Editor’s Note: The following reflects the opinions of the author.
“Skyfall,” the newest James Bond movie, starts and ends as exciting as viewers would expect.
Consistent with other James Bond movies, the action begins immediately with a chase through crowds, a roof top motorcycle ride and a lethal conflict on top of a train.
When Bond is shown again, he is alive and well, thriving in a Turkish paradise. He shows no intention of returning to England until he discovers the chaos he has left behind. His return demonstrates great loyalty to M, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, as he very well could have chosen to remain in his personal haven.
Upon returning, he discovers that the British Secret Intelligent Service is the victim of a “sadistic game” with M as the culprit’s primary target. Despite his not being ready to return to the field, he embarks on his mission to seek out the criminal mastermind.
Javier Bardem – best known as the hitman Anton Chigurh in “No Country for Old Men” – plays Bond’s newest villain Raoul Silva, a former Secret Intelligence agent who blames M for the troubles that came upon him on his last mission. He is determined to destroy her, as he feels she has destroyed him.
The rest of the movie follows his plot to eliminate M, a plan that was obviously years in the making.
Bardem delivers an excellent and compelling performance as Silva. His character proves to be emotionally deep and exceptionally crafty as well as multi-dimensional. The audience can never know exactly what to expect from him as one moment he fantasizes about M’s death and the next he is almost coddling her.
Silva is perhaps the most interesting of the newer Bond villains. Though he demonstrates immense and crazed anger at M, each action is chosen with careful cunning. He is consistently one step ahead of Bond and his cohorts, but at times letting them believe he has fallen behind.
Silva could easily triumph over Bond if he could ever be willing to let go of his personal fears and shortcomings.
Daniel Craig and Judi Dench’s return as Bond and M does not disappoint. This movie offers a better view into the dynamics at work between the two of them as well as glimpses into his childhood and a small amount of exposure to genuine feelings.
Regardless of genre preference, this is a thrilling movie for all mature audiences.
“Skyfall,” the newest edition to the James Bond series, is in the IG Greer Auditorium Thursday through Saturday for $1. The APPS sponsored event has showing at 7 and 9:45 p.m.
Rating: Four of four stars.
Story: CHELLA MCLELLAND, Intern A&E Reporter