“American Beauty” director Sam Mendes has just done the impossible; he made a better James Bond movie than “Casino Royale.” That one set the bar for Bond movies so high that it shouldn’t have been a surprise “Quantum of Solace” didn’t fare as well, but “Skyfall” gets my vote for being one of the very best in the long running series. It continues with giving us a darker and more edgy 007 as portrayed by the terrific Daniel Craig, and it also brings back some of the things fans felt were missing from the last two films like the gadgets, the gags and (of all people) Q.

“Skyfall” starts off with a bang as we catch up with Bond in Turkey where he is on the trail of a man who has stolen a hard drive containing the identities of undercover agents. While trying to retrieve the drive, Bond is accidentally shot by fellow agent Eve (Naomie Harris) and presumed dead. But this being the beginning of the movie, we know that isn’t the case as we soon see him in retirement getting drunk off his ass and deeply resentful of the situation M (Judi Dench) has put him in. But when MI6 is suddenly destroyed, Bond forces himself to come back to active  duty, and he soon discovers that his and M’s nemesis has a very personal connection to them both.

The movie does take its time to get going which is the only real beef I had with “Skyfall,” but in retrospect it was worth it. Craig’s Bond has never been a superhuman hero but a vulnerable agent with weaknesses he can’t fully hide. As we watch him retrain, Craig shows us that his Bond is deeply troubled and almost bent on self-destruction. It’s his duty to the country of England which manages to keep him relatively sane. This is Craig’s third outing as 007, and I still think he’s the best thing to happen to this series in a long time.

But this time Craig has a little more fun playing Bond as he gets to crack a joke or two. At the same time, he thankfully never lets 007 descend into camp or turn him into a standup comedian with a gun. For the most part his take on the role has been deadly serious, so seeing him loosen up (if only a little) here has its advantages. I don’t think it’s too much to say that Craig should get an Oscar nomination for his work here.

When it comes to my favorite James Bond movies, they are usually the ones where things get very personal for 007 and those around him. When that happens, they become more emotionally involving and exciting for me to watch as there is more at stake than just defeating the bad guy or gal. That is especially the case with “Skyfall” as it delves into the past of its main characters in a way I don’t think any Bond movie has done before. The script by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan (“Hugo,” “Coriolanus” and “Gladiator”) places most of its emphasis on relationships, especially on the one between Bond and M. It is that emphasis that makes this film all the more riveting to watch.

Dame Judi Dench, who has played M since Pierce Brosnan first played 007 in “Goldeneye,” benefits here especially as her character is given a more severe complexity than what we have seen previously. Dench has always been superb as M, but ever since Craig came into the series she has been a fireball as she starts out with a powerfully brazen attitude which never ever lets up. But here we see the seams in her controlled nature as the past catches up with her in an especially nasty way. Dench nails every moment she has in “Skyfall” perfectly, and she makes M an especially fascinating character to watch this time around.

“Skyfall” also has the advantage of having not just one but two terrific Bond girls: Naomie Harris and Bérénice Marlohe. Harris, best known for her roles in “28 Days Later” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, shares a sizzling chemistry and playfulness with Craig especially in the scene where she gives him a very close shave. As for Marlohe, she’s a knockout as she makes her character of Sévérine as enigmatic as she is beautiful. When Bond asks for the name of her employer, that look of utter fear which crosses her face is an unforgettable acting moment as it sets up the grand introduction of the movie’s chief villain.

That chief villain is  Raoul Silva, and he is played by Javier Bardem in such a deliciously evil performance. It should be no surprise that Bardem is so brilliantly unnerving here as this is the same actor who won an Oscar for playing Anton Chigurh in “No Country for Old Men,” but Silva is an especially twisted soul to witness in action. This isn’t a villain bent on world domination but instead on avenging a betrayal which made him what he is today. Bardem actually doesn’t make his first appearance until well into the film, but he has an unforgettable entrance where he tells a story involving rats. The villains in Bond movies always have great stories to tell, and Silva’s proves to be one of the series’ most memorable.

And yes, we do get to see the return of Q to the series as played here by Ben Whishaw (“Cloud Atlas”). Whishaw is splendid in the role as he skillfully underplays the role to where he successfully makes it his own. Unlike the late (and still missed) Desmond Llewellyn, this Q is not quite in a position to admonish Bond on a regular basis. Whishaw however is able to match wits with Craig and hold his own in a way Q has not always been able to do previously, and he is a lot of fun to watch here as a result.

Mendes remains a masterful director, and he manages to balance out the action and the story in “Skyfall” to great effect. I also applaud him for not letting this Bond adventure turn into a clone of a Jason Bourne movie. That proved to be a big problem with “Quantum of Solace” as the shaky cam got to be a bit too much, but Mendes is perfectly aware that while Jason Bourne is Jason Bourne, Bond has been around long enough to where he doesn’t need to copy him. The opening sequence gets the movie off to a thrilling start, and it shows that Mendes has a talent for filming adrenaline pumping action scenes as he does in directing actors to great performances.

The movie also features a terrific score by Thomas Newman and one of the best Bond theme songs in a long time performed by Adele. The song “Skyfall” brings back the classic Bond song sound that singers like Shirley Bassey made famous with “Goldfinger,” and it fits  the movie’s story perfectly. And while I miss David Arnold who has composed the music for the Bond movies since “Tomorrow Never Dies,” Newman’s work here is exceptional as it sounds unlike any score he has done previously. It’s always a thrill to see a composer step outside of their comfort zone to do something a little different.

I don’t think that I have ever seen a James Bond movie I didn’t like, and even the worst of them prove to be very entertaining to watch. But it is such a thrill to see a 007 adventure where all the elements come together in a way that feels so fulfilling. “Skyfall” is not only one of the best Bond movies ever made, but also one of best films of 2012. It took four years to get this 007 adventure to the big screen, but it was well worth the wait.

* * * * out of * * * *

Pay Cable Provider EPIX has released the trailer, poster and first clip for their upcoming documentary celebrating 50 years of James Bond called "Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007". The documentary is celebrating the 50th anniversary of James Bond with the premiere of their exclusive documentary EVERYTHING OR NOTHING: THE UNTOLD STORY OF 007 -- premiering Friday, October 5th at 8:00pm ET only on EPIX!

"Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007": Official Trailer

Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 - Pierce Brosnan

Sony Pictures and MGM news announced news regarding the upcoming release of new James Bond film "Skyfall". Hopefully, it will be a lot better then the last film, "Quantum of Solace".

Joining Daniel Craig and Judi Dench this time around will be Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris,Berenice Marlohe. The filmmakers has also announced that Ben Whishaw and veteran actors Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney have joined the cast.

The 23rd Bond film "SkyFall" will start production on November 7th with a targeted North American release date set for November 9th, 2012.

Press Release:

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today presented the cast of the 23rd James Bond adventure, entitled SKYFALL. The film, from Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Academy Award® winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan. SKYFALL, which goes into production on Monday, November 7th, will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th 2012 and in North America on November 9th 2012.

Joining Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Director Sam Mendes were members of the cast of SKYFALL, including: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw.

In SKYFALL, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

"We're so delighted to have Sam Mendes direct SKYFALL and be working once again with Daniel Craig. We've a great script, an extraordinary cast and an incredibly talented creative team for this latest James Bond adventure," said Wilson and Broccoli.

The Director of Photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar® nominee who previously shot the films Jarhead and Revolutionary Road for Mendes. The Production Designer is Oscar® winner Dennis Gassner, who previously designed Quantum of Solace and collaborated with Mendes on the films Road to Perdition and Jarhead. The Editor is Stuart Baird, A.C.E., whose many credits include Casino Royale. Jany Temime, whose many credits include the Harry Potter series, In Bruges, and Children of Men, is the Costume Designer. Action specialist Alexander Witt is the 2nd Unit Director. Gary Powell is Stunt Co-ordinator, Chris Corbould is SFX Supervisor and Steve Begg is Visual Effects Supervisor, all of whom have worked on previous Bond films.

Here's some news that I've been personally been waiting for, the return of James Bond. MGM and EON Productions yesterday announced the date that James Bond is returning to the big screen.

Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions, together with Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, Co-Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., today announced that the 23rd James Bond film will commence production in late 2011 for a worldwide release on November 9, 2012.

Daniel Craig will be returning as the legendary British secret agent, with Sam Mendes directing a screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan.

Photo Source: Sony Pictures

So what’s all this talk about wanting to “old Bond” back? A lot of talk about the latest Bond movie, “Quantum Of Solace,” is that they miss the Bond who had all the gadgets, knew all the best wines, had his shaken not stirred martinis, and always bedded the most beautiful of women. Wait a second, isn’t that what we were all getting sick of after “Die Another Day?” Didn’t we want to see the Bond series revitalized? Isn’t that why “Casino Royale” was so damn good? That it didn’t give us the same old Bond and gave us a tough new one who you could for once say honestly was the best one since Sean Connery. Roger Ebert in his review of this movie said that he wanted the producers that James Bond is not an action hero. Not an action hero? Is that what you see here Roger? Because that’s not what I see here at all. Instead, I see a man who is devastated by loss and betrayal, and who is trying to keep his head on straight to his duty while trying to get his revenge. Maybe when we get the next Bond movie, we can get the Bond we know back, but this one has issues to sort through, and we cannot just see him throw those to the wind just because many of us expect the same old thing even after being sick of it for so long.

“Quantum of Solace,” as I’m sure you all know by now, is not the equal of “Casino Royale.” That previous Bond film was easily the best one in ages, and it did set the bar higher than we had ever expected for the next Bond movie. The early reviews for Daniel Craig’s second go around as 007 had me curbing my expectations before going to the theater, but I probably should stay in the habit of curtailing my expectations in general. It is a flawed Bond movie that has several problems that might derail any other movie, but what keeps it afloat is Daniel Craig’s great work as Bond, and how he gives an MI6 agent who is not just going through the motions. That, and his great interplay with M, played by the always great Dame Judy Dench.

“Quantum Of Solace” is a first in the Bond series in that it is the first direct sequel to the previous Bond movie, starting off just mere moments after Bond nearly shot off Mr. White’s leg in “Casino Royale.” The movie literally starts off with a bang as James Bond is in a high speed chase with minions of Mr. White right on his tail. This brings me to one of my criticisms which I kind of see as a double edged sword. A lot of the action scenes are filmed with a lot of the same shaky camera work we expect from movies like “The Bourne Ultimatum.” Seeing a James Bond movie instantly remind you of a Jason Bourne movie is not a good sign. At the same time, it gives the action sequences here a visceral urgency to where you feel those car crashes instead of just passively watching them. I love that!

The QUANTUM of the main title of the movie refers to the new evil organization that is the SPECTRE of the new millennium. Their goal is (of course) world domination and control over everything they can sell at a high price. As a result, the Bond villain of this movie is a man who wants control the world’s last natural resource, but it’s not the one that you would think. As played by Mathieu Amalric (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”), Dominic Greene speaks to the public of saving the planet from global warming, but then we see him talk to an Army general about how they managed to talk some sense into the local government about not raising the minimum wage for workers since it would cut into his profits. Basically, he’s like the head of Wal Mart and someone we want to see get a huge bitch slap on a regular basis, perfect for today’s James Bond movie.

As Bond villains go, Dominic Greene is far from being one of the most threatening of the bunch, and he will not go down as one of the most memorable. Still, I love that glint of anger and overconfidence that Mathieu gets in his eyes, and he brilliantly shows to be the mirror to his ever so greedy soul. His work is more great proof of how some of the best screen acting can be done without saying a word. Seeing him getting pissed when Bond spoils his well laid plans is a kick.

The Bond girl this time around is Camille, and she is played by Olga Kurylenko. As Bond girls go, she will also not go down as one of the most memorable, but she is far from being one of the worst. Her performance during the first part of the movie is a little too stiff, and her character is a little underwritten. As the movie goes on though, she does get better when you get at her real motives which involve revenge against those who took her family away from her. The parallel between Camille and Bond are that they are both going after the same thing, vengeance. It makes their relationship towards the end of the movie all the more interesting. Olga may not hold a candle to Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd, but not many could anyway, so holding that against her is not entirely fair.

But the real key relationship of the movie is between Bond and M. The scenes between Craig and Dench are some of the best in the movie, and it is no love affair between these two. It’s a mother and son kind of relationship if you can picture as both being estranged from one another, and then trying to get back on track with each other. M wants to trust Bond but feels as though she cannot, and Bond wants to go after the one who almost had M killed. Talk about tough love.

Dame Judy Dench has been playing M since Pierce Brosnan debuted as Bond in “Goldeneye,” and it should be more than clear now that she has been a huge asset to this series. She has continued to be a strong presence in the long running franchise, and she has gotten even better since Daniel Craig took over the role. M is the kind of person who is not about take any bullshit from anybody no matter what country they come from or what government agency they represent. Dench is a real pleasure to watch in just about anything she does, and I love how she easily intimidates her male assistants who tremble in her presence. Her interplay with Craig is great, and they make for a great couple (albeit an unmarried one) in these films.

The movie also features some other strong performances that need to be noted. Jeffrey Wright returns again as Felix Leiter, the first actor to play the role consecutively in close to 20 years. His cool approach to the role is great, and hopefully we will see him playing Felix again in the next one. Giancarlo Giannini also returns from “Casino Royale” as Mathis. His role here could have been problematic as his character had betrayed Bond in the last film, and having him be the only person Bond can trust at the middle of this one could have been far fetched to say the least. But thanks to Giannini’s performance, the character’s presence is believable and welcome as his sadness over the death of Vesper gets him to team up with Bond. His final moment with Bond is actually quite touching as he encourages Bond to forgive Vesper and himself. These character moments in Bond films never get quite as much credit as the stunts, and “Quantum Of Solace” has them even while it could have used more of them to give us a rest from the action scenes.

Marc Forster, best known for movies like “Monster’s Ball” and “Finding Neverland,” takes on the directing chores this time around. He almost seems as unlikely a choice to direct a Bond movie as was Michael Apted when he came in to direct “The World Is Not Enough.” His handling of the action sequences gets frustratingly confusing at times as the editing is done in a very rapid fire kind of way, but they are still thrilling sequences if you can get past that. Marc doesn’t really bring anything new to the franchise, but he does keep things going at a steady pace. At under 2 hours long, this is the shortest James Bond movie ever made (although it did feel longer than that). Given how stringent the Broccoli family is about keeping the Bond movies confined to a certain formula, I’m not sure how much breathing room Forster was given with this one.

Screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are back along with Paul Haggis who is doing his usual polish here on the script. Their work here is not as strong as it was on “Casino Royale,” and the characters in that one are what really made the movie so good as it benefited all the other elements of the film like the action sequences. “Quantum Of Solace” seems to exist more for the action sequences than the story which is a little frustrating, but they do still keep the central character of Bond very interesting and complex. They deal with the different layers of Bond and keep him from being simply one-dimensional. There is some good character work here, but a lot of minor characters suffer because of it, and not everything is as fleshed out as it could have been.

I also want to point out that David Arnold has been composing the scores for the Bond movies since “Tomorrow Never Dies.” I love his work in this franchise and how his scores really complement the action scenes in their ferocity. I also admire how he was able to move over seamlessly from the Brosnan Bonds to the Craig Bond movies in that he didn’t simply repeat the same musical themes over and over again. I ended up buying the soundtrack a couple of days before the movie was released, and it is a great listen for my money.

Speaking of music, I should bring up the title song to movie called “Another Way To Die” which is performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys. Everybody is trashing it, but it’s actually not bad. I like the fact that it actually sticks in the mind as opposed to other theme songs that go in one ear and out the other. Can you remember Sheryl Crow’s theme song for “Tomorrow Never Dies?” Off the top of my head, I sure can’t. I can barely remember Tina Turner’s theme for “Goldeneye,” and that was written by Bono and the edge for Christ’s sake!

In the end, “Quantum Of Solace” is not one of the best Bond movies, but it is not one of the worst. It has problems with the script and some of the characters could have been better developed, but the things that did work won me over for the most part. The one element that really made the movie work was Daniel Craig who continues to do great work as Bond. Craig gives the iconic character a rough edge and dimensions that were not as present in the character before. No, he is not the old Bond that we grew up with, but I am fine with that because this one is far more interesting. Stop whining about wanting the old Bond back. He may come back with the next movie now that Bond has moved on from his revenge cycle, but at the same time, I hope Craig doesn’t lose any of the edge he brings to the role.

Whatever happens here will be very interesting even if we have to wait another few years. All the same, JAMES BOND WILL RETURN…

*** out of ****

I keep hearing over and over again that Sean Connery was the best James Bond and still is. Yet of all the actors who played Bond, I have only seen a few of his. Until yesterday, the only ones I had seen were “From Russia With Love” which is all you need to show me of how great Connery was, and the rogue Bond movie called “Never Say Never Again.” The Bond that I really got weaned on as a kid was Roger Moore who played the character like a flamboyant playboy who got caught up in events that you would think he had no business being in. But somehow, he managed to get the job done with great special effects to match.

Yesterday, the New Beverly Cinema (one of my most favorite theaters in the LA area) had a double feature of the first two Bond movies ever made: “Dr. No” & “From Russia With Love.” I had seen bits and pieces of “Dr. No” before, but never the whole way through. Watching this film today, it kind of seems like an average Bond with the megalomaniac villain bent on world domination. I was starting to get sick of that in the last few of the Pierce Brosnan Bonds. It helps to keep in mind though what action movies were like before James Bond came along. Compared to “Dr. No,” they were nowhere as gritty. Shooting female characters in a film was a no no back then, and this Bond quickly did that unwritten rule away. There was a lot more going on than just your average good guy here. I can’t believe it took me this long to get around to seeing this one. While it may appear to be something of an average film for those seeing it today, “Dr. No” was in many ways a groundbreaking film which led to a franchise that has lasted longer than just about any other.

OK, I am in agreement, nobody played James Bond better than Sean Connery (Daniel Craig is right up there though). Sean’s first appearance as 007 in the film was brilliantly shot to where you could see him at the card playing table, but you didn’t see his face until he uttered some of the most famous lines in movie history:

“Bond. James Bond.”

My dad is always kept telling me that what made Sean so great in this role is that he was so believable in how he could romance a woman one second, and then come around and slap her when she was holding back information from him. There was a raw danger to the character that Connery brought to the role, and he set the bar almost impossibly high for others to match what he did. The beginning of the movie where he lets a driver take him to his destination, even though he knows that the driver is up to no good, shows how quickly Bond can change from being suave and debonair to lethal and dangerous in a second. This Bond (for the most part anyway) keeps his cool and manages to get his way in the end. The bad guys think they have him, but that’s what he wants them to think.

It is endlessly interesting to see how far the Bond movies have come from watching this one. “Dr. No” still remains the only Bond movie never to have a pre-titles scene like all the others. It just goes right into the whole looking through the scope as Bond shoots right at us. The titles look cheesy today as “Dr. No” and “007” are put everywhere on the screen. It was the first of many opening credits sequences designed by Maurice Binder, and this one is the most disjointed of the bunch. It goes from the unforgettable Monty Norman theme we all know to some other song while dancers dance all over the screen to three men superimposed over the credits to the tune of “Three Blind Mice.” The audience at the New Beverly laughed this up a bit, and I couldn’t help but laugh myself. Things have changed a lot since this one came out.

Seeing the flirting relationship between Bond and Miss Moneypenny (the late Lois Maxwell) here makes me miss the banter these two characters have had over the series. Miss Moneypenny was not in “Casino Royale,” and I have no idea if we will see her again in the future, but seeing these characters here for the first time reminded me of how great and fun their banter was until M buzzed her so that things could stay professional.

Bond in this film actually gets to bed several different ladies instead of just one. Connery makes seduction look so easy to do. The fact that it isn’t in real life is utterly frustrating. That lucky bastard had a selection before he came to meet the first Bond girl, Honey Rider played by Ursula Andress whose entrance in her flesh colored bikini is still one for the ages. Her entrance also marked the first time Bond actually sang in a movie. It also hasn’t happened again since this one. I can’t help but wonder if that was a good or bad thing. I can’t quite picture Timothy Dalton singing “Thunderball.”

One of Bond’s first death-defying moments in movie history involved a tarantula, and just typing out that word sends shivers down me spine! UGGH! This may have been why I never got around to seeing this movie earlier. Those damn things creep me out like nothing else. Get that thing away from me! Easily one of the scariest moments in any Bond movie, the tension escalates so quickly that the rest of the movie can’t quite match it. It wouldn’t be the last time we saw these things in a Bond movie. My brother covered my eyes during that one scene in “Octopussy.” The less said the better.

Watching “Dr. No” was fun, and it is an excellent Bond movie in a lot of ways. Time has not been exactly kind to it though. We can see the green screen being used, so we have to snicker some. The pace is a lot more leisurely, and that would not be the case in any Bond movie today. That Bond theme is played throughout the movie endlessly to where you almost get sick of it. The music scores for the future films kept building up the different themes in inherent in the story. It also got a little ridiculous as the Bond theme started to sound all disco.
The print that the New Beverly Cinema had of “Dr. No” was in peak condition despite being separated in parts. It was actually a recent printing down for the occasion of United Artists’ 90th Anniversary, so it was great to see it on the big screen in this version. From here, the Bond series really had nowhere to go but up. The formula was more or less perfected with the next one ‘From Russia With Love,” and that has more or less been fooled around with over the years. I enjoyed “Dr. No,” but I think it laid groundwork for better Bond films to come. It’s not perfect, but it was still groundbreaking, and it is still exciting and enjoyable.

***1/2 out of ****

From ComingSoon.net


Sony Pictures has announced that the official title for the 22nd James Bond installment is Quantum of Solace. The title is taken from one of a collection of short stories published by 007 creator Ian Fleming in 1960.

The new film sees 007 (Daniel Craig) out for revenge on a mission that takes him to Austria, Italy and South America. Bond girl Camille, played by Ukrainian-born Olga Kurylenko, leads the secret agent to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), member of a mysterious organization and a ruthless businessman, seeking to control huge natural resources.

The plot follows on directly from Casino Royale, as Bond aims to uncover the truth about Vesper, the beauty who betrayed him, and discovers that she had been blackmailed.

"James Bond is after revenge, and Camille is after revenge and they have slightly different goals, but in the end they are going to have to collaborate," Kurylenko said.

At a press conference at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, reporters were shown a minute of footage from the new film, including Bond swinging on a rope after an explosion at an art gallery in Siena, Italy. Another scene showed him meeting M, played by Dame Judi Dench, outside in the snow.

Kurylenko says she will play a very different Bond girl. She has yet to film any scenes, but is working hard preparing for her role.

"I'm doing weapons training and body flight training for aerial scenes and stunt work for fighting," she said. "My days are so long, and it's very physical. She's a fighter. This girl is going to kick ass. She's on her own mission and she's driven by revenge." Actress Gemma Arterton plays an MI6 agent in the film and has already shot her love scenes with 007. She said, "I felt like a giggly girl, and I felt so young and inexperienced - but I kissed James Bond!"

The 21-year-old said her Bond role is "not so frolicksome" and her character "fresh and young, not sultry and a femme fatale".

Quantum of Solace hits theaters on November 7.