5/21/2012

Trailer Time: 'Skyfall', starring Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem


We knew that MGM couldn't afford another misstep when it came to crafting the 23rd film surrounding legendary secret agent, James Bond.  After watching the Pierce Brosnan era devolve into a series of cheesy, middling efforts with ridiculous plots and invisible cars(!?), Casino Royale was a fresh start with a new, more aggressive 007 in Daniel Craig. The promise of that film also was that we'd see elements that had been sorely missing for years, such as Bond's personal investment in the missions he undertakes, a more believable world he's fighting for, and a renewed emphasis on the murky dealings of MI6. And then came Quantum of Solace, and while it succeeded financially, not many liked it and the tone was all over the place. Even worse, the silly villain and even more ludicrous plot derailed everything good that was done in Casino Royale.

Now here we are with the first trailer for Skyfall, and everything seems to be back on track in a major way. Sam Mendes(Jarhead) was brought on board to direct, and certainly the film looks as beautifully shot as most of his other work. John Logan(Hugo) wrote the script, with the story having Bond questioning his loyalty to MI6 and M(Judi Dench) when an enemy from her past resurfaces. In the trailer, we see that many of the psychological aspects missing from Bond movies appear to be back at the forefront, as the agent goes through an intense(and very clever) game of word association, until one phrase in particular sets him off. In the scene we also see Ralph Fiennes' mysterious character, who nobody seems to want to comment on except to say that he's "complex".

There's not much else to it, other than flashes of what's to come: Bond getting a sensual face shaving from Naomie Harris; a gun battle; and the enemy seen only in silhouette. This would presumably be Javier Bardem's character. This being the 50th anniversary of the first Bond film in Dr. No, there simply can't be anymore screw-ups. Skyfall hits theaters on November 9th....