THE USUAL SPOILER WARNING APPLIES.
I've never been a big fan of the James Bond films. It isn't that I don't like them, or don't appreciate its place the big stew that is pop-culture, I just have never sought them out to watch. For a long time the only one I could verify having seen in its entirety was You Only Live Twice, and I enjoyed most of it. Goldeneye 64 was a fun game, and I (regretfully) watched Die Another Day in the theater. I took note when they changed tack with Casino Royale, but not enough to see it when it was in the theater.
With that in mind, it might not mean much when I say Skyfall was the best Bond film I have ever seen. It had all the swagger of the old-school Bond films, while still maintaining a serious and thoughtful edge. Daniel Craig does a great job playing an aging, damaged Bond who is in need of a nice long vacation. If only Javier Bardem's rogue MI6 agent would have let him be.
Bardem's performance was a real highlight of the film. Like the best Bond villains he was menacing and dangerous, but also extremely fun to watch. Somehow he walked a fine line, being both scary and hilarious.
I thought Sam Mendes and the cinematographer Roger Deakins did a very good job with how the film was shot. The casino in Macau, from Bond's entrance by water to the fight in the den of the "dragons", was really fun. And scenes set in the Scottish highlands are always welcome.
The film wasn't perfect, but then none are. The showdown at the end, while mostly fantastic, ended very quickly and was very anti-climactic. The escape from the holding cell, while the start of a great scene, just seemed a bit too unbelievable. Of course, this may just be that was yet another recent film where the bad guy intentionally gets caught to wreak havoc on the good guys. Still, couldn't that problem have been solved by a non-computer controlled lock?
Minor quibbles aside, this was a fun ride. If you have yet to see it, I recommend going out and finding it at your local theater or multiplex. Given how much money the movie has made, I'm guessing a lot of you have already taken that advice. As for me, I can't wait for the next one, when Bond battles Hank Scorpio and his evil comprehensive employee benefits program.
Coming Next: We see how the delicious sausage of the 13th Amendment is made in Lincoln, and then eat it for elevensies while watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
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