An MI6 safe-house in Istanbul has been raided, so Bond is trying to stop the perpetrator from escaping with a list of deep-cover agents working in terrorist groups. Following an action-packed chase culminating in a punch-up on a train, Bond is accidentally shot by his partner Eve, played by Naomie Harris, and falls off a bridge.
Three months later, Bond has been declared 'missing presumed dead', and M is under fire from her superiors in the government, especially Lord Voldemort. Following a bombing at the MI6 headquarters, Bond comes out of a drunken semi-retirement and returns to London. After being (incorrectly) declared fit for duty, this time without seducing any physicians, he is assigned to find out who is responsible for the attack. A trail from Shanghai to Macau soon identifies the culprit as Mr Silva, an ex-MI6 agent from M's past, played by Javier Bardem.
This film is very similar to GoldenEye, as it is once again examining Bond's purpose, this time in a digital age. However, it takes it a step further by examining M's relevance too. At the same time, they bring back some of the more classical elements of the films. We see the return of Q, now played by Ben Whishaw, but he doesn't have any exploding pens. Also returning is Miss Moneypenny.
Daniel Craig is certainly playing a very flawed Bond. He's a physical wreck, barely able to contend with the work he's going through, and soon finds himself questioning his loyalties. But the real star of the show is Mr Silva. He is diabolical while assuming a very flamboyant persona. I'm not the greatest fan of camp characters, but he pulls it off very well. It's certainly different from his performance in No Country for Old Men, but Mr Silva and Anton are villains I'd equally fear.
There is a great action-packed prologue, along with a climax at Bond's ancestral home. And the ending is very poignant.
This might be one of my favourites. Let's see how the next one fares.
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