Review: Skyfall

Welcome Back Mr. Bond.

50 years. 23 films. 007. Skyfall - the newest outing for the world's most iconic secret agent James Bond (Daniel Craig) - marks a landmark achievement in film history, with the franchise spanning over five decades and still going strong; so no pressure then Mr. Bond! In Skyfall, Bond's loyalty to M (Dame Judy Dench) is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

After 50 years of film history, what is about Bond that makes him so well renowned and enjoyed globally? How is the franchise as relevant today as it was back when Sean Connery first donned the iconic tuxedo in Dr. No? At the centre of each and every Bond film lays the heart and soul of what makes essential mainstream cinema. It's the excitement of escaping into extraordinary world of action and adventure that breaks away from the everyday norm. It's the exotic locations that allow us to see the world's most inspiring locations that we ourselves can't see. It's the glamour and elegance of the expensive cars, gadgets, suits and dresses that allow us to peak into the high life. It's the taboo of having a brief erotic relationship. It's about dreaming of a life that whilst unrealistic isn't entirely implausible, and being able to experience the things that you've always dreamt of. Whilst cinema and the Bond franchise have evolved and changed over time to meet contemporary themes, issues, fears and desires, the essence of every Bond film is timeless, and the pure essence of escapist mainstream cinema. That's why it worked 50 years ago, and that's why it still works today, as the 23rd Bond film Skyfall proves...

Skyfall - celebrating 50 years of 007.

What director Sam Mendes has done with Skyfall, and the reason that it works so well, is take the original formula that made the franchise so iconic, and bring it back to life. Where the last few Daniel Craig Bond films (Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace) completely reinvented the franchise from scratch, setting them prior to all of the previous Bond films, Skyfall takes this new style and brings it together with the franchise's origins to bridge the divide between the two; returning to and reusing, whilst reinventing and revitalising the franchise. It's modern and relevant, but a Bond film that could have been made 50 years ago. Skyfall uses all of the best bits of the last 22 Bond films and crafts the ultimate Bond film; a love letter and the perfect birthday present to a franchise that has entertained generations of people.

Sam Mendes, newcomer to the Bond family, has proved that he was in fact the right man for the job, by crafting a beautifully shot film in which the cinematography is flawless. Exotic locations such as Turkey, Shanghai, and even London and Scotland are presented spectacularly and are immersed into the plot through incredibly impressive and non-stop action set pieces that make the film an adrenaline pumping romp of a ride. The sets of Shanghai in particular, with their vivid colours and bright lights are truly remarkable and I imagine almost unbeatable on IMAX. With these scenes shot on location, including through the streets and tubes of London, and part of the opening fight which takes place atop an actual moving train through Turkey (no stunt double - fair play Mr. Craig), filming Skyfall is an incredibly impressive technical feat of filmmaking and more than deserves that recognition.

Beautiful cinematography and impressive action set pieces bring London to life - Bond Style.

Daniel Craig leads the cast once again as 007, an actor who I've always enjoyed in the role and this time if anything he actually feels more comfortable and at home in the role than ever before. This time round he's joined by a mostly new and very impressive cast of British talents who make up the rest of the ensemble in this very character driven film. Dame Judy Dench reprises her role as M in her most influential and involving role in a Bond film to date, and one that largely drives the narrative and emotional core of the film. Young talent Ben Whishaw brings the role of Q - 007's gadget specialising quartermaster - back to the franchise, providing a refreshing performance that helps to bring film back to its roots; as too does Ralph Fiennes who plays government official Gareth Mallory.

When it comes to the Bond girls, Skyfall impressively boasts two; Bérénice Marlohe who portrays the traditional glamorous sex icon in her part as Sévérine, and Naomie Harris who steals a number of scenes as the hard hitting, strong female agent Eve - bringing a nice contrast to the film with both the old and the new representations of women being present as we celebrate 007 in cinema. And of course, perhaps the most important supporting role of all is that of the villain's, who in this case is portrayed superbly by Hispanic actor Javier Bardem who plays Silva. Unlike the disappointing villain in the previous Bond film Quantum of Solace, Bardem's Silva works brilliantly as the unpredictable, haunting, and above all else camp terrorist villain who is as entertaining as he is edgy; a sort of combination of Heath Ledger's Joker (The Dark Knight) and Norman Bates (Psycho), with a little bit of 'the only gay in the village' thrown in for good measure!

Javier Bardem as the camp and villainous Silva.

It's fair to say that there has been an elated sense of national pride in Britain this year, with the Queen's Jubilee early on in the year, then the London Olympics captivating the Summer (at which 007 himself was in attendance), and now you can add a third reason to that list as we celebrate 50 years of 'Bond, James Bond' in the Birthday present tribute that is one of the most entertaining and satisfying films of the year: Skyfall. With a stellar cast of acting talents including a show stealing performance by Javier Bardem, Skyfall is an exciting and entertaining romp that has more laugh out loud moments than some of this year's comedies, a series of incredible action set pieces, impressive and exotic locations, beautifully shot cinematography and a character driven plot that left me shaken and stirred - it was both everything that I wanted it be, and everything that it needed to be. Skyfall travels back to the roots of the franchise to find the heart and soul of the Bond films and in doing so simultaneously discovers the definition and appeal of escapism and mainstream cinema. Skyfall closes an ongoing theme from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, in which Daniel Craig's Bond searches for himself to define who he is and become the man we know and love - ladies and gentlemen, Bond is back!

Verdict: 5/5

Skyfall (certificate 12A) is now showing in cinemas across the UK.

Have you seen Skyfall? Agree or disagree with my review? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!

Review: The Bourne Legacy

How far could this possibly go? Just how many Legacy's can we get? "Next Summer experience 'The Bourne Legacy Legacy'!?..."*

As the events surrounding Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) transpire chaotically around him (in the original three films), the US government sectors running other projects operating alongside Operation Treadstone must take action to cover their own backs in case Bourne's actions and the government's secrets hit the media and blow up in a big way. Retired Col. Eric Byer, USAF (Edward Norton) - the man in charge of Operation Outcome - is forced by Bourne's actions into closing down their own superhuman programme by killing off all of their agents. However one agent by the name of Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) manages to avoid death, and is now on the run from the forces out to kill him whilst trying to obtain the drugs that he needs to maintain his superhuman abilities...

Imagine going into your local Marks & Spencer shop and buying a sandwich from their food section (stay with me, there is a point!). You pick up one of their sandwiches in that fancy looking packaging that promises a better quality meal. You purchase it, open it up and take a bite. But what's this, the sandwich that was packaged with that high quality M&S brand in fact just tastes like a low quality Tesco value sandwich instead!? It's not necessarily a bad sandwich, and if you were expecting it you might have even enjoyed it, it's just that you were anticipating that well made M&S sandwich instead! I know, I know; not the most imaginative metaphor in the world, and probably one that you could see coming from a mile off, but this sandwich was The Bourne Legacy: a film packaged in the brand of a high quality blockbuster film franchise, but ultimately delivers a fairly average spy action thriller instead of what you were hoping for, albeit one that might have been more enjoyable if you were expecting just that... (No sandwiches were harmed in the making of this metaphor. They just cringed a little when reading this. Just like you and everyone else.)

Hands up, who wants to play the next Jason Bourne?

Going into The Bourne Legacy there is one thing that is absolutely vital that you need to take in with you and to be aware of: despite its title, this is not a Bourne film. Whilst the title is technically accurate as the events of this film are the legacy of Jason Bourne's actions in the original three films, Bourne himself does not appear in the film other than in the occasional photograph or in the countless references. Apart from this and the occasional familiar face, there is nothing substantial enough to make this a Bourne film. It'd be the equivalent of a Harry Potter film with no Harry in it, or an Indiana Jones film with Shia Labeouf instead of Harrison Ford (it's best to not even think about that one!), but to still have their character names in the titles. It is essentially misleading, and ultimately what lets the film down.

The real problem - aside from it not being an actual Bourne film - is that even if you accept it as the spin-off that it actually is, the film is rather ironically unable to actually live up to The Bourne Legacy! When the first three Bourne's were released, they were instantly heralded for being game-changers for the spy genre, with their ultra-realistic approach, shaky camera shots and intelligent plots based around US government corruption and a man of incredible abilities; so much so that they actually caused the iconic Bond series to reboot into a grittier form with Casino Royale. By including 'Bourne' in the title we are merely reminded of just how good these films were, and by how this film is clearly not as good. In fact the film feels very much like a film trying to be a Bourne film as opposed to actually being one! With a slow start that results in the film taking around an hour to fully get going, and a lot of dialogue heavy exposition, The Bourne Legacy lacks the slickness and the appeal that made the other films so good. As an average spy thriller this could actually have been pretty good film, however that's the problem; watching a film with the Bourne name in the title you naturally expect a lot more.

Action man Jeremy Renner in the role he was 'Bourne' to play...

Having said all of that the film is still not all that bad. Despite the slow start and heavy dialogue, the film does boast some impressive action set pieces when it really gets into the swing of things. These scenes provide much excitement and are not far from those of the originals; and with Edward Norton providing the great screen presence that he always has, Jeremy Renner doing a good enough job as the Bourne figure (albeit not quite one that fully fills Damon's shoes), and Rachel Weisz playing the female accomplice Dr. Marta Shearing, the well cast foray of acting talent is also just as equally enjoyable to watch. I do also like how the film does tie into the previous Bourne films, with the events of Legacy happening alongside those of The Bourne Ultimatum, providing an interesting and clever storyline that deals with the idea of exploring the consequences of Ultimatum's events. It's just unfortunate that the film as a whole narrowly falls short of the mark.

When all was done and the film came to a close, Moby's fantastic song 'Extreme Ways' that iconically closes all of the Bourne films started to play through the cinema. Yet the feeling of having seen a Bourne film didn't resonate with it, instead it just acted as unfortunate reminder of just how good the others were, and by comparison how much The Bourne Legacy lives within the franchise's overpowering shadow. With its new cast and director, this Bourne-free Bourne film misses what made the other films so special. That's not to say it's a completely bad film; as an average spy action thriller it's a pretty good one, but when you go to see a film with 'Bourne' in the title you expect a great film rather than an okay one. I don't know exactly what this film's Legacy will be; it's clear that this will lead to more sequels with this film almost acting as a bridge between two franchises, but it's difficult to understand just how many more Bourne-less Bourne films can be made...

(* Although 'The Bourne Legacy Legacy' was actually the very long pee that I had after the very long film!)

Verdict: 3/5

The Bourne Legacy (certificate 12A) is now showing in cinemas across the UK.

Have you seen The Bourne Legacy? Agree or disagree with my review? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!

Trailer Park: Man of Steel

Superman gets the Batman Begins treatment; so 'Superman Starts'!?...

2006 was the year that last saw the world's most iconic superhero grace the big screen, and next year; Superman Returns (brownie points if you got that!). After being sent to Earth as a child, Clark Kent is adopted into a human family in Kansas. Time passes and today Kent, who disguises his identity as a journalist, protects the Earth with his extraordinary powers whenever he dons his iconic costume to become Superman. Soon however Superman will be tested to the limits when a deadly threat strikes...

Whilst I'm not a huge Superman fan and haven't really followed his many other big screen outings much, I do know how big a deal this film could be. Firstly Man of Steel boasts the talents of David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan on writing duties, the double act behind the incredible Dark Knight Trilogy which has just come to an epic conclusion with The Dark Knight Rises which is now showing in cinemas. These two men have just finished reviving the once dead in the water Batman franchise, turning it into what most people would deem the best superhero films of all time - if anyone can make a Superman film work, it's these guys, and as you can tell by the trailer the film is clearly taking the Batman Begins approach to relaunch the franchise. Secondly, after the success of Marvel's Avengers Assemble, rumours have been persistent that rival DC comics are eager to get a Justice League film in motion - so this film could be the beginning of something much bigger! Alongside these factors, just from the trailer and poster alone it does look like this could be a very good film, and it's certainly the first Superman film that has grabbed my attention in a big way; check out the trailer for yourself and let me know what you think too:

Man of Steel is set for release in cinemas across the UK on June 14th 2013.

Are you expecting little from this film, or do you think it will be super...man!? Will it be a blockbuster or lacklustre? Leave your comments below!

Trailer Park: The Bourne Legacy

Franchise: Re-Bourne!

In 2002, Matt Damon hit the big screen in the role of Jason Bourne - the highly trained and spy with a mysterious background - in the blockbuster adaptation of Robert Ladlum's novel, The Bourne Identity. Two sequels later, and the Bourne franchise had re-written the book on the modern day spy film, with even the iconic Bond films arguably taking a leaf out of Bourne's book with the recent Daniel Craig films (the latest of which; Skyfall is released later this year). Now with Damon out of the picture, it is up to franchise newcomer Jeremy Renner (see recently as Hawkeye in Marvel's Avengers Assemble) to take over the reigns as Aaron Cross in this franchise reboot that delves deeper into the mysteries of the agency behind Jason Bourne; as it turns out he was not the only one...

The real question is; will this new direction in the franchise be able to live up to the success of the Damon lead trilogy? Of course only time will tell, but boasting a cast that also features the acting talents of Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton, amongst some recognisable faces from the first three films, The Bourne Legacy looks set to be a fantastic adrenaline pumping addition to the Bourne story. If you don't believe me, just check out the latest trailer below!

The Bourne Legacy is released in cinemas across the UK on August 13th 2012.

Can Treadstone go wrong, or will we have to Touchwood? Will it be a blockbuster or lacklustre? Leave your comments below!

Trailer Park: Skyfall

After 50 years and 22 films, British secret agent 007 - James Bond makes his triumphant return to the big screen in Skyfall; a film that looks set to leave audiences around the globe both shaken and stirred!

Daniel Craig returns to the role of 007 for the third time after winning over most audiences with his premier performance in 2006's Casino Royale - a personal favourite of mine. Also returning is Dame Judi Dench who reprises her role as M; both of whom will be joined this time by Ralph Fiennes; briefly glimpsed in this trailer as Gareth Mallory, Ben Whishaw as Q, Bérénice Marlohe and Naomie Harris as Sévérine and Eve; the film's two Bond girls, and Javier Bardem as the villainous Silva. Not an awful lot is known about the film's storyline as it's all being kept under wraps, but the official synopsis does give us an brief idea:

Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

From the very little released about the film so far, it has to be said that it does look like it could be as every bit as spectacular as you'd want it to be; this brand new teaser trailer released this morning demonstrating that point exactly! With director Sam Mendes at the helm of this Skyfall, could we all be about to get a new favourite Bond film very very soon?...

Skyfall is released in cinemas across the UK on October 26th 2012.

Does the prospect of 007's imminent return leave you feeling shaken or stirred? Do you think it will be a blockbuster or lacklustre? Leave your comments below!