Movie Review: Skyfall

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Another film I had been looking forward to this year, and it didn't disappoint.

The previous Bond film 'Quantum Of Solace', which as good as it was, felt like there was something missing for me. With Skyfall, they've certainly found that missing something and James Bond is most definitely back on form.

From the usual action filled opening sequence and theme tune, sung by Adele, which is one of the best Bond theme songs in a while, right through to the end credits, Skyfall is up there as one of the best Bond films for me.

Daniel Craig simply is James Bond; very slick and gets the job done. Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva is one of the better Bond villains. Not cartoony as some previous villains but a classic villain that can flip from cool to humourous to menacing in a flash. He has a plan and knows what he needs to do to accomplish it, and almost does!

It's good to see Dame Judi Dench's M get a bit more screen time too, as Skyfall is more about M's past and Bardem's Silva looking for revenge. So rather than just seen behind her desk, M gets to feature in some of the action, particularly towards the end.

Director Sam Mendes has definitely brought his A game to the Bond films, and the cinematography is stunning too, the action pieces are shot perfectly with the right balance of action and tension. With the usual Bond globetrotting - from Istanbul to London to Shanghai and to Scotland, it all looks stunning.

I can also see why Mendes said that Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight partly inspired him in making Skyfall. It takes the main character and places him in unfamiliar situations, manages to fit the story around the real world, has an amazing villain and keeps you enthralled throughout. Even the soundtrack by Thomas Newman has a familiarity of Hans Zimmer's score for The Dark Knight in places as well.

I liked the nods to the previous Bond films too, topped off with the reappearance of the Aston Martin DB5 that first appeared in Goldfinger. The quip between Bond and Q about exploding pens is a classic.

After 50 years, James Bond is definitely going strong and Daniel Craig's incarnation is definitely a Bond for our times right now. Definitely recommended.

**** out of 5