GCSE Media Studies - Skyfall Review

Does 'Skyfall' have a license to thrill?

Daniel Craig returns to play James Bond for a third time -- and the third time is definitely the charm. Playing an older Bond, who is starting to show a more caring, careful and careless side, Craig is capable of creating a likeable Bond. Despite being a raging alcoholic, the character is still able to capture a scorpion in the blink of an eye. But this creature is the least of his worries, as Skyfall introduces Javier Bardem as the cunning and cruel Silva. With blonde hair and piercing eyes, Bardem creates an intense villain who keeps Craig's Bond on his toes, leaving no time for a sex scene with the typical Bond girl. Still, he manages to find enough time to do just that and return home for tea with Judi Dench's M.

Dench returns again, making it the seventh film starring her as the mysterious but fun M. It is a shame that it has taken her seven films to settle into the role and reach her full potential, but her stellar performance in this film allows for her past sins to be forgiven. Maybe M really did think on her sins. M has become an important figure in the Bond franchise and has become a symbol of intelligence and authority, but still manages to keep the special agents in check. M gives everyone working for the service a handful of 'tough love' whether they want it or not -- and has become my favourite Bond girl.

We follow Bond on an assignment to Istanbul which takes a turn for the worse and goes gravely wrong. The failure leads to the exposure of special agents from all over the world, putting MI6 on edge and unsure of their future. They relocate after an explosion at the headquarters, which leads to Dench's M to become challenged by opposition who question the need for the service. Even people on the inside seem to turn against M, forcing her to reach out to the one person she can truly trust: Daniel Craig's 007. Battling against a mysterious enemy from M's past, Bond teams up with Eve (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) with a hope of striking at the heart to take down the enemy. Despite Bond's loyalty to M being tested, 007 manages to put a stop the destructive organisation -- but faces a personal loss in its wake.

Made 50 years after the film big-screen Bond, Skyfall is a fitting tribute to all films of the past. It is extremely thrilling and contains just enough action to keep your shaken, not stirred martini within the comfort of your hand. The film forces us to forgive it's highly disappointing and boring predecessor, Quantum of Solace, after finding a balance between creating an exciting plot that has some elements of realism.

Despite being a triumph in terms of acting, special effects and plot, the film still maintains traditional views and continues to dramatise stereotypes. The three female characters are portrayed as incapable of carrying out a task without the help of a man, which leads to them getting killed or forcing them to re-evaluate their choices. Even in the twenty-first century, women are still used as a prop to make Bond seem more masculine.

I guess representing women negatively will die another day.

All in all, the film is set to impress from the first scene. It creates immediate tension, forcing the audience to watch every moment. It is a thrilling film under the directory of Sam Mendes, as he manages to incorporate fan favourites into the film in a modern and fresh way.

In my review for Quantum of Solace, I wrote that "the Bond franchise will never return from such a dull and boring film" -- but now, I shall never say never again.