Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars
Fast cars, guns, and beautiful women in exotic locales. There is very little else that has epitomized James Bond since his grand entrance to the silver screen in 1962. And in 50 years, Bond hasn’t changed, except, perhaps, for the faces and voices who utter that iconic phrase: “The name is Bond. James Bond.”
“Skyfall”, the latest, and arguably the best, Bond movie to hit theaters brings the audience back in time to the earliest Bond movies made. From, the opening credits to the 1960s Aston Martin, director Sam Mendes creates a familiar scene for true Bond fans everywhere. But with Daniel Craig as Bond himself, it would be hard to go wrong.
Craig, who has played Bond in the two prequels to this movie and has already signed on for two more, is undoubtedly the best Bond to have ever been cast. He exudes the dangerous MI6 operative, answering to God, country and the head of His Majesty’s Secret Service, known only as “M”, and played in a repeat appearance by Judi Dench. Although, who is answering to who is frequently questioned.
Bond starts out the movie by walking into an apartment finding three men dead. The action takes off with a quick car chase and a fist fight on top of a moving train where Bond is hit by a sniper shot from a fellow operative, knocked into a fast moving waterfall and left for dead.
We then move straight into the opening credits with the newest Bond song by Adele, appropriately called “Skyfall” and already headed for a chart topper. This scene really takes on the ‘60s Bond aura with the full version of the song playing and classic graphics alluding to the scenes to come.
The universal Bond song is played every time Bond is out of a scene for more than 5 minutes, ensuring we know who just walked in. And we see Craig personify an agent trying to prove he still belongs in the field despite his age. And he succeeds.
We also see a more sensitive side to Bond in his relationship with M, not previously seen in his character. But don’t be overly concerned. These moments are few and far between and never slow the action down. How can they with Bond busy blowing up houses, running through underground tunnels and fighting men twice his size inside a Komodo dragon pit?
Among all the action and world saving, the audience receives a never before seen deeper look into the life Bond led before becoming an operative.
Fast paced and edge of your seat thrilling, this movie incorporates special effects in just the right places, never overdoing it, even with the stunts. The scenes were fit together beautifully, and keep you holding your breath for what will come next. With classic creeper Javier Bardem as the evil Silva, Ralph Finnes as Gareth Mallory and Berenice Marlohe, newcomer to MI6 and Hollywood, as the Bond Girl Severine, “Skyfall” may be the must see of the year.