Review - Skyfall

At the Theater - Skyfall -  007's 23rd official outing is a thrilling, well-written revenge tale that rightfully takes it's place amongst the very best Bond Film efforts and is currently my favorite movie of the year.   It has all of the grand spectacle and exciting action sequences you've come to expect from the franchise with a few unexpected, but welcomed twists.  Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition), Cinematographer Roger Deakins (The Shawshank Redemption, O, Brother, Where Art Thou?) and Screenwriters Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan have crafted a massive fan film, of sorts- with a number of loving, nostalgic references to past Bond films and a story that finds the character returning to his roots. It's for those who loved Casino Royale but hated Quantum of Solace.

As a fan of photography and a novice shutterbug, I could never fully express my admiration and subsequent gratitude in regards to how well filmed Skyfall is- when I found out that Sam Mendes had tapped DOP Roger Deakins to film the movie, I felt that fans had a chance to see the most skillfully filmed Bond movie ever made and the duo did not disappoint.  Gone is the shaky-cam nonsense and rapid fire editing that mired Quantum of Solace- in it's place is a multitude of lingering, spacious shots and a number of gorgeous sequences featuring an absolute professional's understanding of the power of color and contrast.  It's always a treat to watch an action scene that's easy to follow and filmed with a master's touch.

Daniel Craig continues his excellent work as Bond, providing far more depth to the character in the three films he's been involved with than any other actor to have ever portrayed the British Super-Spy- we all have our favorites, but I feel Craig has separated himself from the likes of Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Peirce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby in this regard.  He's likeable, has presence and just might be the most complete actor of the prestigious bunch.

Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men) gives a fantastic, chilling performance as the revenge-minded, techno-terrorist "Raoul Silva", this particular entry's main villain.  He owns every scene he's in and will undoubtedly be remembered long after the initial viewing- not only for his performance, but possibly for his character's grotesque, "physical defect", as well.

Fans of Judi Dench will be pleased to find that the veteran actress has a much larger, more integral role here as "M" than in the past six Bond installments- it's difficult to believe she's been in the role for 7 films and well over 17 years.  Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List) makes his debut as "Mallory", her potential replacement- he's quite good in a turn that promises more involvement in future entries.

"Bond Girl" and relative newcomer Berenice Marlohe (playing "Severine" here) is a beautiful French/Cambodian actress known primarily for her work in French television- she's easily the weakest aspect of the film, though by no fault of her own.  She has very little screen-time and is given surprisingly little to do.  She's literally gone before we get to know her...

Albert Finney makes an appearance as a groundskeeper in the film's third act- it's a role that I immediately felt may have been written with Sean Connery in mind (and that's since been affirmed by IMDB's trivia section) and I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that the most popular Bond wasn't acquired for what would have amounted to the mother of all cameos.  That's no knock against Finney as he's a personal favorite and is rather good here in limited screen-time.

Naomi Harris (28 Days Later) portrays a fellow MI6 Agent named "Eve"- she's solid in a turn that includes an eleventh-hour surprise, while Ben Whishaw (The International) makes a couple of appearances as "Q". It's the first time the beloved  Quartermaster has been introduced in the "Craig as Bond" era and most will appreciate the character's return.  I'm so very glad the filmmakers have been so conservative with the "gadgets" that Bond has been issued over the last three films- hopefully we'll never have to worry about an invisible car again (Die Another Day).   Fans of the franchise will be pleased to find that the Aston Martin DB5 (introduced in Goldfinger) makes an extended cameo and goes out with a bang.

Although Adele's titular theme-song is a welcomed return to the more traditional Bond tracks, complete with an air of nostalgia about it (as does the entire movie), I couldn't really get into it- it's much better than the last several efforts, with Tina Turner's "GoldenEye" being the last theme song I felt knocked it out of the park.  That said, I do believe this film features the most visually striking opening titles montage to date.   It's decidedly dark but strangely beautiful.

Only complaint of note: our villain's plans are a bit too precise for my tastes- a few segments border on the contrived without jumping completely off the logistical rails, so to speak.  Subsequent viewings will undoubtedly raise quite a few nits to pick at.  It's a relatively small complaint that could admittedly be said for most big-budgeted releases.

The film is highlighted by a stripped down, climactic showdown that departs from formula yet succeeds in raising the bar for future installments in the franchise. Yeah, I enjoyed it immensely.  All things considered, Skyfall is the most complete package as far as Bond films are concerned and a fitting way to celebrate 50 years of the franchise.   Highly Recommended in Theaters

Skyfall - 9.0 out of 10

James Bond will return...

FWIW-

Dr. No (1962) - 8
From Russia With Love (1963) - 8.5
Goldfinger (1964) - 9
Thunderball (1965) - 8.5
You Only Live Twice (1967) - 7
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - 8.5
Diamonds Are Forever   (1971) - 7
Live And Let Die  (1973) - 7.5
The Man With The Golden Gun   (1974) - 7
The Spy Who Loved Me   (1977) - 8.5
Moonraker   (1979) - 5
For Your Eyes Only   (1981) - 7.5
Octopussy  (1983) - 6
*Never Say Never Again   (1983) - 7
A View To A Kill  (1985) - 7
The Living Daylights   (1987) - 6.5
License To Kill   (1989) - 8.5
GoldenEye (1995) - 9
Tomorrow Never Dies  (1997) - 5
The World Is Not Enough  (1999) - 5
Die Another Day  (2002) - 3.5
Casino Royale  (2006) - 9
Quantum of Solace  (2008) - 6

* Considered an unofficial entry