Courtesy | hindustantimes.com

James Bond has always been the poster boy of polished masculinity, sultry wit and cunning efficiency. His suave, secret agent persona has become a cultural phenomenon, established by past Bond performances from the likes of Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. For the last three installments of the 007 series, the role has been shaped and refined by Daniel Craig, and “Skyfall” offers a new depth to the character as a whole. The 23rd film of the series, this 2012 depiction of the vintage Bond genre is a more elaborate and artsy portrayal while still maintaining a sense of old franchise nostalgia.

Craig’s Bond was a womanizing, stone-faced killing machine in the 2006 “Casino Royale,” which brought a new dimension to the character; this Bond could both bleed and kill without mercy, all while maintaining the charm that defines him. In 2008’s “Quantum of Solace,” Bond was rendered more a quiet action hero, very Jason Bourne-esque. Plenty of people were upset by this contemporary take on the classic spy, and those same people will appreciate the more classic adaptation presented in “Skyfall.” This film is a true return to basics, with a Bond who is intense and accessible while also outrageously alluring, like in the Connery days. This is the first Bond movie directed by an Academy Award-winning director, Sam Mendes, who has here made a unique installment that really celebrates the classic Bond joints with its creative gusto.

Bond in an era of computers and technology

“Skyfall” centers around the dwindling ability of James Bond to function physically and, more importantly, psychologically in the field. It isn’t necessarily age that is hindering him, but rather that the world of modern espionage relies on computers and splinter cells more than guerrilla agents like him, who hunt down the baddies in person. Bond feels obsolete and shaken after suffering a near-fatal bullet wound on a mission in Turkey. He’s later told by a superior officer of the British secret service that he should consider retirement. However, the elderly head of MI6, M (Judi Dench), still has faith in Bond, having overseen most of his career. She also needs his help in thwarting an anonymous cyber-terrorist who is revealing undercover MI6 agents within global terrorist sects via the Internet. While at first this seems to be an attack of a bigger scope, its revealed that M herself is the target. Something — or someone — from her past has come back to haunt her.

The core of Bond’s conflict is his struggle to rebuild himself, ignoring the glaring disadvantages of his physical and mental toil. An interesting dimension is that this self-imposed resurrection of Bond in the story represents a bigger theme of resurrecting this franchise. Craig is the most engaging Bond to date because he adds depth to the character. Bond has been depicted as shallow and limy in previous movies, namely the Pierce Brosnan era, and was harder for audiences to connect with. Craig’s Bond is a different story, and “Skyfall” is no exception, with a plot that doesn’t strive to be overly complicated and maintains its Bondness.

Breathing new life into the series

I won’t divulge any spoilers here, but “Skyfall” features one of the best Bond villains ever fashioned, played by Javier Bardem. Known for his legendary role as Anton Chigurh in 2007’s “No Country for Old Men,” Bardem embodies an extremely unique antagonist as the charismatic Silva in “Skyfall.” His appearance is striking and mesmerizing, and his slippery monologues never err on the side of cliché but rather left me wanting to hear more, to delve deeper into his character.

A problem “Skyfall” had was its excessive build-up for Silva’s entrance into the story without much of a payoff. For all the hype, I expected Bardem to have considerably more screen time, and with plenty more elucidation to boot. Though even in his handful of scenes, Bardem establishes a baddie to remember, making Silva one of the most malicious Bond villains ever. He is both formidable and fun to watch.

Another issue with “Skyfall” was the lack of exposition in revealing bits of Bond’s troubled past. I enjoyed the incorporation of his origin story into the overall plot, especially since no other Bond movie has ever truly explored it. However, “Skyfall” rushed this facet of the narrative a bit too much, cramming most of it into the last 45 minutes. Parts of the first act could have been easily omitted in order to accommodate the need for more depth into Bond’s past. Despite that issue, I think Sam Mendes has breathed new life into the franchise with an installment that uses the classic Bond-movie tempo coupled with the eye of a master director and blockbuster action for a modern audience.