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| Sure-fire hit: Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall |
Ballsy, brainy and brilliant. Those three words could easily be attributed to the new James Bond movie Skyfall and leading man Daniel Craig, whose third outing as the super-spy is arguably his most impressive yet. However, they are in fact referring to Judi Dench’s superb portrayal of MI6 boss, M. At 77, she’s still a force to be reckoned with – providing humour, charm, pathos and a nail-biting slice of the action.
Skyfall hinges on the relationship between 007 and M, which is put to the test when a figure from her past comes back for revenge. This gives the film an emotional grounding – something we’re not used to seeing in a Bond movie. There are all the familiar components: the girls, the gadgets, and the cars. Yet these are given a modern twist, as director Sam Mendes gives a wink and a nod to some well-loved parts of the Bond canon.
Running at over two hours, Skyfall maintains a thrilling pace and beautiful vision right from the opening credits to the revelatory ending. It is only the product placement that momentarily takes you out of the experience. Overall, Mendes has created the Bond movie everyone wanted. Daniel Craig is back on form (and has regained his sense humour), Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw bring wit and warmth to their parts, and Javier Bardem delivers a deliciously wicked performance as the villain. It is Judi Dench, however, who quietly steals the show.
INTERESTING FACT: Bond needed the Stig for some of his action sequences - former Top Gear star Ben Collins was enlisted to help with the driving stunts.
