NOT QUITE A LEGEND – 007 LEGENDS review

007 LEGENDS cover artwork - now you
can judge a game by its cover!

Note: for an unknown game glitch I’m stuck on a part of the MOONRAKER mission where I have to hack a WiFi port, but for some reason, every time I press “E” on my PC, the thing doesn’t works. I don’t even have the “Press E To Hack” disclaimer. I’ll review the game until this point.

While SKYFALL was a true 50^th Bond anniversary celebration, 007 LEGENDS, the latest James Bond game by Activision after QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008), GOLDENEYE 007 (2010), BLOOD STONE (2010) and GOLDENEYE 007: RELOADED (2011), is quite a disappointment.

THE BEST BOND SINCE GOLDENEYE (well, not quite) – The GoldenEye Dossier reviews SKYFALL

ALERT: there are some spoilers here, technical and some things about the plot, but you won’t find extreme spoilers here, so you’ll be able to read without guilt.

Daniel Craig as James Bond watching over London

The day has finally arrived, and this time –unlike what I did with CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE- I made the effort of stay spoiler free (something hardly possible thanks to social networks and forums). I’ve read some comments (some very painful to read) about the film when they were only a rumor, but didn’t dare to confirm it with my worldwide friends in Europe who had seen the film.

As I told in my radio interview with Sebastián De Caro, I tought friendship this time was avobe Bond itself, at least for this year, so I’ve kindly rejected the Argentinean premiere tickets I won without much effort in their official Facebook page contest.

Bond finds out that some things aren't
necesarily best kept underground...

Suddenly, November 1^st came, and SKYFALL was there round the corner. As I met my friends and I was heading to the cinemas I wondered: is it gonna be the best Bond since GOLDENEYE? The trailers sold the film very well, plus the cast list including names like Bardem, Fiennes and Finney seemed to confirm it.

I have to start here with a certain spoilerish critique (calm down, it’s not that heavy): the gunbarrel is not at the beginning, but at the end (yet again!). That pisses me off. Its misplacement was justified in CASINO ROYALE, then we had some tongue-in-cheek reason to believe it’d fit at the end in QUANTUM OF SOLACE and yes, it certainly can fit the end of SKYFALL in a sense, but it should have been at the beginning, particularily for a 50^th anniversary Bond film which combines both classic and modern touches both modern and conservative fans will like.

As we get into the ten minute teaser we see a spectacular motorbike rooftop chase over the rooftops of that exotic place were FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE and THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH was filmed: Istanbul, Turkey. Bond and rookie agent Eve are chasing Patrice, a shadowy hitman responsible leaving agent Ronson heavily wounded and stealing a drive containing a list with all the secret agents embedded in terrorist organizations worldwide. The fight between Bond and Patrice ends atop a train where Bond gets a “bloody shot” from lousy marksman Eve.  Then the beautiful main titles by Daniel Kleinman come to screen, cleaning up the forgettable disaster made by the MK12 in the previous film. Skulls, tombstones, girls, moors and Bond stalked by shadows are some of the beautiful things we see to fit with the lovely “Skyfall” song performed by Adele.

Eve (Naomie Harris) shares some jokes with 007
at the MI6 new digs.

Then we are introduced into the film’s proper plot: MI6 is blown away right after M’s computer and all the secret service network is hacked by an unknown man that has apparently made with the missing list and is constantly posting macabre jokes and games to M. Her authority is constantly challenged by her superior Gareth Mallory, brilliantly played by Ralph Fiennes.

Then, Bond is back from the dead to save M’s reputation and the enormous security breach in the country. And here’s where we traditionalist fans will get to rise a smile by watching the return of Q, this time a nerdy young guy played by Ben Whishaw (we can remember his scene with Daniel Craig in 2005’s LAYER CAKE) who will never make us forget the late Desmond Llewelyn but he brings freshness to the character. We get to see some gadgets. The classic Aston Martin DB5 from GOLDFINGER is there – all I will say is that it’s the same of GOLDFINGER, and not just for the BMT 216A number plate, plus a signature Walther PPK akin to Timothy Dalton’s photo camera-rifle from LICENCE TO KILL, and a radio. The radio is very useful, I can assure you!

Bérénice Marlohe as
French-Cambodian Sévérine

Javier Bardem’s Silva is probably the greatest villain since Robert Davi’s Franz Sánchez, because he’s a first class psychopath: he’s driven by revenge against M because he feels “betrayed” by her – there are some shades of our dear Alec Trevelyan in its first encounter with Bond, plus a slight homosexual characteristic that will remind you to Wint and Kidd from DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (the novel, not the film). Bérénice Marlohe (or “Bérenice Lim” as she’s finally credited in the main and end titles) as Sévérine provides a lot of beauty to the screen and, in her short time onscreen, we discover shades of her unhappy past.

Naomie Harris looks very beautiful too but it’s not the Bond girl you expect to be, although she has a surprise for Bond (and the audience) in the very last minutes of the two hour and a half feature – and here’s another interesting thing to talk about: ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE and CASINO ROYALE, the longest Bonds before SKYFALL, are very good but there are slow paced scenes, unlike SKYFALL, where all the scenes in a way or another are enough to fulfill the audience’s entertainment – the film just flies!

We shall give a special mention to Judi Dench’s M, who gives probably her best acting to the Bond franchise. You will really see here she’s not just another M, but has a maternal instinct towards Bond. And Albert Finney’s portrayal of Kincade, ghillie of Bond’s Scottish residence, brings us to the mind the actual place where Ian Fleming’s James Bond was born.

Daniel Craig makes a great Bond, and we have to mention here that he has been faced off against the original Ian Fleming’s James Bond, which is not a minor challenge. And he does it perfectly, adding some nice one liner humour touches we’ve been missing in the last two films. Nobody can say he’s not James Bond now, and, if you’re a nostalgic missing the Connery era… just wait for the film’s ending.

"Is there anything left of the old Double-O-Seven?" -
Raoul Silva challenges Bond in rather
 nasty game.

Much of the film merits belong to Roger Deakins’ cinematography, who probably is the best photographer Bond has ever had (sorry, Phil!), the so missed Stuart Baird editing and Alexander Witt’s second unit direction, after the fiasco of Matt Chassé & Robert Pearson and Jason Bourne’s Dan Bradley who should be banned for life to do another Bond film, unlike scribes Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan who created a great story and script together. Thomas Newman’s music might not be in the scale of David Arnold or John Barry, but he’s a great composer to be a substitute. Thankfully, we got more of the “James Bond Theme” this time. And of course, Martin Campbell was right: Sam Mendes did a wonderful job.

Is it the best Bond since GOLDENEYE? It certainly beats off THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, DIE ANOTHER DAY (I say this being a Pierce Brosnan fundamentalist as somebody called me) and QUANTUM OF SOLACE. By facing it off against TOMORROW NEVER DIES we’re facing it of a film I love much and well, CASINO ROYALE is Ian Fleming’s Bond genesis.

So, it is the best Bond since GOLDENEYE? Yes and no.

9.75 / 10

Nicolás Suszczyk
Editor, THE GOLDENEYE DOSSIER

GOLDENEYE RELOADED RELEASED! Site Updated, Reviews & Walkthrough

Following today's release of GOLDENEYE RELOADED, the Official Site has been updated showing renders of the characters, trailers and game features. Activision has released a narrated walktrough of the MI6-Ops mode, and gaming sites like TGN and GameVortex highly acclaimed the game.

Special thanks to Archivo007 for the image.

AGE OF HEROES – Review

(Minor spoilers)

Major Jones (SEAN BEAN) leads the 30 Assault Unit.

In the Press Release of this site, I’ve said the target of THE GOLDENEYE DOSSIER was the films and videogames related to the world of GOLDENEYE.

So, why am I reviewing AGE OF HEROES, film which is not even a Bond movie? Well, I have two reasons: (a) Sean Bean aka 006 stars and (b) Ian Fleming, James Bond creator, features portrayed by James D’Arcy.

And let me tell you the film is absolutely amazing. I felt captivated by the fabulous screenplay by Ed Scates and Adrian Vitoria, who also directed the film. I daresay it’s one of the best films I saw this year, if not the best.

France, 1940: Rains (Danny Dyer), a British soldier, is arrested and sent to a military prison after beating a superior during an argument right after his team leader is killed. At the same time, Commander Ian Fleming (James D’Arcy) calls Major Jones (Sean Bean), now an instructor, back in action to recruit a number of soldiers to create a commando to act behind enemy lines. Jones arrives to the military prison asking for one of his men, but Rains, after having yet another quarrel with a ruthless prison guard, pulls out a gun and forces Jones to recruit him too. Jones then decides Rains should pass a number of hard challenges to finally be recruited as a commando; otherwise, he’ll be send back to the military prison. After the commando unit is formed, Fleming explains the details of Operation Grender, a plan to infiltrate a Nazi-occupied Norway in order to destroy the radars who had been spoiling all allied operations, and then escape to Sweden.

Ian Fleming (JAMES D'ARCY), the man who
created the 30 Assault Unit. Later, James Bond creator.

The film is an entirely British production, and you can really feel the atmosphere of Britain in the cast and crew, particularly standing is Mark Hamilton’s sharp cinematography of the snowy Norwegian scenarios and the military atmosphere of the Naval Director’s Offices in London. The soundtrack, by Michael Richard Plowman, is also brilliant.

Danny Dyer’s role is truly convincing, and Sean Bean brings back all his charisma to the screen. And even when James D’Arcy’s Ian Fleming isn’t as good as Charles Dance’s portrayal in the 1989 TV film GOLDENEYE: THE SECRET LIFE OF IAN FLEMING, he won’t disappoint the audience and Bond fans. Izabella Miko also brings a touch of sexyness by playing Jensen, a Norwegian girl whose husband has been missing, which helps the unit to achieve their mission.

Highly recommendable movie, for Bond/Fleming and war films fans. Basically, I felt the film like a mixture of Edward Zwick’s DEFIANCE, starring Daniel Craig, and THE WILD GEESE, starring Richard Burton and Roger Moore in 1978, so, if you liked these two war/adventure films, I’m quite sure you’ll enjoy AGE OF HEROES.

Nicolas Suszczyk

Editor, THE GOLDENEYE DOSSIER