SKYFALL falls short of maintaing 007 "Escapist" factor

SKYFALL, the latest installment of the James Bond 007 franchise, seems to be breaking records all over the world. Yet for it's flashy trailers and ad claims of hugeness, the 23rd "official" film in the series of Ian Flemming's british secret agent fails to entertain on the WOW level of it's predecessors. 

SKYFALL relies heavily on the popularity of it's casting rather than it's suspension of disbelief; reaffirming the power of marketing appeasing to existing fan bases rather than innovating.

As an example of the power of marketing, the classic 007 cocktail (martini-shaken, not stirred) has been replaced by beer. Yes, beer. Heineken USA has signed a reported $45 million partnership agreement with Sony Pictures for the use of Heineken products. 

I am not ashamed to say that this is the kind of news that leaves me, an avid Bond fan, shaken AND stirred.

Ian Flemming's handsome, playboy secret agent usually engages in numerous sexual encounters with gorgeous scantly-clad women who we've come to know as "Bond Girls". This kind of promiscuous romping has been replaced by more sexual suggestive activity, no doubt a nod toward the softer PG-13 rating and a way to get more ticket sales. Even the female silhouettes in the opening credits are less sexually suggestive than the earlier films, which are now visually edited when they play on television.

Bond villans are no longer interested in world domination via death ray or blowing up earth and creating a master race on a space station, favoring instead to exact revenge on Britain's intelligence community or cornering the market on real estate. Gimmie a guy who has a shark that wears a lazer. Thank god for Dr. Evil!

Comic relief from 007's gadget master "Q", MI6's brilliant curmudgeon technical advisor/inventor has been replaced by a young computer nerd (Ben Whishaw) whose snappy quips are unfunny hipster commentary on how current technical advancements overshadow the British intelligence's "bygone era" tools of the trade. And, of course, he messes up. Betcha he won't get fired. #BringbackJohnCleese.

OK. Don't get me wrong. Skyfall is a great film, Sam Mendes does a great job handling the new James bond franchise with break-neck action sequences, amazing cinematography and great acting by Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes and Javier Bardem. 

But it seems that the JAMES BOND franchise more resembles the JASON BOURNE films in it's affirmation of current-world politics and technology, and less of the over-the-top, cartoonish charm that gave film-goers a much-needed shot of cinematic escapism. 

The acting range of Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Bronson encapsulated a sexually-charged, macho bravado as well as comic timing, adding a wide range of emotions to the James Bond character. 

Without taking anything away from Daniel Craig, the role of 007 could be played by a more seasoned actor like Liam Niesen, who has shown by his gritty performance in "TAKEN" that he may also have the swagger to fill her majesty's favorite tuxedo.

But current audiences, weaned on "reality" entertainment, seems to favor a humorless  no-nonsense 007 and story lines that mirror current news instead of escapist fiction.

Oh, well. There's always The Avengers.

Skyfall is rated PG-13: for intense violent sequences throughout, some sexuality, language and smoking.

Director: Sam Mendes

Cast: Daniel Craig, Helen McCrory, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench

Studio: 2012 Columbia/MGM

Website: Official site for Skyfall.

The year 2008 starring in "Return of the sequel".

Some say you can't get enough of a good thing. If anyone believed that last year it was Hollywood, for sure. Sequel after sequel came rolling off the film studio assembly lines and into our neighborhood multiplexes like overpriced buckets of popcorn.

NEO should have told MORPHEUS that the "second black cat" was actually named "Reloaded". The Hollywood matrix glitched on purpose and we loved every minute of it. Just in case you missed this massive re-attack on the senses, here's a run down of some of favorite stories that got part-two'd:

Last year we:
•Helped RAMBO into the old folks home (we hope).

•Once again visited our furry friends from the land of NARNIA. PETA must be pleased.

•Dusted off yet another MUMMY. (Spoiler Alert: Brendan Frasier really is the animated corpse.)

•Witnessed more gore in SAW.

•Sang yet another HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL.

•Got another delivery from THE TRANSPORTER.

•Went to hell and fought THE GOLDEN ARMY with HELLBOY.

•Really, really wanted to believe in THE X FILES.

•Escaped twice: once to Africa from MADAGASCAR, and again from GITMO with HAROLD AND KUMAR.

•Fought another STAR WAR with cartoons CLONES.

•Got no SOLACE with 007. (Okay. Maybe a Quantum)

• Watched INDIANA JONES bump his CRYSTAL SKULL.

•And giggled with the SISTERHOOD again in those darn TRAVELING PANTS.


But I think 2008 sequel award goes to the caped crusader. THE DARK KNIGHT is now the fourth highest grossing movie in history and picked up two Academy Awards. (Best sound editing and best supporting actor: HEATH LEDGER.)

Betcha we see more super hero flicks soon considering that three of the top ten films of 2008 were superhero movies. ENTER: THE WATCHMEN.

The Dark Knight- Worldwide Gross : $1,001,082,160
Hancock - Worldwide Gross : $624,386,746
Iron Man- Worldwide Gross : $582,030,528



PHAT ALERT!!
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios are scheduled to release on July 15, 2011 a film titled The Avengers.
Iron Man director Jon Favreau is the executive producer, while Robert Downey, Jr. and Don Cheadle will play Iron Man and War Machine, respectively.
Unknown returns include Edward Norton, star of The Incredible Hulk (2008) as Bruce Banner and Samuel L. Jackson in his Iron Man cameo as Nick Fury.
The film's roster includes Iron Man, Captain America, the Incredible Hulk and Thor.The film's writer, Zak Penn (co-writer of The Incredible Hulk film), cited Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's Ultimates version of the team as inspiration for the story.