Skyfall - Bond dynamics

Skyfall - Bond dynamics   

Watched the Indian premiere of the movie at PVR Phoenix yesterday night.

For a Bond buff like me there is no greater thrill like watching this latest 007 movie on its India premiere. And I have thank @Ashok Gautam entirely for the pleasure. That too the movie which marks the golden jubillee of the most charismatic human character created in the modern era. 

Bond's impact on the public's perception of espionage, through both Ian Fleming's novels and the films made of them, is hard to overestimate. He is the most successful adventure hero on celluloid spanning generations.What is it about James Bond that makes  people like me go gaga over him in a manner that beats the first crush of a teenage girl ? Maybe its the  concept of masculinity and virility which is exuded from his screen presence. Also the charm,the style,the elan and the magnetic personality which  we sorely want to imbibe in ourselves. Or is it the ruthless, cold,daring,calculated cruelty that appeals to some primordial instinct. Some of the atraction may also stem from his devotion to the country and call of duty. Whatever it may be and whatever people may think of me, I remain and will always remain Bonded.

There is no need for a review of the movie or knowing the story. It is not a matter on which any intellectual discourse is necessary or required. One goes  to a Bond movie for the guns, females, locations, chases, actions, stunts, oneliners and above all the romance of 007. This time Bond is more ruthless and focussed. Not many girls or gadgets are there and no explicit scenes were shown. rather Bond's persona has been given some emotional touch and the man behind the name has been explored. The movie also tries to change tack somewhat and in future we may see a different Bond evolve. Q and Moneypenny has changed and M will change next time. The villain in this movie is Javier Bardem and he has done a very good job. Old timers may find the movie slightly hollow in content  but then evolution has to happen. Daniel Craig is the fittest looking Bond and a veritable eye candy for all his female fans who will drool over him. Men like us can only feel envious or admire him.

Still for those who would want to know for the record, the storyline as per wikipedia is as below:

MI6 agents James Bond—also known as 007—and Eve Moneypenny assist on a mission in Turkey in which an MI6 operative has been killed. A computer hard drive has been stolen containing details of all NATO agents operating undercover in terrorist organisations. Bond and Moneypenny chase the assailant, the French mercenary Patrice, and attempt to recover the disk. During the chase, Bond is shot in the shoulder. He nevertheless continues his pursuit until he is shot at long range by Moneypenny, who is attempting to kill Patrice. He is posted as "missing, presumed killed".

The head of MI6, M, comes under political pressure to retire during a meeting with the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, Gareth Mallory. On her return from the meeting, MI6 is hacked and an explosion occurs in the offices, killing a number of MI6 employees. On hearing the news of the attack, Bond returns to London. Shrapnel taken from his shoulder wound points to Patrice, and Bond is sent to Shanghai, where it is known the mercenary will shortly arrive.

Five of the agents' names are released, with the promise of more releases in the ensuing weeks. Bond finds and follows the Frenchman, and witnesses him carry out an assassination. The two men fight, and Patrice falls to his death before Bond can find out who he is working for. Searching the assassin's equipment, Bond finds a gambling chip, which leads him to a casino, where he is paid €4 million for the kill. Sévérine, who Bond saw earlier at the scene of the assassination, warns him that he is about to be killed, but promises to help him if he will kill her employer. Bond beats his attackers and joins Sévérine on her boat. They travel to an island, where they are taken prisoner by the crew and delivered to Sévérine's employer, Raoul Silva. Silva had previously worked with M and blamed her for his capture, torture and imprisonment by the Chinese. Silva kills Sévérine, but Bond overpowers his guards and captures Silva for return to the UK.

Back at MI6 headquarters Q attempts to decrypt Silva's laptop, but while he is accessing the computer it hacks the MI6 systems, allowing Silva to escape into the London Underground tunnel system. Pursued by Bond, Silva disguises himself as a policeman and attacks M during a public enquiry into her handling of the stolen hard drive. Bond arrives to join Mallory and Moneypenny in beating off Silva's attack, and M is hurried from the building by her aide, Bill Tanner. Bond drives M away from the scene in her car and, after exchanging it for his own Aston Martin DB5, drives her to his empty and remote childhood home in Scotland, Skyfall Lodge. He instructs Q to leave an electronic trail for Silva to follow, a decision supported by Mallory.

At Skyfall, Bond and M are met by Kincade, the gamekeeper to the Bond family estate. The trio are only lightly armed, but they improvise a series of booby traps. When Silva's men arrive, Bond, M and Kincade fight off the first assault, although M is wounded. Silva arrives by helicopter with a second wave, and Bond sends M and Kincade off through a secret tunnel at the back of a priest hole to a chapel on the grounds. The second assault uses firepower from the helicopter, and Silva throws incendiary grenades into the building. Bond detonates a stick of dynamite with two gas canisters and retreats down the same tunnel as M and Kincade. The resulting blast causes the helicopter to crash, killing a number of Silva's men. Silva sees Kincade's torch beam, follows and arrives at a frozen lake ahead of Bond. Bond attacks Silva's sole remaining follower, and the two fall through the ice, where Bond kills him. Silva meanwhile makes his way to the chapel and forces his gun into M's hand where he begs her to kill them both. Bond arrives and kills Silva, but M collapses from her earlier wound and dies. Her position as head of MI6 is taken by Mallory, while Moneypenny decides not to return to the field as an agent.