I've been anticipating Skyfall for as long as I can remember. I first saw the trailer during the Dark Knight Rises premiere but I've known about it since the beginning of 2012. Dubbed "Bond 23" starring Daniel Craig, I was hoping and praying that it was nothing like the atrocity of a movie that we call Quantum of Solace. Director Sam Mendes delivered with superior excellency. Skyfall is a hell of a ride and nothing to be forgotten soon. My buddy Luke asked me to go in early December and I'm so happy I went. Everything about Skyfall is what Bond needed to be through every movie, and then a little extra. I couldn't ask for a better Bond with the exception of Goldfinger.
The story is rather, bold for a Bond film. 007 is shot on a routine mission to stop a criminal from stealing a lot of money and killing a lot of people. His partner, Eve, played by Naomie Harris, covers him with a sniper rifle. Bond is on the roof of a train fighting a man before the train enters a tunnel. Eve and Bond are both talking to M as the incident is happening. As Bond as fighting, Eve is trying to get a clean shot of the target. She's running out of time and M tells her to take the shot. Eve is hesitant, but M insists. She shoots, and Bond is hit in the chest. He plummets 500 feet off the bridge, straight down into the river. The next camera shot sent chills down my spine. A close up of M just waiting for a response from Eve. All she says is, "Agent down". M responds, the scene cuts to black, and the opening credits for the movie start playing, which is led by the amazing song "Skyfall" written by Adele. The opening 10 minutes was very well done, and by the time the opening credits were over, I was ready for more. MI6 is attacked by an unknown enemy and it leave M in a minefield not knowing what to do. She's being volunteered into retirement for the loss of Bond and now the bombing of the agency. Gareth Mallory, played by Ralph Fiennes, is the consultant for M that is trying to make her decisions for her. I won't dwell on telling the whole plot. Summed up, the agency is attacked, Bond comes back, and thus a quest is delivered of epic proportions. Javier Bardem plays the antagonist, Silva, who is a former agent of MI6. His character is very interesting. The way that Bardem plays it is incredible. As I watched his villain, I felt vibes of Heath Ledger's Joker. He was a very playful and yet incredibly dark and insane villain. Beautifully acted. Silva wants to sabotage MI6 forever. Bond is not going to have that. Together, Even and Bond go after Silva.
I think the reason I liked this movie so much, besides the incredible story and acting, was the fact that the audience got to see a side of 007 that nobody has ever seen before. We got to know a little about James' past and where he grew up. It brought the movie down to a personal level, instead of it being a straight action movie like the rest of them. Never has and Bond movie brought his past into it like Skyfall did, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Acting in it was top notch. Javier Bardem steals the show with flying colors with his Silva. I couldn't get enough of him. Dare I say Oscar Worthy? Editing was very well done. The movie flowed like a river and from what I viewed, there we're no plot holes. I really enjoyed how this became a more of a detective movie and not just an action movie. Using the cool gadgets and using stealth to achieve his goals.
Skyfall is a great movie that is not to be trifled with. A truly monumental Bond that hasn't had this kind of momentum since the Sean Connery days. Daniel Craig is one of the best bonds that the series has seen and Javier Bardem plays the best villain since Goldfinger.
The music of Skyfall is amazing. Rarely do I ever download a soundtrack to a movie, but Skyfall was a soundtrack that immediately went into my collection. It kept a dark but driving mood to the movie.
Overall, I loved this movie. After Quantum of Solace, I honestly didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if the movie was going to be bad or good. I was really hoping the film would be good, and I wasn't disappointed. This movie really shows that comebacks are possible. 8.5/10
