The story of the film kicks in from the very first shots, (all of them done superbly by Roger Deakins,). Bond finds a fellow MI6 agent dying, and a vital hard drive is missing. An over-the-top prolonged chase scene ensues, and every minute of it is exciting. Only Bond cane make a chase involving a slow-moving construction scooper seem exciting, I guess.
The chase ends in a very abrupt but surprisingly human matter. Eve, an MI6 field agent, shoots Bond from M's orders, and the hard drive is successfully stolen as Bond 'supposedly' dies.
Something unusual happens after that. M gets caught into forced retirement, and Bond is out of the big action for a good 15 some minutes. This is a good showcase for Judi Dench as M, which brought surprising comparisons, to me at least, to Michael Caine in 'The Dark Knight'.
Daniel Craig is now synonymous with the name James Bond, and he successfully manages to act as well as he did in 'Casino Royale'. He does as good a job as Dench, but doesn't steal the show.
That honor goes to the bruting Javier Bardem, as a blonde ex-operative from M's past. He is suitably creepy and terrifying, but also badass. The fights that Craig and Bardem get into are exciting, and there is one scene involving a subway that is jaw-dropping.
Skyfall will probably not win any Oscars, but is a masterful film that succeeded in being the best action picture of the year. Expect to see this one high on my top 10 of the year.
3.5/4 Stars
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