OSCARS 2020: 1917 (2019)

“1917” was always going to be an Oscar frontrunner. Sam Mendes may not be Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino, as far as critical esteem goes, but he is a previous Best Picture/Director winner whose movies are usually extremely well received. With “1917,” the director was putting his mark on the war movie epic, a genre that is usually favorable to Academy voters. The gimmick of telling this story in real time, in a series of long shots combined to create the illusion of one continuous shot, was obviously going to catch people's attention. The movie was greeted with very positive reviews and even decent box office. At the start of the award season cycle, “1917” did not seem like a likely Best Picture winner. Yet, as Oscar Sunday grows closer, Mendes' World War I thriller is seeming more and more like it'll take home the top prize. Is the movie even that good?

Inspired by the stories Mendes' grandfather wrote about the Great War, the film takes place in April of the titular year. On the Western front, the German army has retreated, causing the British army to move forward. This, however, is a trap and the Germans are waiting to overwhelm the British with artillery. This information is given to two young soldiers, Lance Corporals Will Schofield and Tom Blake. They are then instructed to walk through enemy territory and deliver the announcement to the Colonel, calling off the advancement and saving hundreds of lives. This mission proves easier said than done.

There is a moment, about half-way through “1917,” that has to be among the year's most visually stunning. After Will barely survives being shot by a German sniper, he awakens in the dead of night. The village, now in ruins, stretches out before him. The flashing of flames and bombs is the only thing that lights up the pitch black location. The sequence is equally dream-like, for the way the camera floats down into the battle-ravaged city, and otherworldly, the war having rendered a normal location almost unrecognizable. The chaotic run through this hellish landscape continues until we quite literally crash into dark waters, as cool and blue as the blazing town is yellow and fiery. Considering Roger Deakins was “1917's” cinematographer, it's no surprise the movie is visually spellbinding. The strong images go a long way to establishing “1917” as a film that lingers in the mind.

Much of the press surrounding “1917” has focused on the long takes. (Mendes and his team earns points for not pretending the movie was actually shot in one continuous take.) It turns out, this is not just a visual gimmick designed to show off the skills of the director and his team. Instead, “1917” is built to put the viewers right in the same place as the characters. Tension can't help but built as Will and Tom walk through the trenches, as they fight through barb wire and fall into a crater littered with dead bodies. You really start to feel this intimate quality when the duo is exploring an abandoned German tunnel system, which ends up exploding thanks to an unlucky rat. From there, “1917” rarely stops thrusting the watcher right into the middle of combat. When a downed airplane crashes towards the two, you almost have to duck to avoid getting hit by it too. When Tom runs through a field being pelted with explosions, you feel the heat on his heels. It's a shockingly effective trick.

Yet “1917” is not just devoted to adrenaline pumping thrill sequences. The film slows down several times throughout its journey. Mendes makes these scenes really count, creating huge exclamation points of quiet in-between the war torn battlements. Will almost drifts into sleep while traveling on a truck with other soldiers. He briefly bonds with a French woman and her child while escaping the village, singing a poem to the baby. The most effective such sequence in the film occurs when, after finally arriving at his destination, a collection of men sitting in the fog emerge. As they listen to one of their own sing a beautiful song, a sense of calm and quiet washes over. Moments like these don't just insure that “1917” is excellently paced. They remind us of what is loss during wartime. This is made all the more explicit during another quiet moment, among the film's saddest and most stirring.

Another nice touch of “1917” is that it's cast largely with unknowns. Most of the actors in the film do not look like adult men and certainly not grizzled soldiers. Instead, they look like fresh-faced boys. This, after all, is an accurate representation of what age most soldiers actually are. George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman do not look like movie stars. They look like normal kids, who are horribly in over their heads and totally unprepared for what they are called to do. Both have great chemistry together, with MacKay's determination proving especially appealing. Mendes slots the recognizable stars into brief supporting roles, having Colin Firth, Mark Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch appear as the voices of authority.

It's pretty easy to figure out why “1917” could potentially take home the Best Picture prize on February 9th. In our politically divided times, with the opposing extremes of the spectrum represented by the class rebellion of “Parasite” and the nihilism of “Joker,” “1917” is a very safe choice. And if you remember that many Academy voters take “best” to mean “most,” Mendes' latest is certainly among the most visually spectacular and bracingly cinematic of the nominees. Yet don't take that as a mark against “1917.” It's actually an exceptionally good movie in its own right, a blazing visual experience with a pounding, humanistic heart that leaves the viewer but thrilled and touched. [9/10]

Series Report Card: James Bond 007 (2015)

24. Spectre

Despite being a franchise that is over fifty years old, a new James Bond movie is still an event. In our era of massive blockbuster series, Bond’s appeal remains evergreen. Even in 2015, we still can’t get enough of the adventures of an alcoholic spy who loves killin’ and fuckin’. “Skyfall” was an enormous hit, becoming the highest grossing film of all time in the UK. Eon Productions knew not to mess with a good thing. “Spectre,” the twenty-fourth official James Bond adventure, maintained director Sam Mendes and most of the same writers. That uniformity paid off, as “Spectre” has predictable been another huge hit. For long time Bond aficionados, “Spectre” was destined to be an even bigger event. The film would feature the return of SPECTRE, the villainous organization that vexed Bond back in the sixties, and its leader Blofeld, Bond’s fabled arch-enemy.

After M’s death, Bond receives a video from his deceased boss, informing him to keep on eye on an assassin named Marco Sciarra. After encountering, and killing, Sciarra in Mexico, Bond uncovers a new conspiracy. He discovers a secret organization – SPECTRE – that connects many of his previous enemies and, most frighteningly, features a familiar face from his childhood. Meanwhile, a new security merger threatens to make MI-6 and the 00 program obsolete. After teaming up with the daughter of an old adversary, Bond realizes the shake-up in the British government is directly connected with SPECTRE.

Before one discusses the new James Bond movie, one must discuss the new James Bond theme song. Sam Smith, some British pop crooner I’m not really familiar with, had been considered a foregone conclusion to sing the title song. When the song – inexplicably entitled “The Writing’s On the Wall” – premiered, fan reaction was not great. Many criticized it for sounding “wimpy” and lacking energy. Indeed, the romantic ballad doesn’t crackle. Smith’s high-pitch vocals grate at first, the lyrics are somewhat awkward, and the production is overly maudlin. Still, after a few listens, it started to grow on me. The melody is pretty, if nothing else. As for the opening credits’ sequences, it features lots of octopi and skeleton imagery, shattering glass and smoke. Sometimes these elements are incorporated in slightly goofy looking fashion, like the nude dancers wrapped in tentacles. It’s not destined to be an especially well remembered Bond opening but it’s not bad either.

“Spectre” not only keeps much of the same talent behind the camera, it also has a similar tone to “Skyfall.” It’s a serious story but incorporates more humor than Daniel Craig’s first two outings as Bond. Some times, this is handled with more grace then others. Bond coolly dropping out of the sky after making a daring escape is perfect for the character. On the other hand, a random by-stander’s airbag going off feels like something out of the Roger Moore era. After sticking with the character for ten years, Craig has developed a fine handle of sarcastic, wry one-liners. Despite its humor, “Spectre” is willing to get surprisingly moody at times. A long sequence has Bond infiltrating a SPECTRE meeting, quietly observing the enemies’ actions. Another lengthy scene involves James and his love interest spending time in her parent’s old vacation home. Perhaps it speaks to Eon’s confidence in Sam Mendes and his team, that they allow slow moments like this inside a big budget, action-packed Bond film.

Occasionally in the past, a James Bond movie has incorporated modern day news events into the super-spy narratives. Such as 24 hour news networks in “Tomorrow Never Dies,” tension between the Koreas in “Die Another Day,” or global water shortages in “Quantum of Solace.” “Spectre,” meanwhile, attempts to integrate concerns about government surveillance into its story. M and the other heads of MI6 are being slowly forced out by the Joint Intelligence Service, a new agency that seeks to monitor the data of everyone in the country. Throughout the film, characters are constantly watched by surveillance cameras or have their cell phone conversations recorded. “Spectre” makes its stance on this issue clear. The organization that want to push aside traditional spies in favor of data-mining is affiliated with a global terrorist cabal determined to conquer the world. “Spectre” doesn’t comment on these pertinent issues in any detailed way, besides saying spying on innocent citizens is bad. Still, it incorporates this more smoothly then previous attempts at merging a Bond story with a real world concern.

When it was announced that the current right-holders finally retrieve the rights to use SPECTRE and Blofeld, there was much rejoicing. Of course, the Craig series had already cooked up a stand-in for SPECTRE, the mysterious Quantum. Despite initial concerns that it might just skip them, “Spectre” directly references the events of “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace.” Mr. White, a minor antagonist from those films, plays a small but pivotal role in this one. Revealing that Quantum is but a small part of SPECTRE is a natural step. However, “Spectre” goes one further. It reveals that, throughout all three of his previous adventures, James Bond has been fighting the same threat. Everything ties together, Blofeld being the mastermind behind it all. "The author of all Bond's pain," as he says. While I appreciate the attempt to wield these stories together, “Spectre” never explains how Silva’s personal revenge in “Skyfall” connects with Blofeld’s master plan. In truth, the reveal that everything is connected is not so much a natural story decision. Instead, it’s a slightly sloppy way to make Bond’s new/old arch-enemy seem bigger and more important then he is.

Something that the films starring Craig’s Bond have done is create bigger roles for the Bond Girls. “Spectre” has two, Monica Belluci’s Lucia Sciarra and Léa Seydoux’s Madeleine Swann. Lucia’s seduction is fairly incidental to the plot. Mostly, she’s in the movie to get the always glamorous Belluci her long overdue Bond Girl role. Swann, on the other hand, is a major character. She gives Bond a prickly reaction at first. However, as the two continue to survive this ordeal, she falls into his arms. The gorgeous Seydoux proves a decent foil for Craig. Swann is head-strong enough, and handy enough with a Walter PPK, to make a worthy companion to Bond. As the story progresses, we discover that Swann is not just a Girl of the Week for Bond. He seems to be developing serious feelings for her. The romance is slightly rushed. Whether or not Bond is truly in love is a question left for the sequels. However, Craig and Seydoux have fine chemistry, making the relationship between Bond and Swann worthwhile.

As always, this James Bond movie is full of explosive action. “Spectre” begins with an incredible long shot of Bond walking across the rooftops of Mexico City. This escalates to an exploding building, before climaxing with an exciting, beautifully orchestrated rumble inside a spinning helicopter. “Spectre” also contributes several pretty great vehicle chases to the Bond canon. The first takes place through the tight corridors of Rome, Bond and his adversary racing around tight corners, swerve around debris, and avoid other vehicles. (Amusingly, the film also defuses the typical Bond car expectations.) The film tops itself with an even bigger chase later in the film. Around the snowy mountains, Bond pursues the villains’ truck in an airplane. This sequence goes to some crazy planes, especially once Bond is directing the wingless craft down the slopes. Though it once again arguably pushes “Spectre” towards Moore territory, it’s still an exciting sequence.

In the press leading up to “Spectre’s” release, the film promises that Mr. Hinx, played by up-and-coming tough guy Dave Bautista, would be a Bond henchman of equal standing to Jaws or Oddjobs. It’s a nice thought, especially since we haven’t gotten a good henchman in a while. Bautista is certainly intimidating in the part. Hinx has a few nice touches, like the polished thumb nails he uses to gauge out eyes. Hinx isn’t defined too much beyond that. However, he does participate in maybe the film’s best action scene. Hinx corners Bond on a train, leading to a brawl that tears through the dining car. Bond improvises some weapons, like a bottle or a corkscrew. The combat is brutal, with plenty of audible slams and cracking bones. The pay-off is especially satisfying as well. Though Hinx could’ve been a great henchman, he doesn’t have enough personality and exits the film too early to make a truly iconic impression.

Like “Skyfall” before it, “Spectre” dutifully respects the formula of the Bond franchise. The villain has an elaborate lair, a huge facility inside a giant asteroid crater. Bond and his love interest is captured, before the secret agent is brutally tortured by the villain. This time, Blofeld drills into James’ head, which is as painful as it sounds. Thanks to a gadget devised by Q, Bond is able to make a daring escape. Said escape is a blast, in more then one way. There’s plenty of dramatic diving and shoot. The sequence climaxes in a massive explosion, apparently the biggest fireball ever created for a movie. “Spectre” is devoted to topping itself though. The film has an additional last act, a dramatic run through the ruins of Vauxhall, about to explode. This is an equally tense, exciting sequence, concluding with a helicopter skidding across London Bridge. That’s a wrap-up any Bond movie could ask for.

“Skyfall” went out of its way to re-establish the traditional James Bond supporting characters of Moneypenny, Q, and a more traditional M. Instead of sticking the characters to the sidelines like they usually are, “Spectre” involves each of them in the story proper. Q has an intense encounter on a ski lift with some shifty fellows. His hacking skills become an important plot point. Ben Whishaw retains a likable balance of nervousness and smug superiority, while developing a decent rapport with Craig. Naomie Harris as Moneypenny does more then just flirt with Bond at the story’s beginning, though there’s some of that too. She helps out Bond’s investigation. Ralph Fiennes’s M even gets an action sequence all to himself, confronting the movie’s secondary antagonist. It’s nice to see the film utilizing its rich supporting cast.

“Spectre” has its share of call-backs to previous Bond adventures. Some of them are easy to spot. A clinic among alpine mountains, obviously invoking “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” will probably be picked up by most. A business front called “Hildebrand” is a little sneakier. Yet “Spectre” biggest call-back to Bond lore is a dramatic reveal of a character’s true identity. As we all figured out months before its release, Christoph Waltz is playing Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The elegant and verbose Waltz is perfectly cast as the iconic villain. His way with dialogue makes the bad guy classy but no less sinister. After playing coy with the Nehru jacket and the white cat, the film cleverly introduces the facial scar. Still, I have a qualm with “Spectre’s” take on Blofeld. Having him be the mastermind behind the last three movies isn’t enough. Instead, “Spectre” makes Blofeld James’ foster-brother. It’s a story element that doesn’t truly pay off. Connecting Blofeld and Bond seems like another attempt by the script to punch up the series’ biggest villain.

Whether or not Daniel Craig will return for a fifth James Bond movie isn’t currently known. Craig has been open about his disinterest in returning, in no uncertain words. Producer Michael G. Wilson, meanwhile, has said they are willing to pay Craig whatever it takes to get him back for at least one more. “Spectre,” however, ends on a fairly definitive note. Most everything is wrapped up, save for the fate of one major character. (Maybe the next one’s beginning can recall “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’s” ending…) I’d liked to see Craig return, if only because every James Bond actor deserves one movie were they’re too old for the part. If “Spectre” is destined to be Craig’s last crack at Bond, it’s a very satisfying conclusion. The action is great, the cast is superior, and the film puts an entertaining spin on the series’ established mythology. [Grade: B]

THE 007 SEVEN: 6 out of 7

[X] Destroys Evil Doer’s Lair
[X] Drinks or Orders a Vodka Martini
[X] Gets Captured and/or Tortured
[X] Introduces Himself as “Bond – James Bond”
[] Teams-Up with Felix Leiter
[X] Uses Judo or a Walther PPK to Dispose of an Enemy
[X] Wears a Tux

Series Report Card: James Bond 007 (2012)

23. Skyfall

The twenty-third James Bond film, like seemingly all the movies in the series, did not have the smoothest of pre-productions. MGM was hampered by financial problems, the old studio approaching bankruptcy. This, combined with the somewhat negative reaction to “Quantum of Solace,” made fans wonder if a 23rd Bond film was coming soon at all. Would Daniel Craig’s tenure as Bond be cut short by outside factors, the same way Timothy Dalton’s was? There was no need to panic. MGM got their shit together and a new entry in the series, eventually entitled “Skyfall,” rolled into production. The delay might even have been a good thing. First off, it allowed the movie’s release to tie in with the series’ 50th anniversary. Secondly, it gave everyone involved more time to put together a better film.

A mission to recover a stolen hard drive, containing the cover identities of MI-6 agents in the field, goes horribly awry. Bond is shot off a train overpass, M and everyone else assuming 007 to be dead. A few month’s later, Vauxhall explodes in a cyber-terrorism attack. The man responsible has a similar story to Bond, a former MI-6 agent abandoned by his agency, now back for revenge. Bond, despite having a broken body and a troubled mind, returns to his job. As the villain’s identity is revealed, everyone soon realizes that M herself is the mastermind’s target. Bond’s quest to protect his boss also has him facing his own past.

As James Bond’s unconscious form careens down a waterfall, his body floating under the waves, the film smoothly transitions into the opening credits. “Skyfall’s” opening sequence nicely combines the more stylized credits that have become the standard in the Craig era with the more classical Bond trademarks. Partially nude women covert around the water, seemingly tormenting the drifting Bond. The credits reference Bond’s injury, with bleeding cut-outs of his face, and the film’s settings, with its burning Chinese dragons. The villain’s status as a dark reflection of Bond is shown by Bond facing off with his shadow and a hall of mirrors. There are two scenes here I really like. First, during a scene patterned after a Rorschach test, dancing women shift into knives and skulls. At the beginning of the credit, we see the Skyfall manor, the face of a young Bond inside. At the ends of the credits, we see the crumbling Skyfall, the face of a grizzled, adult Bond inside. The accompanying song is also something of a throwback. Adele’s big, brassy vocals works nicely with the traditional Bond style. The lyrics are poignant and well-constructed. The production is slightly overdone but, for the most part, this is a great Bond theme.

As the 50th anniversary film, “Skyfall” throws in many references to the series’ past. However, unlike the superficial easter eggs in “Die Another Day,” “Skyfall” actually builds its story around the past and how it interacts with the present. “Sometimes the old ways are the best” is a key line of dialogue. Craig has gotten enough age on him that its believable his Bond might have taken too much punishment. Characters actively wonder if, in the age of cyber-terrorism and radicals acting alone, if there’s any room for an old fashion man of action. Meanwhile, the characters are haunted by their pasts, M by the mistakes she’s made and Bond by his troubled childhood. Lastly, “Skyfall” works to return many classic elements to the Bond series, going a long way towards reestablishing the original formula. The film is respectful of the series history, updates some of the dearly missed trademarks, while also making some surprisingly profound statements about regrets and the past. Also, it brings back the Aston Martin DB5, probably one of the coolest callbacks I've seen in recent memory.

Another smart move on “Skyfall’s” behalf is making M a major character. Judi Dench’s M had been with the franchise for more then a decade at this point. Despite casting a highly respected, Oscar-winning actress like Dench in the part, M mostly sat behind a desk and gave mission briefings, especially during the Brosnan years. M was given a bigger role once Craig came on. “Skyfall” goes so far as to build the entire plot around her. The film questions the morality of M cutting her looses with captured agents. What if this came back to haunt her? Something else the film touches upon is M’s maternal instincts towards her spies. Throughout the film, everyone calls her “ma’am” but the accents make it sound like “mom.” Silva is like an abandoned son with Bond as the favored brother. The film isn't subtle about this, the villain saying “Mommy was bad.” Yet it adds an interesting layer to the plot. It also allows Dench to show off her considerable talent as an actress.

Since the Daniel Craig era of 007 is grounded and realistic, you're not going to have Bond running around at 57, blasting goons and inventing snowboarding. Instead, only on his third film, Craig’s James is already experiencing the wear and tear of his life-style. His always-implied alcoholism is more-or-less confirmed, with Bond depressingly chugging some scorpion liquor. His shoulder is shot, the film emphasizing his vulnerability. He can’t even shoot straight anymore. The only way he gets cleared for fieldwork is because M pushes him through. Moreover, “Skyfall” explores Bond’s childhood. By taking us back to Skyfall, his childhood home, the spy acknowledges his status as an orphan, his parents’ death, and his lonely years in a sprawling, gothic manor. Bond wasn’t a happy kid and that birthed a wildly dysfunctional adult. Considering how invested in the character’s inner life this period of the series is, it’s no surprised we’re exploring Bond’s childhood. It’s greatly appreciated either way.

Many of 007’s most memorable adversaries have been characters that darkly mirror Bond himself, such as Red Grant and Alec Trevelyan. “Skyfall” continues in this tradition. Raoul Silva is also a former MI-6, a double-0 like Bond. Like Trevelyan, he was left for dead, this time by M. Like Bond, he was M’s favorite. (In a cute joke, his years of service roughly line up with the period between Timothy Dalton and Brosnan’s films.) Instead of fighting for queen and country, Silva fights for himself, selling his skills as a hacker to the highest bidder. He’s as deadly and calculating as Bond, targeting M with the same harsh determination Bond targets his opponents. Javier Bardem as Silva gets a great introductory scene, where he presents himself to a captured Bond, explaining his plan. Bardem plays the character between psychotic mastermind and foppish dandy. He’s viciously efficient in his villainous plan while also carrying that classic Bond villain style. To hammer home Silva’s status as a classic Bond bad guy, he’s even given an ugly facial deformity. Yet Bardem creates a deeper performance, a villain with psychological problems and personal motivation.

How about the Bond Girls? Naomie Harris is introduced as Eve, Bond’s partner in the field who accidentally shoots him in the beginning. Harris and Craig share several scenes and the two have great chemistry. The meeting they have in Hong Kong, Eve helping Bond out with his shave, the two flirting in the casino, are a stand-out moment. It wasn’t hard to figure out that Eve is actually Eve Moneypenny, another classic element reestablished, but I still really enjoyed the reveal. The other Bond girls in the film invited more controversy. The glamorous Berenice Marlohe plays Severine. Severine is the dangerous, troubled girl linked to the film’s villain. As expected, Bond sleeps with her and then she dies. However, we also discover that Severine is a former victim of sexual slavery, a disturbing subject matter probably unsuited to a Bond film. What Bond does next ruffled plenty of feathers. She smiles when Bond comes into the shower, obviously enjoying his company. However, is it PC that Bond takes advantage of a former sex slave? Probably not but Bond has never been a PC character. It’s the sort of thing he would do. His curt dismissal of her death is right in line with his personality as well. For the record, Marlohe is fine in the part and beautiful to boot, looking gorgeous in the stylish dress.

Another classic Bond story element “Skyfall” returns to the canon is Q. The campy, plot-resolving gadgets of the Moore/Brosnan era wouldn’t fly here. Instead, Q is a wildly revamped character. Ben Whishaw is a young, hotshot kid, something Bond is eager to remind him of. The devices he hands out are low-key and realistic. The first is a modified Walter PPK with hand grip printed to Bond’s hand. The second is a tiny radio transmitter. That’s it. Both fit in nicely with the realistic style of the current series. Q still plays a larger role in the play. Being a young hacker type, he decodes Silva’s encrypted map and helps near the finale. Like Craig’s 007 in “Casino Royale,” Q is also young and inexperienced, making a pretty dumb mistake at a key moment. Whishaw is nice addition to the cast. The first meeting between Bond and Q in a museum plays out really nicely.

“Skyfall” is not as relentlessly action-packed as “Quantum of Solace.” However, it still has plenty of notable sequences. The opening chase scene through Istanbul is fantastic. The rooftop motorcycle chase is something we haven’t seen before. The fight between Bond and the assassin atop the train makes great use of the setting. Yet the best moment during this extended scene is when the bad guy first leaps onto the train. Craig’s Bond, not being one to stand for this sort of shit, jumps in a steam shovel and takes chase. Digging the shovel into the train and using that as a bridge to climb aboard is a clever set piece. It’s certainly a more effective sequence then the tumble Bond has in a casino. Yes, I’m talking about the CGI komodo dragon, a surprisingly sketchy special effect. Now, I like the judo flipping but Bond leaping on the reptiles’ back negatively brought Roger Moore to mind. Silva’s escape from MI-6 and Bond chasing him through the tube system is very suspenseful, has plenty of humor, and pays off nicely. Though, yes, it is ridiculous that the villain knew a train was coming at that very moment.

The last act of “Skyfall” cleverly inverts the typical Bond formula. Instead of the hero sneaking into an evil-doer’s lair and destroying it, Bond retreats to a fortress. Now the villains have to come to him, the heroes defending their home from invaders. A fantastic, late addition is Albert Finney as Kincade, the Bond estate’s watchman. Finney contributes a lot to the finale, providing humor while being equally badass. The action in this sequence is the best in the film. The Aston Martin DB5 gets a beautiful reintroduction and those headlight-mounted machine guns really come in handy. The cleverly used mirrors and improvised bombs recall a grittier sort of action film then your usual Bond movie. 007 has to defend his former home and boss with only a handful of shotguns and his own ingenuity. Some of these stunts are bigger then others, such as when two exploded fuel tanks toss enough shrapnel into the air to take two helicopter pilots! The race across a frozen lake is another stand-out stunt, especially the way deals with it. The conclusion to “Skyfall” is fantastically orchestrated.

Another element that elevates “Skyfall” is its gorgeous cinematography. Roger Deakins photographed the film and creates some truly spell-binding images. Such as the fight between Bond and the assassin in Hong Kong. Set inside a glass tower, the two fighters are silhouetted in cool blue against the flickering images outside. The siege of Skyfall is similarly shot in ominous blues, lit orange by the near-by flames. The Scottish countryside is beautifully photographed in general. “Skyfall” is probably the best looking film in the entire Bond series.

In contrast to “Quantum of Solace’s” overly venomous reaction, “Skyfall” was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews. Some went so far to declare it the best Bond ever. The public seemed to agree. “Skyfall” became the highest grossing film in the series’ long history, was number 2 for the entire year, and currently holds the title for the highest-grossing film in the UK. Since the internet runs on such a fast feedback cycle these days, a backlash happened immediately, people eager to point out that “Skyfall” wasn’t that good. Yeah, there are some minor plot holes and at least one plot element owes a lot to “The Dark Knight.” So, no, “Skyfall” isn’t the best Bond movie of all time. However, it is a very good addition to the series, beautifully photographed, tightly characterized, with great performances and plenty of fun action. Moreover, it successfully updates some familiar elements to the series that we haven’t seen in a while. As the film ends, Bond is eager to start his next adventure. The audience can’t wait either. [Grade: B+]

THE 007 SEVEN:

[] Destroys Evil Doer’s Lair
[X] Drinks or Orders a Vesper Martini
[X] Gets Captured and/or Tortured
[X] Introduces Himself as “Bond – James Bond”
[] Teams-Up with Felix Leiter
[X] Uses Judo or a Walther PPK to Dispose of an Enemy
[X] Wears a Tux

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James Bond will return. Though the actors playing the part grow old and the movies go in and out of vogue, the character will never die. When I'm old and my hypothetical children are adults, they'll still be making James Bond movie. Production on the 156th Bond movie will be rudely interrupted by the heat-death of the universe. Bond will live forever.

Most pressingly, James Bond will return soon. "Spectre" comes out November 6th of this year. Luck has it that the teaser trailer just hit Friday. Not only does the film promise the return of SPECTRE, the evil organization, and probably Blofeld, Bond's archenemy, who will probably be played by Christoph Waltz. The trailer is exciting and I'm fairly pumped for it.

I'm pretty proud to wrap up this Series Report Card. I've done bigger projects before but this one seemed especially complex. I'm not quite done with 007 just yet. Return tomorrow for a proper conclusion to this Report Card. See you soon, readers.