3. Story Matters!
The Bond franchise has always been a bit hit and miss when it comes to telling a good story. There are several Bond films which have engaging and well structured stories, but there are many which simply use the same basic story model
ad nauseum i.e. evil but sophisticated lunatic has bizarre and, usually, unbelievable reason for wanting to destroy the world. With Casino Royale taking Bond back to his roots it also drew heavily from the novel which ensured it had a good narrative in place; in fact, as much as I enjoyed Skyfall's story, I think Royale's is still the richer and more satisfying of the two. Quantum of Solace is often critiqued for having a poorly developed script and a weak story. Whilst this is fair, the film does feel more like an epilogue to the events of Casino Royale than a proper sequel, it did receive something of a poison chalice in having to directly follow Royale. Whereas the former movie got to tell a romantic story of betrayal and heartbreak, Quantum was left merely with a standard 'revenge' plot and the need to tie up a few of the loose ends. It's a shame that it wasn't slightly better realised as beneath the slightly bland surface of the story there was some very interesting elements; not least the gradual reveal of the large criminal network known as 'Quantum'. Whilst Skyfall decided to ignore the plots potential, it would be nice to think that the poor reaction to Quantum of Solace doesn't mean that the 'Quantum' organisation will never feature again; after all, they had the potential to be the new SPECTRE. Just like Goldfinger represented something of a break from that organisation before the films once again turned their focus back on to it, hopefully likewise Skyfall won't mean the end for Quantum. Skyfall's own story about a stolen hard drive with sensitive and lethal information works well because of its simplicity. There aren't a great deal of narrative twists and turns but there's something rather refreshing in having a straightforward journey. Equally it is the characters who are the main focus of the story, meaning we spend more time getting to know Bond and M before they're launched into action. The idea of a lethal cyber-terrorist is relevant and to some degree mimics the way Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy used real post-9/11 fears. Skyfall slightly pales in comparison however, perhaps because of the very personal nature of its own story, never quite managing to build up the same level of danger as witnessed in Nolan's work. You'd expect, had Nolan been directing, the tube sequence would have played more on the current fears of terrorism, with the threat being directed towards the everyman as much as it is towards the main cast. Skyfall, however, simply uses the tube aesthetic as a background for an old fashioned chase. Nevertheless, Skyfall still has a well written story hanging everything together, with each scene adding to and enriching the story as a whole. Bond 24 should simply remember that a good story is important to making sure the audience care about what is happening on screen.