Bond’s brilliant licence to thrill
DANIELCRAIGis back for his third Bond adventure in Skyfall and, having taken 007 back to his roots with 2006’s Casino Royale, he’s swiftly making this most iconic of roles his own.
Having never known much about Bond’s past (other than vague references to orphanhood), Skyfall takes the now familiar superhero tack of sowing the seeds of an origin story. Mcruelly refers to him as ‘‘an unmarried employee with no next of kin’’, and, in the spirit of the Dark Knight pictures, this added dimension suddenly turns the Bond of yore into a multi-dimensional, vulnerablehumanbeingwecan really care about.
DirectorSamMendes ( American Beauty) is a theatremanat heart, and no doubt regulars likeDame Judi Dench (who has continued as a femaleMfor seven films) were as delighted to work with him as newbies Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw (the latest incarnation ofQ as a foppish IT nerd).
Andthe villain! Javier Bardem joins the great tradition of Bond baddies, exquisite as the disgruntled ex-employee with a gripe against management.
Of course, there are chases and girls. But how refreshing that nowadays Bond girls can fight for themselves. Brit Naomie Harris ( 28 Days Later) is the epitome of beauty, brains and sassy charm – when Bond flirts with her he doesn’t seem creepy, but understandably enchanted.
There’s more to this latest adventure than the stock in trade of the early Bonds – and even though much is made of various characters getting old and creaky, they’ll be renewing Bond’s licence for years to come.