Opening last month Halloween in international territories and on November 8 in the US, Columbia Pictures and MGM welcomed the long awaited return of Daniel Craig as James Bond in the highly anticipated 23rd 007 Film "Skyfall". As the third installment of Craig's tenure as the famous British Secret Agent; a role that's also been played by legendary actors like Sean Connery and Roger Moore, this adventure pits Bond against an adversary with connections to MI6's past, which puts his faith with his superior M into question and explores another facet of the "Licensed To Kill" agent's mysterious past.
Many people call this the best film in the franchise yet, and a lot of the story and action in it hold water enough to make that a strong argument. This review will explore whether or not I agree with that assessment, yet still giving my two cents worth on why I certainly enjoyed it nonetheless.
Directed by Sam Mendes and bringing Craig back into the fold of 007 status four years after the disappointing "Quantum of Solace", "Skyfall" is everything that a regular Bond fan could ask in terms of a fresh start to things. It has action, drama, espionage, and naturally Bond girls to satiate the appetites of long term fans, plus adding that much needed flair and dance with death plot that the series sorely needed after the misstep with the last film.
In a nutshell, one can easily rank Skyfall as one of THE BEST Bond films of all time. In my opinion, it's just on par of not above the first Craig-Bond film "Casino Royale", which I enjoyed to great lengths and ushered in a new era of Bond that the modern age could appreciate and relate to.
If you needed more convincing, the Bond theme "Let The Skyfall" sung by Adele takes the Bond legacy back to its roots with a snazzy jazzy intro and opening sequence. Check it out.
The film starts things off with a merry chase that has Bond shot and presumed dead. Some months later, he's called back to action... But clearly not the same man he was once before. It takes a combination of will, determination, and loyalty to his creed to get him back in the game, with an insidious plot that takes him half-across the world and back to Britain to protect his boss M and MI6 from being destroyed by a ghost from their past.
Normally I'd explain the plot points, but I'd reserve spoilers and congratulate the acting talent the film is fantastically graced with. Daniel Craig returns as a more grounded version of 007, who's literally put to the test with his skills after a near death experience and jumping right back into the fire. Judi Dench reprises her longstanding role as his superior M, who's part in this particular installment is far more significant than past films combined. The new faces to see are the exquisite Bond girls in Eve (Naomi Harris) and Severine (Berenice Lim Marlohe), and Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), who serves as the main antagonist of the film. All, plus a new Q and one Gareth Mallory. All have equal opportunity to shine and add layers of intrigue to the story, but it is the relationship between Bond, M, and Mr. Silva that adds to the depth Skyfall has among any Bond film has had so far.
All things considered, there's a good reason why Skyfall is considered "The Dark Knight" of the James Bond franchise, and not because it incorporates IMAX scenes like the 2008 Bat-flick either. Bond works like a machine but falls more on his humanity and origin story on this one, with a relentless nemesis that matches the brutality and ruthlessness of Batman's own archnemesis The Joker. Setting the pieces aside and taking this one on its own belt, Skyfall is a damn good Bond action film. If you were disillusioned with the franchise as of late, this may be the movie that catapults everything back the way it should be - a badass rumble of gunfights, pretty ladies, and a slick secret agent man with all the tricks and gadgets at his disposal. While I was really impressed with Casino Royale among Craig's Bond films so far, this is on par with it on another different level. No spoilers attached, so go see this one for what it's worth if you're a true Bond fan... Or are just itching for some high octane action before the year ends
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