2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the James Bond movie franchise, "Skyfall" is the 23rd movie in the series, and Daniel Craig is on board for the third time as 007, and this movie is really a wild ride.
The "MacGuffin" in this movie is a computer hard drive that contains the names of over fifty MI6 agents who are embedded in the field. The bad guys threatens to keep releasing the names of these agents, which would not only put their lives in danger, but would severely compromise British national security world wide. Who to turn to? Well, "Bond, James Bond" is the obvious answer, but too many people in high places are questioning whether Bond's and MI6's old ways of doing things are outdated. As one young MI6 whippersnapper puts it, "I can do more damage at a laptop in my pajamas before my morning tea than you can with your way of doing things". However, later in the movie, one character says "Sometimes, the old ways are still the best", and that is exactly what Bond and his boss, M, set out to prove.
Along the way, we see a spectacular chase scene to open the movie, Bond engaging the bad guys in skyscraper, in an Asian casino, a London subway tunnel, a Parliamentary hearing room, and on the Scottish moors. All of these scenes are wildly implausible, of course, but they make for great fun and terrific movie viewing. This movie is a great improvement over the last one, "Quantum of Solace". Craig makes a very good James Bond, and I have to mention that the villain in this one is played by Javier Bardem with the same maniacal intensity as he showed in his Oscar winning role in "No Country For Old Men" a few years back. Evil incarnate. And as is typical of this series, when the movie ends, the credits begin with the message - "James Bond Will Return." Good news for all of us.
In a completely silly train of thought, about halfway through the movie I began thinking of Bond as a "double-naught spy". Daniel Craig may be no Sean Connery (as Mrs. Grandstander always points out), but he does have it all over Max Baer, Jr.
Next week: "Lincoln".
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