The Resurrection of 007

If you haven’t seen Skyfall yet, then don’t read this article. There are spoilers. You have been warned.

I won’t say I’m the biggest 007 fan around – I’m definitely not but I do enjoy the franchise. To the end of Pierce Brosnan’s stint as Bond, I was feeling a little put off. The films were fine as a standard action adventure flick, but it didn’t seem very Bond. There was too much emphasis on the stunts and explosions and gadgets and not enough to do with the story and the events around these aspects.

Casino Royale was the reset button and it was done brilliantly. Say what you will about Daniel Craig, he had this gritty and rough character down perfectly and as this was the beginning of 007’s career, it was an interesting way to see a much loved character.

Quantum of Solace destroyed that for me. There was a loose story that was going nowhere and I don’t consider it a Bond film. If I had the power to go back in time and stop it from happening altogether, I’d seriously consider it. As a result, I was sceptical of Skyfall and what it would bring. There was a lot of hype around it and that only put me off it even more, as if it was trying too hard to not be Quantum of Solace and that was just how it was going to end up.

How wrong I was.

This film was everything I wanted in a Bond film and more. There was a story relevant to the real world and a character that was still growing and developing to become the Bond we knew from past films. There are a lot of one-liners and inside jokes that fans of the franchise will know and appreciate while new viewers to Bond will appreciate the tone and context of the jokes within the film. No one is singled out here.

I did find some things that bothered me, though; a few paradoxes that, as a writer, I can’t help noticing. They don’t detract too much from the film and if you simply want to enjoy a Bond film, then they probably won’t bother you at all. I did find them interesting though.

 

M

 

I think Judi Dench has done brilliant job as M, and I am little disappointed that her time in the role is finished but not surprised. This film was a bit of a shakeup to what’s been done before and her story, while it could have been developed more, was finished. There is no sensing in forcing an issue like this.

Her role as M brings me to the first paradox. This character was seen during Brosnan’s time as Bond, which is the end of the loose timeline we have. So how can she then appear as M again, years before she entered the franchise? These films are set before all other Bond films and there is no indication the character is a different M. Just M. She also has the attachment to the character. There was a little distance in Casino Royale but not enough for me to separate her into two different M’s.

The Aston Martin

I love how the car returned. It was a real piece of Bond history for us to relive. I’d have loved more to see a car chase with it and I was more than a little heart-broken at the damage and destruction it suffered.

It is the second paradox, though. Bond didn’t drive this car until the film Goldfinger. Franchise fans know this and while it’s great to see it again, the context is wrong. Bond didn’t own the car, as he mentions that company cars can be tracked, so why choose this one? He did win a DB5 in Casino Royale but there were no special gadgets involved and at no time has he shown competent enough to be able create and install such gadgets himself. It’s a fun and quirky idea but it didn’t work for me in terms of story.

Identity and History

As a kid, I never questioned that Bond’s appearance changed so much. He is meant to be the same person throughout, and that’s fine. It works for books but not so much for films when they take place over such a long time. As I got older, my natural reaction (helped by being a writer, I reckon) was to consider them all as James Bond but as different people who stepped into that role. It became an alias for me, that when one James Bond died, another agent stepped in to assume that identity.

This is thrown out of the window in Skyfall, where we are shown Bond’s childhood home and the grave of his parents. This gives him a history and identity beyond being 007. A set up for the future, I’m sure, but what spy would use their real name, knowing there is a link to the past no matter how small or vague. I could be reading too deeply into this, but that’s my nature as a writer.

Overall, it is a great film and brings to life the Bond franchise again. It’s undoubtedly worth watching and an Imax experience is also recommended if you can get to one!

NaNoWriMo, F1 in Abu Dhabi and Disney Conquering Star Wars

It’s been a while since my last review. I have a few more planned before I get into the Dark Tower series, which will be an epic post, but there’s some things I’m still getting to grips with from that series. Between that, working Skyfall’s release, job hunting and NaNoWriMo, it’s a busy time right now!

NaNoWriMo

Well, it’s November and that means it’s another National Novel Writing Month. I’ve done this many times in the past but I’ve never been able to complete it. In 2010, I finally completed it and still had more to write. After a break last year because of my dissertation, I’m back on it this year – but trailing far behind already!

The goal is to write at least 50,000 words (either as a novel or part of one) in the 30 days of November. It’s quite a feat, even if it is only to be a first draft. It is completely up to you how far you want to get involved. I used to sign up every year but now I just do it on my own. It suits me better. There are a lot of events all over the place to meet other participants and have some fun while you’re at it.

This year, I’m writing the sequel to the project from two years ago. I will try to post some extracts throughout the month!

F1 – Raikkonen Returns to the Top Step

I am a big fan of Kimi Raikkonen in F1. One of the ‘coolest’ drivers and I say that because he is very cold at times. It’s just his nature, and Mika Hakkinen was much the same. Kimi was almost gifted the race by another failure from the McLaren team as Lewis Hamilton dropped out.

It made the race much more exciting. Sebastian Vettel produced a brilliant drive, and with a bit of luck with the safety car, made it onto the podium himself alongside the predictable Fernando Alonso.

One of the highlights was Kimi’s race messages. He doesn’t like a lot of information and it showed this time. Many would say he snapped at his race engineer but it was the focus of his driving. The message was clear both times – ‘leave me alone; I know what I’m doing!’ I’m paraphrasing but I’m sure the radio messages can be found on Youtube if you want a laugh!

 

The only thing that was disappointing was the language by both Raikkonen and Vettel. These are world class drivers and the heat of the moment does not quite excuse those slips. Slips happen but they are an example to younger viewers and it was a shame this happened. That said, there are two very exciting races to go and the fight between Vettel and Alonso is nowhere near over.

Star Wars and Disney; A fairy-tale in the making…

The news that Disney has bought Star Wars rocked me. I thought that the films were done and that Star Wars would live on through the Expanded Universe, of which I am a fan. So many authors on one story and the same characters – it gives you a brilliant insight into how each writer thinks and writes. I find that fascinating and the stories are pretty good too!

I am dubious about what Disney will do in these new films, with the first release slated for 2015. I have hope because of what they’ve done with the Marvel films but I see two main options for them to take.

The first is to take the story in their own direction and the second is to follow the Expanded Universe and tell the stories already written down, creative license allowing. The first, I feel, has more chance of alienating current fans even more than the Prequel films did, and the franchise will not find that easy to survive. The second option will see a form of continuity and, if done correctly, bring those fans wandering away back into the fold. I hope for the second option.

Stories have surfaced that Lucas had plans for twelve films in total. Bearing in mind that he has controlled the majority of the Expanded Universe since its creation, these later six would logically fall into a story arc within that creation. If Disney takes that route, it will appeal the widest range of fans possible. Or so I feel.

It’s an interesting situation, as is who will star in the new films. Only time will tell us but I remain hopeful.