ReadHead: Skyfall

I am not quite sure how I have not managed to sit down and write about the amazingness that is Skyfall when I saw it nearly a week ago. Friday 26th October was opening night for Skyfall, the latest Bond film starring Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Feinnes and her majesty Dame Judi Dench.

Having read my first Bond novel almost a year ago now, I feel a new kind of relationship with Bond as Fleming's creation. Who am I kidding? Bond is sexier than ever in this film and, I don't know about you, but it's partly because he's starting to look older. Oh and they've slipped in some back story for Bond this time, which although controversial, definitely makes Bond even more sexy... I mean, who doesn't love a troubled soul? A troubled soul with no shirt. JK Rowling could have learnt a few things in that department for some of her conflicted characters...

What I find interesting about Bond as a series of novels, though, is the way in which someone like Fleming can write an essentially two dimensional character and use it to his advantage. In this day and age we all want complex characters, intricate plots, lots of things keeping us entertained all the time, and a 2D character with no apparent emotions, personal aspirations or history doesn't appear to immediately provide that. What it does though, is to allow the writer (whether it the original author, someone new or even a director) to write on top of it. The basis of the character remains the same so that they are recognisable to us all - we root for Bond probably mainly for this reason, although there are of course other factors - but all the variables like the settings and, most importantly, the writer's creativity, can be constantly changed without affecting the classic iconography of this infamous agent.

Recently, Idris Elba of The Wire, Luther, Prometheus and all-important provider of the sexiest voice behind any Vodaphone ad, has been at the centre of rumours regarding Daniel Craig's successor. I mean who knows if it's true but I would certainly be up for some shirtless Idris action. If it isn't Idris Elba, though, I would suggest one of the following would make an entertaining Bond...