Skyfall

Skyfall (PG-13) Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem Director: Sam Mendes Rating: A

When people go to see a James Bond movie, they’re going to see three things: exotic locales, beautiful women, and Bond being…Bond. They got that in spades in this movie. With filming locales in Istanbul, Shanghai, Macau, and London, Skyfall is certainly a visually striking film. The story of the film is just as striking.

The film weaves multiple stories in one narrative, but the main plot centers around a cyberterrorist named Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) who is out to exact revenge on MI6 and its department head, M (Judi Dench). The movie also deals with the question of whether or not the time-honored role of a secret agent is needed in a technological world where their enemies have no borders and no true allegiances.

The third major story – but by no means the least effective – deals with M and Gareth Malloy (Ralph Fiennes), the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee. The dynamic between Dench and Fiennes is electric, and it was a lot of fun to watch these two heavyweights of British cinema on screen together

The film takes a look at a bygone era of Bond lore, and really dissects what makes him who he is, as well as reintroducing Q (Ben Whishaw) to a new audience. This is where the old ways of Bond meet the new ways of the 21^st Century, and it melds perfectly with each other.  An immediately antagonistic introduction (“You still have spots.”) turns into an air of respect almost as fast, if not faster, as the two realize how much they’re needed in this new day.

The main crux of Skyfall is change, and how change affects everyone involved. Sometimes, the old ways are best, but other times, there is nothing wrong with allowing the modern era have a go at things. The film is a lot of fun – if not a tad bit predictable, and it’s certainly worth seeing in theaters.