As much as my guy and I enjoy watching movies, we rarely get out and actually go to the theater. But, every once in a while, there is a movie that we simply can’t wait months to see. It only happens a few times a year, and one of those times occurred this weekend.
So, what made us get out and enjoy an afternoon at the movies?
Bond. James Bond.
I grew up watching all of the 007 movies because my father is an avid Bond fan. I probably can’t even count the times I woke up and walked downstairs only to discover my dad watching a Bond film again—I say again because I’m quite certain he’s seen every single flick at least a dozen times.
Each of the twenty-three installments in the Bond franchise has a few key components: the sexy, fearless, suit-wearing, and martini-drinking covert operative known as 007; a gorgeous, seductive, and oftentimes somewhat evil Bond Girl; state-of-the-art gadgets and a tricked out Aston Martin; lots and lots of action sequences; and one bad *insert expletive here* villain.
In the fifty years of Bond, six actors have played the iconic role—Sean Connery, Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and the most recent, Daniel Craig.
Me? I’m a Sean Connery girl; he’s my favorite Bond. But, I won’t lie… Daniel Craig is slowly but surely creeping up to Sir Connery’s status. When it was announced almost a decade ago that a blonde-haired, blue-eyed man would play the role of 007, I was one of the naysayers. Bond isn’t blonde. How is this going to work?
Well, it works. Really well. All three of the films starring Mr. Craig have been some of my favorites in the franchise. All Bonds are action-packed and entertaining, but there’s just something about Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall that has left this girl continuing to want more from the franchise… and from Mr. Craig.
My guy and I waited to see Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace until the films were available for us to watch at home, but not Skyfall. Why? Because we heard from more than one source that this Bond was the BEST BOND EVER. With a statement like that, how could we not go check it out? So, we headed out to the theater this weekend and bought two tickets to Bond. James Bond.
Now, I won’t go as far to say it is the best Bond ever, but it was pretty darn good. For those that haven’t seen it yet, I don’t want to give away any spoilers in this blog post, so I’ll only mention a few of the key elements.
First, there’s the obvious… 007 himself. Daniel Craig has it all. He’s sexy, loyal, and fearless, something he proves in one of the opening scenes of the movie. Like I said, I don’t want to give anything away, but let me just say that this moment made me cringe and watch out of the corner of my eye… there’s a scorpion involved, but that’s all anyone is going to get out of me.
Next, there’s the token Bond Girl. However, this time there are really two… First, we have the traditional damsel and somewhat evil woman James happens upon while working his case that he falls into bed with. And next, we have the not-so-traditional female spy working alongside 007, who of course has an intense sexual chemistry with the MI6 agent. Her name goes without mention until the very end, and let me add that it was an Ah-Ha moment for me.
As with any Bond flick, there is also the fun, yet deadly gadgets… but not so many this time. My favorite? James’ “smart” gun that will only fire after it confirms his fingerprint as identification. And, no Bond film would be complete without James’ Aston Martin—the DB5. Some may recognize it from an older movie in the franchise, but the reasoning behind why James takes it out of storage will make perfect sense later on in the movie… and man, it is still one good-looking car.
Then, there’s the action. Skyfall literally starts out with a high-speed motorcycle chase on the rooftops in Istanbul. First, I’m not exaggerating when I say ON the rooftops. And secondly, I actually nailed the fact they were in Istanbul at the time. How? I have no idea. I’m horrible with geography. So, I’m kind of proud of myself… but back to Bond.
And, finally, there’s the bad *insert expletive here* villain. Oh, my goodness. Multiple people raved about Javier Bardem’s portrayal as Silva in the movie, and they weren’t kidding. Let me say it again: oh, my goodness. He may not be the most evil James has ever faced, but he is right up there. What makes Silva’s character one of my favorites is just how likable he is—even as the villain. A tip of the hat to you, Mr. Bardem. You play one evil dude. And, I like it.
Skyfall definitely keeps the franchise alive… and I hope we have more James with Mr. Craig.
What do you think? Have you seen Skyfall? What did you think of Javier Bardem’s portrayal? I’d love to hear from you!
Tiffany A White's Ooo Factor 