Molo at the Movies: Skyfall

Yes, yes, I'm back with a movie review!  It has been sometime, hasn't it?  Perhaps since Prometheus?  Hell did I even bother with that one?  I can't even remember, but I here we go- James effing Bond is back, the steely stare of D Craig in his tightly tailored suit kicking ass on the screen.  This is the 50th anniversary since  Dr. No's release and director Sam Mendes has definitely thrown in some classics nods to earlier bonds, the old Aston Martin (above) being a nice highlight, but you've got chase scenes which go through an open air market (classic, and kind of boring here), disfigured evil bad guy, falling into a pit with dangerous animals (Trevor and Jared really appreciated that one), a sexy exotic lady of course, some sadistic killing by bad guy, and some nods of out with the new and in with the old (to go into, I shall not, I don't want to actually give away plot points)  but where is the fun?

That's the thing, I realized, with this one, and all the new bonds...they nailed the bad-ass-ness of Bond, but are way low on the fun factor.  And I don't mean just cool fights and explosions and such - but new bond is so gritty and so determined, he never seems to be having a good time.  There's a promise of more work at the end of Skyfall, of getting back to the job, and Bond is all ready to go, but if it's going to be just grey stark emotionless, serious stuff, do we need to even bother?

It's refreshing when we finally meet Javier Barden -

because despite the cliche classic evil bond character references, he's having fun with this material finally here's something light and airy in a dreary Bond world - too bad he doesn't appear until like 50 minutes in the film.. (also, his evil power is he is a super-hacker?  REALLY?  That's the best we got these days?  I get that it is kind of plausible, sure, but it isn't really that plausible, I'd rather have giant lazers or exploding the sun or something more crazy)  

I don't know, maybe it's just that it is fall and cold out and I have post-art show depression, but this bond was kind of a drag.

Still, it was better than Quantum of Solace, that's for sure. And I was at least entertained. 

Skyfall  3 Molos.