REVIEW: Skyfall

 There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.


THE GOOD: Action. This review for Skyfall is the first time I've written an article about James Bond. So, it only seems fitting to give you a little background on my experience with 007. I've seen every single Bond film. Some more than others, obviously. My grandfather introduced me to Bond when I was in elementary school with the first film, Dr. No. I believe everyone should see Dr. No at some point in their life. After watching many more Bond films with my grandpa, and the many James Bond marathons on TV, I think I am fairly well-versed in the suave spy. I remember when I saw GoldenEye for the first time and loving it. It was Pierce Brosnan's first Bond film and it rocked my world. I thought that this was what Bond was supposed to be! To this day, I still say that Brosnan looks the part the most, followed closely by Sean Connery. That doesn't mean I liked his acting better, but I'm just saying that he looked the part. The Nintendo 64 first-person shooter video game that followed the film only increased its attraction. The following Brosnan films did not live up to the enjoyment of GoldenEye, and after four films, Brosnan retired his 007. Four years went by and it was decided to sort of reboot the franchise. Forget everything you know about Bond and start over. What better place to start than Casino Royale? Afterall, it was the first James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming in 1953. The director of GoldenEye, Martin Campbell, was to come back to direct this one. I couldn't have been more excited. And then they announced that British actor Daniel Craig was going to play Bond. What!? Who!? This guy!? This blonde-haired, blue-eyed guy!? He doesn't look anything like Bond! I kept my expectation reserved for Casino Royale. However, after I saw it, it instantly became my new favorite James Bond movie. It's incredible. It's unlike any other Bond film, and yet it keeps a lot of its themes. Craig plays a great Bond. He doesn't look the part, but he played him fantastically. I was still hesitant when Quantum of Solace came out because Martin Campbell wasn't directing again. It's my belief that he brings a lot of vision to the franchise. That seems to be the same with Skyfall, which is directed by Sam Mendes. This is Mendes' first foray into big action. Previously, he's directed American Beauty, Road to Perdition, and Revolutionary Road. I would say that he exceeded my expectations when it comes to this film, but it does not live up to Campbell's films. The one good thing is the action. Only a couple brief moments of chaos cinema, but most of the time, the action was clear and well choreographed. The part that really sticks out in my mind was the silhouette shot with the fist fight on the skyscraper with the shooter. I'm sure those were stuntmen, but I liked that it wasn't confusing to watch. There's plenty of chases and explosions in this film, with a Home Alone-inspired ending that might have been silly, but looks good.

JAMES BOND: "The name's Bond... James Bond. Wanna shag?"

Music. Thomas Newman was brought on board to compose the score for Skyfall. It's pretty darn good. There are a lot of throwbacks to the older Bond films in this movie, so Newman's score changes appropriately throughout. Adele sings the opening theme for Skyfall and it's a very good entry.


THE BAD: Story. The story for Skyfall is really weak. First off, it is kind of a combination of the first Mission: Impossible film and GoldenEye, so it's unoriginal. Second, I don't really see much motivation for any of the characters in this film. Bond has an opportunity to leave the spy business, but comes back over time. If he cared that much, why would he take some time out anyway? Third, the whole "hacking" and technology aspects are way too unrealistic. I'm okay with suspending my disbelief a little here and there, but this was too much. Especially when it came down to the villain blowing up a specific piece of tunnel just at the right time to try and escape. It didn't reach Eagle Eye levels, but it was pretty bad. I looked at my clock a few times throughout the movie, which I felt was long. However, it has nearly the same running time as Casino Royale. That tells me that Skyfall is not as entertaining.

JAMES BOND: "The name's Bond... James Bond. Wanna shag?"

Villain. Javier Bardem is always good. He is one of the best bad guy actors in the biz, but the writers failed to give him enough to work with in Skyfall. Silva as a villain is a few steps backwards for the Bond franchise. He doesn't show up until halfway through the movie, he has an evil lair of sorts, and he does the classic thing of explaining all his plans to the good guy and not just shooting him in his head. Look at Casino Royale. We see the villain within the first quarter of the movie, he doesn't have an over-elaborate facility where he takes Bond, and he doesn't talk Bond's head off. Additionally, he's doesn't have a high amount of brute strength. Sure, he does have the one Bond villain trait of a facial deformity, but you gotta have something that links the villains together.


THE END: Skyfall is one of the best reviewed Bond films and currently stands with a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. But that doesn't beat Casino Royale's 95% rating. I was disappointed with Skyfall as it's not different enough from the other films. If you like every single Bond movie, you'll like this one, but if you are picky like me, wait to rent this.


DISCUSS: What did you think of Skyfall? What is your favorite Bond movie? Who is your favorite Bond? What would you like to see in the next Bond movie?

 JAMES BOND: "The name's Bond... James Bond. Wanna shag?"