After patiently waiting all year for the release of a new Bond movie and then waiting even longer after its release abroad, us Americans are finally being treated to Sam Mendes’ highly praised and highly anticipated 007 feature, Skyfall, and man was it worth the wait.
Skyfall initially starts off with James Bond (Daniel Craig) out of the espionage game after a poor judgment call results in the loss of a file containing the identities of deeply embedded undercover operatives in terrorist organizations. With time passing and Bond on a leave of absence, an unexpected attack on MI6 occurs with the main target being M (Judi Dench). All we know about this individual is that it is somebody from her past and that she should think on her sins. Upon seeing the news of the attack at MI6, Bond decides to return but he is no longer the agent he used to be, he’s not in peak shape and has come quite a fan of the bottle. Nonetheless, Bond takes the necessary tests and is brought back to active duty, to the chagrin of Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), where it becomes his job to hunt down the man who wants M dead and her undercover field agents.
Daniel Craig takes his third turn as James Bond with Skyfall and I think it’s his best performance as Bond to date. Much of this is due to the script, particularly its shift in focus from action to a more espionage thriller/aging Bond angle. I’m not saying there isn’t action but compared to Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace there is less of it which, again works out for the better. Due to the fact that he might be past his prime and that there are still secrets being kept from him, we are able to learn and understand Bond more than ever, what makes him tick and what ticks him off. Craig is able to portray an emotionally vulnerable Bond just as well as the charismatic and badass gent that we all know and love which makes him a more personable and relatable individual. We see some of these same vulnerabilities with Judi Dench’s character since she is the target of the film’s villain and her job is on the line after all the recent MI6 mishaps.
As good as Craig and his MI6 co-stars are (Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench and Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw who played Q), Javier Bardem steals the show and he doesn’t even appear until about 60-70% of the way into the film. His character’s persona is very different from what I expected and his performance was magnetic. Due to the intelligence of his character you made sure to pay attention to everything he said because he always seemed to have a trick up his sleeve.
I really enjoyed the intelligent thriller aspect but let me touch upon the action scenes because they are fantastic. The opening sequence, as in the past Bond films, is awesome and it involves a battle and chase on the top of a moving train. Later in the film we are treated to a tense chase involving Bond and Silva (Bardem) in a subway station which climaxes when one of the trains crashes in a truly epic way. The crash 
and effects are so good that they took me by surprise, something which has never really happened in a Bond film.
Visually, Mendes elevated the film with his excellent lighting, location choices and set pieces. In all honesty, it was the visuals surrounding Bond that kept you mesmerized, from a casino’s exterior in Macao lighted by thousands of candles to neon light reflections in a building in Shanghai to a deserted island, Mendes and his cinematographer conquered the use of light and space, setting a very “cool” mood for the film. I should also mention that the opening credit sequence is stunning and one of the most creative credit sequences I’ve ever seen.
Skyfall is probably the most intelligent and rewarding Bond film that I’ve seen to date and, personally, the most compelling and exciting for me as well. I never felt distracted, never felt bored and didn’t find any immediate plot holes which should be a telling sign that this is an engaging and very entertaining piece of mainstream cinema. Initiating from a strong script, under Mendes’ expert directorial hand and performed by a talented group of people, Skyfall ends up being one of the best all-around mainstream films of the year and a perfect way to cap off the 50th anniversary of the legendary spy, Bond, James Bond.
Rating: My favorite Bond film to date and easily one of the best and most entertaining films of the year (8/10)
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