(Movie Review) SKYFALL (2012)

I was never really that big of a James Bond fan as a kid. I, as you all probably know by now, was much more interested in Superheroes and things of that nature. Some blowhard, alcoholic, womanizing and fictional superspy was never going to steal that attention away from DC comics. When I was a teen I remember looking into the origin of Bond and finding that Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming, actually took the attributes and skills of this protagonist from a hand full of soldiers that he knew during his time with the Naval Intelligence Division during WWII. For some reason knowing that these skills came from real people suddenly changed the character for me and I really began to appreciate the franchise. This was right around the time that GoldenEye came out (1995) and Pierce Brosnan played the title character. Since then I have watched most of the films from the franchise. The good and the really bad. As far as SKYFALL, I think that it deserves a place near the top of the list.

Storyline: After a mission goes bad Bond (Craig) disappears from the world of espionage with what appears to be no plans of coming back. But when MI6 is attacked, and a former operative named Raoul Silva (Bardem) is found to be responsible, Bond resurfaces to help take him down. Silva is determined to take down MI6 and “M” (Dench) for ruining his life…and only James Bond stands in his way.

Sam Mendes really knows how to make a movie look good. There are a few scenes in this movie that are not only breathtaking but rival any past films in the franchise. Iconic shots with brilliant background colors and vibrant scenery make this my favorite bond movie (visually). The negatives of the movie are few and far between. At 143 minutes the movie is a bit long, but I really can’t think of a scene that should have been cut to shave time off. It may not be the greatest Bond film, but it is a very solid one.

Worth the admission? Sure is. A lot of things that I have wanted to see in the past few bond movies, like “Q” and the return of a past favorite character that I won’t spoil, were really good payoffs in this movie. I have really liked Craig in the title role for the past few movies. It is such a different world than watching someone like Pierce Brosnan, who always seemed more like a playboy than a spy, on the big screen. Another great thing is that the villain in this movie isn’t overly maniacal, but is actually someone that you feel is just dangerous enough to carry out his plans. Bardem is fantastic in the role. Equal parts insane and carefree. All in all, this turned out to be a great Bond film.