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| image captured from IMDB.com |
I've never really followed the James Bond films but I've been up to date since Casino Royale (2006) when Daniel Craig debuted as the titular character. I like Craig as an actor and I've been trying really hard to like his Bond films. Thus far, I've never come across a groundbreaking 007 movie. I've enjoyed Casino Royale despite its many flaws. I've never finished Quantum of Solace.
I think it's safe to say Skyfall is the best of the three Daniel Craig Bond films...though it certainly is not the masterpiece many claim it to be. With the Bond series celebrating a 50 year anniversary, the creators have a lot of fun with this movie and so do the audience.
We begin with a standard Bond chase scene that serves as a hook. Although there is no emotional investment at this point since the plot has not been properly introduced yet, the quick editing and some great stunt work make this scene full of energy. Next, the opening titles scene is accompanied by music by Adele which is stylish and spectacular; a very promising beginning.
Hollywood has recently got into telling resurrection stories of our heroes, The Dark Knight Rises being a prominent example and the Iron Man 3 trailer hinting that it'll do something similar. Skyfall also attempts to tell the story of a broken James Bond returning. The only problem is the focus is not entirely on Bond's return and his early downfall is quite rushed. I think the writers were trying to cram in a lot of good ideas into one movie, thus the long running time.
To reduce a few scenes that contributed to a long exposition, I think the creators should've written out Bérénice Lim Marlohe's character (she did nothing in this movie) and found a different way to bring Javier Bardem's character into the story (without changing his introduction monologue; that was kick-ass). Bardem previously played Anton Chigurh in my all time favorite film, No Country for Old Men, and despite expecting a similar performance, Raoul Silva, was a unique Bond villain. The villain, unlike the trailer suggests, has a pretty simple motive and is smaller in scale. Still, he has some chilling pay-offs.
Speaking of pay-offs, this movie tries many setups. Almost immediately, I liked this movie for referencing the older movies in the franchise (maybe even a Home Alone reference?) Even without being a hardcore fan, I could tell some pokes here and there and there were foreshadowing that led to fun conclusions. I did, however, believe Q's new weapon should've been used in a more climactic scene.
Skyfall is well-shot entertainment with a fair share of flaws that doesn't ruin the exciting experience the movie has prepared to show. See this movie! :)
