Skyfall: A Sequel, A Prequel, and A Reboot

Skyfall

Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Ben Wishaw

Director: Sam Mendes

I am not what you'd call a Bond fan and I'm even less of a Daniel Craig as Bond fan. I was bored with Casino Royale and didn't even bother seeing Quantum of Solace so I was hesitant to see Skyfall because I was expecting more of the same old-same old. Instead I saw a movie so meta it actually reboots a series by being it's own prequel. Mind. Blown. 

Before I go too far I want to warn you that this is not a review of the movie but my thoughts on why Skyfall could be the best Bond movie. (Check out a review of the film here).

Remember: there will be spoilers. 

Sequel

It isn't hard to see how Skyfall is a sequel in the James Bond series. From the opening chase scene to the title sequence complete with theme song to the one-liners to the larger-than-life villain to beautiful women, Skyfall follows the very predictable path of every Bond movie. It's the same characters in the same world with the same objective: save England, save the world, get the girl, and look great doing it (preferably while driving the latest Aston Martin). 

Reboot
You're probably thinking that I'm late to the party on this one because usually it's the first movie with a new actor that signals the rebooting of Bond. Each actor who plays the super-spy brings something new to the role and Craig is no different. He's been a less posh, less refined, and more rough-and-tumble Bond which some people thought was too much of a departure from the classic portrayals. I say that this change is to remove Bond from it's own legacy; much like the Dark Knight trilogy has returned Batman to his more complicated roots, so too has Skyfall returned Bond to his roots. This Bond is stripped of his trademark gadgets and must rely on his wits and his fists to get through. In fact, the only two items that Bond receives from Q branch are a radio and a gun, though it is a special gun that will only fire for him. (Shame he loses it in the first fight in which he tries to actually use it.) I appreciate how the new Q (Wishaw) acknowledges this shift in Bond tradition by asking if we were expecting an exploding pen - which we were, of course, but we don't get it. As he says, Q branch doesn't really go in for that any more.

The Aston Martin is arguably the symbol of the James Bond series and this time the car isn't the state of the art, gadget-filled model we've come to expect. In fact it's an older model more in line with the 60s Bond than  the modern movies. When Bond and M drive away it's the first time we the audience get to hear the classic Bond musical riff - again linking the past with what we're seeing now. We even get to see the famous machine-gun headlights - right before the car is destroyed. Bond drove that car, the symbol of the series, to his childhood home (Skyfall), where the car and the house are both burned beyond recognition thanks to Silva (Bardem). The past, Bond's past, both literally and figuratively, are destroyed for him and for us as the viewer. We all get to start fresh from the ashes of Skyfall and the loss of M (Dench). Her passing suggests a new era for the 00 agents program and therefore for Bond.

Prequel
This brings us to the end of the movie, and the revelation that the Daniel Craig series of Bond movies are, in fact, a prequel to the series that started with Dr. No and Sean Connery. First, Bond is angrier, more physical, less comedic than we've previously seen because he's still maturing into the Bond we've previously seen. We can see this in the scene at the Macau casino where he has just ordered his signature drink and quips "perfect" as he sips. It's as though he's finally found the best way to have a martini and now will only drink one shaken, not stirred.

Secondly, we are only introduced to his long-time flirting partner, Ms. Eve Moneypenny, at the end of the movie, which I believe is a significant choice. We see that this woman is capable of being in the field, fighting, and even firing a shot that could (and at least for a while, did) kill 007 himself. By showing us that Ms. Moneypenny is able to keep up with the Bond we know, her choice to be behind a desk is more interesting because it means that she is choosing a different life, just as James could as well. Yet it opens the door for a more modern Moneypenny who is, and likely will, come out from behind the desk and help out when the plot requires it.

And finally, what is perhaps the greatest moment of the entire series: the final scene with M and James in that iconic office. It's just like the office in which the Bonds of old would receive their brief for the next assignment, down to the tufted leather walls and layout of the furniture. In this moment, we've come full circle and returned to the James Bond of Dr. No.

That's why James Bond had to be from Scotland  - because Sean Connery is Scottish. And if James Bond from Skyfall is a prequel to the Bond of Dr. No, it couldn't have happened any other way.