Skyfall (2012) Review

 "Welcome to Scotland!"
-Kincaid



During a mission in Turkey, James Bond (Daniel Craig) is shot and seemingly killed in action.  Three months later, MI6 is attacked which draws Bond out of retirement.  He is sent to find the person responsible for the attack and learns it is someone from M's (Judi Dench) past.


What Works:

Skyfall's villain, Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), is my favorite Bond villain of the entire series.  He's extremely unique in that he is completely unhinged.  We've never had a Bond villain this crazy before and Bardem plays him as a bit of a tragic cartoon character.  His introduction is extremely memorable as he tries to make Bond sexually uncomfortable.  Silva doesn't show up until about halfway through the film, but he still manages to steal the show.

The action is fantastic throughout and we get some really creative sequences.  The opening is really dynamic as we get a car chase, a shootout, a bike chase, and a fight on a train.  I'm a big fan of train fight sequences, so this gets the film started on the right foot for me.  I also love the one-shot fight in the skyscraper, which I'll get more into later.

The 3rd act showdown at Skyfall is one of the most unique finales of any Bond movie.  It feels more like an ultra-violent Home Alone movie than anything and I'm totally here for it.  It's a really creative sequence and I love that M gets to play a part in it.  The absolute rage that comes over Bond and the audience when his Aston Martin DB5 is destroyed was one of the most impactful moments I've ever seen overcome an audience when I saw this in theaters and it's still very effective.

The cinematography and lighting gives us the best looking sequences of the series.  As I mentioned about, the skyscraper fight is a work of art, as is the stuff after Skyfall explodes.  This is a beautiful film and a technical marvel.

It's really nice to get Q (Ben Whishaw) and Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) back in the series.  They've been staples of the series since the original and I did miss them in the two previous films.  While we didn't necessarily need them, I'm very glad we got them back.

Finally, the opening music and main credits are probably my favorite in the series.  I love Adele's song and the visuals of the sequence really set up the film nicely and improve on the rewatch.


What Sucks:

I got nothing for you.


Verdict:

While not my favorite Bond movie (that honor still goes to Octopussy), I believe that Skyfall is the best Bond movie.  It functions to near perfection on every level with the best song and villain of the entire series.  The action, cinematography, and lighting are impeccable, and the return of Q and Moneypenny is very welcome.  It's a unique and an extremely well-crafted Bond film and has absolutely got it going on.

 10/10: Amazing 



#1. Octopussy

#2. Skyfall

#3. The Spy Who Loved Me

#4. Casino Royale

#5. From Russia with Love

#6. Goldfinger

#7. Goldeneye

#8. The Living Daylights

#9. Moonraker

#10. Die Another Day

#11. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

#12. License to Kill

#13 Tomorrow Never Dies

#14. Live and Let Die

#15. Dr. No

#16. For Your Eyes Only

#17. The World is Not Enough

#18. Thunderball

#19. Quantum of Solace

#20. You Only Live Twice

#21. A View to a Kill

#22. The Man with the Golden Gun

#23. Diamonds Are Forever    

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