1. Bond Should Be Bond!
The Bond franchise has constantly had to evolve and keep changing in a bid to stay relevant; every time the franchise looked like it might finally no longer have a place in modern cinema, the next instalment comes along and proves Bond can hold his own in the modern world. With all these changes, however, there's always the danger that the films could lose something which is essential to the Bond mixture. This risk has never been more pronounced than during the reboot which saw a lot of the familiar Bond elements removed, including Q, Moneypenny, gadgets and some of the humour. Casino Royale still managed to feel like Bond though, and it was greatly aided by the promise that the character was just beginning to form. Quantum of Solace was a lot more concerning, feeling more like a straight action film than a Bond movie. There was the sense that perhaps the humour and the gadgets were going to be lost indefinitely. Skyfall, however, really delivered in ensuring that all the Bond ingredients were there. Bringing back some of the fun and humour that was missing in Quantum, whilst at the same time remembering to take itself seriously and not become a parody of itself like during the Moore era. Equally it began to bring back some of the familiar Bond elements, all be it in a slightly different form, such as the younger Q. Towards the end of the film particularly there are a lot of shout outs to Bond films of old, subtle enough to not distract the casual viewer but at the same time giving the fans something to getting excited about. It's almost odd that a film in a franchise should get so much praise for simply bringing back features that they had removed from the last two instalments but in many ways the time away has been necessary. The elements aren't simply brought back, but brought back in a way that is relevant and considered, not simply rehashing old ideas carelessly but finding ways to incorporate them that will be meaningful to a modern audience. As a result Skyfall is easily the most 'Bond' of the Craig run so far, and all the better for it. If nothing else, the time away from these familiar elements has clarified just how much we miss them when they're gone. For future instalments then, there shouldn't be a fear of incorporating things which are common to all Bond films as long as it is done thoughtfully, not to the detriment of the story or as simply ticking of a list. The familiar elements that we love are part of the Bond experience and certainly if a film is stripped of them, it can feel all the more impoverished for it. Let's hope Bond 24 can stand proud amongst its predecessors.