eve chases a baddie in Turkey:
Eve shaves Bond in Macau:
Severine makes an "exchange" at Shanghai International Airport:
Severine and her bodyguards leave the airport:
Bond spies on Severine in her Shanghai apartment:
Severine realizes Bond is watching her (hot!):
This time, M and her secrets are at the center of the story:
Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem at the December 2011 press conference that kicked off filming:
Daniel Craig and his two leading ladies, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe, at the December 2011 press conference:
The four leads at the December 2011 press conference:
THE SCOOP: In 2006, the massive success of CASINO ROYALE not only introduced Daniel Craig as a meaner, grittier, more complex James Bond, but also rebooted the franchise to its Ian Fleming-esque roots. And it didn't happen a minute too soon: its predecessor DIE ANOTHER DAY (2002), while an enjoyable and flashy romp, also brought the series one step closer to being a cartoon. In hindsight, its financial success could be seen as disturbing. Is this what audiences are willing to pay to see? An ice palace? A villain who undergoes "gene therapy" and goes from being a North Korean colonel to an Icelandic billionaire mogul in just a few months? A giant space laser that was built and launched in less than a year? A villain with a face full of diamonds? An invisible car? Many folks knock THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH for having Denise Richards play a brainy-but-playful nuclear physicist disarming nukes in Kazakhstan, but she's downright believable compared to the elements in DIE ANOTHER DAY.
Fortunately, the producers of the Bond franchise brought us back to basics and gave us CASINO ROYALE. It was a refreshing return to form and one of the best entries in the series. Still, it is not a perfect movie. Its central romance is confusing. I used to think Eva Green was miscast as Vesper Lynd. Now, however, I realize that the character is just so opaquely-written and difficult to play, what with all of the different levels and hidden agendas. I suppose a more expressive actress than Green might have been able to essay Vesper properly, but I tend to think now that the fault really lies with the script. Vesper should've been limned more carefully by the writers. Even with this flaw, though, CASINO ROYALE remains a sterling installment in the franchise.
In 2008, QUANTUM OF SOLACE followed, aiming to continue the story of Bond and his quest to uncover the reason behind Vesper's betrayal. QUANTUM OF SOLACE would go on to earn just as much as CASINO ROYALE, both domestically and internationally. But because of a too-lean script and a closer feel to the Jason Bourne movies rather than the Bond films, it is not regarded as well as its predecessor. I happen to like QUANTUM OF SOLACE a lot, but it too has its flaws. By director Marc Forster's insistence on keeping the film to a brisk 106 minutes (the shortest Bond film ever), we lose a lot of potential character development between Bond and his cohorts, most notably the equally-damaged and vengeful Camille played with graceful skill by Olga Kurylenko. In short, QUANTUM OF SOLACE divided audiences sharply, and was not the follow-up to CASINO ROYALE that most people envisioned.
Now we have SKYFALL, which the producers are promising to be a return to form after the interesting misfire of QUANTUM OF SOLACE. It is just appropriate that a Bond film be released in 2012, since it marks the 50th anniversary of the series. Yes, folks, half a century ago in 1962, the first Bond film, DR. NO, was released and started the whole rollercoaster. Now, fifty years later, the series is stronger than ever, with SKYFALL to prove it.
All the traditional Bond elements are here: our hero Bond, a dangerous villain, a female ally, a femme fatale who could be friend or foe, a gallery of colorful supporting characters who are either allies or enemies, globe-trotting locations, exotic gadgets, high-flying stunts... you name it. With noted director Sam Mendes (AMERICAN BEAUTY, ROAD TO PERDITION, AWAY WE GO) at the helm, the production looks very promising. Also, we have a plot that sees M even more involved than she was in THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, which semaphores some interesting developments. There are those who kid that M is the real Bond girl in SKYFALL, and not Eve or Severine. Javier Bardem's villain Silva is also said to be quite formidable, while the Bond Girls themselves seem complex and multi-faceted. In interviews, Berenice Marlohe (who plays Severine) has said that she approached the role as not a Bond girl, but as a unique character in a unique film. Smart woman. Something tells me the women will not be as easy to peg this time around.
There are some additional rumors that I will not share here because they are MAJOR SPOILERS. All I will say is that there is a good chance in SKYFALL that a major recurring character will disappear for good, while a major recurring character (or two) will be introduced. Some things are best kept under wraps. What we do know for certain, based on the stills, reports, and teaser trailer released is that this is one dynamic Bond film. From its vibrant cinematography, to its serpentine and mysterious plotline, to its talented and enthusiastic cast and crew, SKYFALL has the potential to match or eclipse CASINO ROYALE in quality.
In the end, though, we have to wait until this fall to know for sure. But things are looking good. And we'll know a bit more when the longer, full trailer is released in August or so. Until then, we have the previous 22 films to help us to begin the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the most remarkable series in cinema history. And when SKYFALL is released later this year, the celebration will kick up a notch...
In closing, a few YouTube vids from fellow Bond fans that celebrate 50 years of James Bond, his ladies, and their adventures.
And a special tribute to Timothy Dalton, my favorite Bond ever (even more so than Daniel Craig). He only did two films, THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS and LICENCE TO KILL, but they are two of the best in the series. Saluti, Sir Dalton. I get hot just looking at those eyebrows of yours...
Have a great weekend, folks. Hope to post the reviews for THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, CHERNOBYL DIARIES, BATTLESHIP, and DARK SHADOWS by the time we get back.
Ciao....
