Skyfall : Movie Review (No Spoilers)

Who's in it? 

Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Bérénice Marlohe, Judi Dench &  Ralph Fiennes

What's it About? 

It's the 50th anniversary of the franchise and the 23rd film to date so we were all hoping for something a little bit special from Skyfall. This time out we're going back to basics, stripping Bond down to the man behind the suave, super spy exterior. The plot is simple but very smart and that leaves room for proper character development, for raw emotion and an edge of your seat cinematic experience to rival any action thriller to date.  

Any Good? 

I'll be honest, I had always questioned Craig's credentials as Bond and neither Casino Royale nor Quantum of Solace did anything to remedy that. Skyfall, however, is a different animal altogether.  Craig portrays a world weary, almost beaten Bond but when his beloved M is threatened and his loyalty to her tested by a super villain (Bardem), he must act fast and act he does. In the space of 143 minutes he has shot to the top of the Jimmy Bond leader board, a huge accomplishment. 

Just one stylish nod to Bond of yore

Sam Mendes takes the directorial helm and has admitted to Chris Nolan's workings of The Dark Knight trilogy being an inspiration, here though he has shirked his Bond gadget duties in favour of carefully crafting complex characters and developing a tale of morality that sets the tone of Skyfall. 

There are heart pounding action scenes, sexy times with sexy ladies and of course the relentless Bond villain but I think what surprised me most is how visually stunning Skyfall is. Scenes shot in Shanghai, Macau and Turkey will literally stop you in your tracks (of munching popcorn), saturated in colour and beautifully choreographed, they're a cinematic triumph. 

Eh, she sees you..

Bardem as the unhinged, merciless Silva will go down as one of the creepiest yet perfectly portrayed antagonists in movie history (think Ledger, seriously). He arrives on screen with a truly memorable one take monologue and proceeds to steal almost every scene with a dogged, driving motivation that thwarts Bond at every turn. His camp flourishes eliciting both heartfelt laugh out loud moments but also a disconcerting unease that every true Bond villain should. 

Think Hannibal Lecter, only funny

Though Bérénice Marlohe plays the role of seductress perfectly, there's no escaping the fact that Judi Dench's M is the real Bond Girl here. Her on screen presence, her witty tête-à-têtes with Bond and his undeniable love for her all give their relationship true gravitas and it's a pleasure to watch. Once her back is against the wall she more than proves her metal as head of MI6 and refuses to cow to the direct threats aimed at her by Silva. G'wan the M! 

Like a Boss

This being the half century anniversary of Bond it would be easy to see how the premise could have become stale but Skyfall not only doffs its hat respectfully and nostalgically at its predecessors but it manages to propel the franchise into the 21st century with ease. 

It's a great story, well told and stacks up to be one of, if not the best Bond to date. Avid fans will adore it and the more dubious amongst us will be hard pressed to find a more thrillingly satisfying action movie of 2012. Excited to see it yet? You should be. 

Rating:

 

Psst:
He never did order that Heino,
just another reason to heart him.