Daniel Craig returns as James Bond in Skyfall, and the BAFTA award-winning actor once again delivers with an excellent performance as the character. The film begins with the secret agent chasing after a terrorist spy only to be shot by an ally and losing valuable information and what appears to be his life. Of course, the film wouldn't run a lengthy 143 minutes if the hero dies in the first five minutes, so shortly after the action packed intro and amazing theme from Adele, viewers are reunited with the character enjoying death with a lovely young lady. The James Bond film series has always been known for its provacative vision of a character that seems to be able to charm any woman on the planet to sleeping with him, and the sexual scenes at the beginning of the movie feel forced in Skyfall and makes the film stutter during the opening scenes following the great intro. Luckily, the film picks up the pace shortly after and never fails to impress afterwards.
Judi Dench also delivers another great performance as M and 007's mentor. The character is forced to live with her terrible mistake that almost cost Britain its best secret agent, while she must also face other mistakes she has made in her past. A former agent she has trained is eventually revealed as the main antagonist, and the character's revenge warpath is the main dynamic of the film that constantly drives the film forward. Despite being M's agent before 007, the character has accepted new methods and technologies that make him nearly untouchable by anyone working for M to make him believe he has an advantage over 007 who has seemingly lost a step after a near fatal gunshot wound.
Skyfall constantly focuses on a theme of technology versus older ways, and it makes for some very interesting scenarios, as James Bond must use his intellect to esentially Macgyver his way out of some very dangerous scenarios. The only scene where the film seems to forget its theme is when Bond uses his car to mow down a group of gun carrying goons, but we can forgive him since that car is awesome.Skyfall ultimately ends with a great ending that wraps up any loose ends and sets the stage for what is next to come in the reimagining of the original James Bond 007 films.
Skyfall is a great film that hits on nearly every mark with only a few exceptions that keep it from being our favorite Bond film starring Daniel Craig. Skyfall doesn't deliver the same strong, consistent narrative experience featured in Casino Royale, but it does feature plenty of exciting action sequences and has plenty of character development that will continue to make the series more exciting with the upcoming releases for the film series. Skyfall is well worth a purchase, or fans can check it out on Netflix for free.
Skyfall is now available from all major retailers and online distributors. Skyfall is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense violent sequences throughout, some sexuality, language and smoking. For more information on the film, check out the official Skyfall website.
Movie Features:
Release Date: November 9, 2012
Director: Sam Mendes
Running Time: 143 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Previous Release: Quantum of Solace
Cast: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris
Score: 9 out of 10