How is this movie getting such glorified reviews??? While the action scenes are fine, the story is somewhere between illogical and ridiculous.
None of the story lines make any sense, it's just one fight/chase after the next up until the idiotic finale. And yeah, let's connect the laptop of our villain super-hacker to the local network, what could go wrong.
A few plot holes and nonsensical sequences. Felt contrived at places.
Was on YouTube. Adele's Intro song came up randomly on the playlist. And I just had to re-watch this masterpiece again. Loved it more.
I tried so hard to care, but at the end of the day, James Bond is boring to me, regardless of who starts in them and who directs them. No matter how much action they throw at this, my eyes start too gloss over.
Skyfall ranks right between the first two Craig movies. Not as good as the first but much better then the second. As I've mentioned repeatedly I can live with plot holes and logic errors in Bond movies. They are almost a trademark.
It's interesting that the pre opening credits scene for this movie ends with a failure. That's an interesting approach and sets a different tone for the movie. Although you know he isn't dead. We then get what I consider the first real Bond theme song of the new era performed by the remarkable Adele. And I think she's on the same level as Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger".
Another step up from the previous one is the cut-down on action and the much better, less hectic, editing. The stunts are still top notch and I'm always amazed when I watch the specials how much was actually done in camera as opposed to CGI. That is something I really appreciate.
As for the story itself - it's kind of a mixed bag. You have the old vs new angle which is ok. Bringing back characters like "Q" or Moneypenny in a much different form is a concession to the more modern times this franchise now lives. I'm fine with that, too. On the other hand I don't think I needed all that Bond backstory we got here. I never felt it was missing. The absolute weak point for me was the villain, Silva. Barbara Brocolli called him "probably the best Bond villain of all time" on one of the specials and I strongly disagree. Yes, he seems like a throwback to the Blowfelds and Dr.No's of the old movies. But he lacks style. I find him neither intimidating nor creepy. Just comical, almost laughable.
I'm sad to see Dench leave the franchise but she's been there for a very long time and it was probably the right time to move on to, again, someone younger. Which is a theme for this movie after all.
Overall "Skyfall" was entertaining to watch with highs and lows like pretty much every Bond movie. There only were a couple really bad ones. And this isn't one of them.
Review Categories:10 Year Rewatch"First Scene Was So Dumb I Stopped Watching The FilmShitpost to amuse myself, TBH
I'm just going to give a review of the opening action scene, or the first part of it, because it was so unbelievable/impossible that I just stopped watching 9 minutes into the film on my first *attempted rewatch. I remember feeling something was off years ago, but this is just ridiculous, and not in a fun, silly way like some of the Connery or Roger Moore films.
I remember some nice shots later in the film, but this opening scene is just unforgivably stupid. At the same time that they're presumably going for some meager nod to realism by having Moneypenny crash into things (or maybe it's ironically sexist by calling her an incompetent field agent/woman driver?) I honestly don't think they knew what they were going for... wait, why the heck is Moneypenny a field agent? Oh yeah, I forgot, this was about the start of the multi-franchise retcon theme where no one-- especially women-- could have any worth as a knowledge worker or academic alone (unless their name is Q and they're geek chic) so they had to start making everyone under the age of sixty a fucking superhero.
Assistants and secretaries are hella vital. Case in point: I need a personal assistant because I'm a disorganized mess, and that's the only reason I'm not James Bond, you see.
Anyway... the dude that stole the laptop hard drive so hard that he ripped out some of the metal (despite the fact that one just can just rip out one or two tiny screws and pull it out) has a double-drum magazine on his machine pistol... which he ditches after maybe 60 shots, for some reason, before hopping on the bike (too heavy?/"realism"?) he then proceeds to fire a couple of extended regular mags worth before getting onto the train, and then proceeds to fire like 200 fucking rounds while on the train, while Bond runs out after his tiny PPK mag is expended, just so he can crawl into the excavator and get shot, and then this idiot fires like a hundred rounds, seemingly from nowhere, at the excavator bucket just for shits and giggles I guess. Oh, and then he shoots apart (with a 9mm, mind you) the latching mechanism of the train cars. And then Bond hops through the top of the passenger car that he just can-openered open, into the midst of the passengers who are just, fine I guess, and straitens his suit like a cool tailored suit guy... who's just been shot in the arm from a magical infinite bullet gun. It's like a Naked Gun film, but without any attempts at humor. Also, Moneypenny stops in the middle of her pursuit to do a cheeky bit of product placement where I was expecting her to wink at the screen and spout a brand mantra, which, honestly, would have been funny, instead of just really awkward.
Stansfield voice:
That's why I stopped!
Holy Shit, American Beauty is a "Great American Film" masterpiece (from a British man), but theater directors should not be let near an action movie set. Ten(+) years later Skyfall ..s on a re-watch, whereas Quantum of Solace showed its genius and relevance after I grew the fuck up and actually learned enough about the world to appreciate it. I think I'm gonna go watch that again instead.
ps. It's also pretty funny that a Tony winning director dyed Javier Bardem's hair white and essentially made him the "evil gay", white-haired anime villain. LOL!
No wonder I skipped this in the theaters. Just not good.
Another entertaining Bond series entry that gets up close and personal with M and 007 himself. The opening sequence with Bond in hot pursuit of a thief with an important hard drive is great. The rooftop chase on motorcycles followed by a fight on top of a moving train, it's almost action movie overload. When Bond fires up the crane, it's a supremely cool start.
There's a whole lot of Judi Dench in this movie and the relationship with Bond reaches a new level. Bad guy Silva is played by Javier Bardem. He's sufficiently evil and his motive is based on revenge. The computer hacking accomplished by Silva is ridiculous. Technology is so abused (or dumbed down) in movies, it's most often distracting. A rooftop motorcycle chase is far easier to believe than some of the network packet busting on display by a new Q (with Bond's help, no less). And some how Bond manages to find a clue buried within a hexadecimal block of characters. Problem is, some of those characters are not hexadecimal. Silly and stupid. It took me out of the movie almost permanently. And I'll leave the asinine graphic displays, IP address troubleshooting stupidity and unfathomable user interfaces alone.
"Skyfall" fails as soon as Bond takes M to his boyhood home. Getting this personal with Bond was a mistake. It's like two different movies. The first half is excellent and the last half is pretty dumb.
Daniel Craig continues to be a top notch Bond, though, and is my favorite after the great Connery. I'm pleading with the creators to stop softening him up.
More than any other in the series this film feels like the most conscious effort to transition the character of Bond to a new interpretation. There's no sexy lady (unless you count Dame Judi as one) Bond pretends to fawn over. No cheesy gadgets. No bawdy one-liners. Just a wounded and gritty secret agent with a gun and a car and an enemy and a mission. And probably portrays Bond as a more round and nuanced human being than any of the rest that just make him into a charicature of himself. Great job at being something old and something new at once. But if you're looking for classic Bond persona, this one will probably just piss you off.
Story: 6...recycled from Goldeneye basically, but without the EMPs
Script: 8
Performances: 8
Misc.: 7
Influence: 8
After the convoluted, stylized mess of Quantum of Solange, this feels like a soft reboot. I can see why some people rate it as the best of the Craig era.
The James Bond Films
1 Eon films
1.1 Dr. No (1962) https://trakt.tv/movies/dr-no-1962
1.2 From Russia with Love (1963) https://trakt.tv/movies/from-russia-with-love-1963
1.3 Goldfinger (1964) https://trakt.tv/movies/goldfinger-1964
1.4 Thunderball (1965) https://trakt.tv/movies/thunderball-1965
1.5 You Only Live Twice (1967) https://trakt.tv/movies/you-only-live-twice-1967
1.6 On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) https://trakt.tv/movies/on-her-majesty-s-secret-service-1969
1.7 Diamonds Are Forever (1971) https://trakt.tv/movies/diamonds-are-forever-1971
1.8 Live and Let Die (1973) https://trakt.tv/movies/live-and-let-die-1973
1.9 The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) https://trakt.tv/movies/the-man-with-the-golden-gun-1974
1.10 The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) https://trakt.tv/movies/the-spy-who-loved-me-1977
1.11 Moonraker (1979) https://trakt.tv/movies/moonraker-1979
1.12 For Your Eyes Only (1981) https://trakt.tv/movies/for-your-eyes-only-1981
1.13 Octopussy (1983) https://trakt.tv/movies/octopussy-1983
1.14 A View to a Kill (1985) https://trakt.tv/movies/a-view-to-a-kill-1985
1.15 The Living Daylights (1987) https://trakt.tv/movies/the-living-daylights-1987
1.16 Licence to Kill (1989) https://trakt.tv/movies/licence-to-kill-1989
1.17 GoldenEye (1995) https://trakt.tv/movies/goldeneye-1995
1.18 Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) https://trakt.tv/movies/tomorrow-never-dies-1997
1.19 The World Is Not Enough (1999) https://trakt.tv/movies/the-world-is-not-enough-1999
1.20 Die Another Day (2002) https://trakt.tv/movies/die-another-day-2002
1.21 Casino Royale (2006) https://trakt.tv/movies/casino-royale-2006
1.22 Quantum of Solace (2008) https://trakt.tv/movies/quantum-of-solace-2008
1.23 Skyfall (2012) https://trakt.tv/movies/skyfall-2012
1.24 Spectre (2015) https://trakt.tv/movies/spectre-2015
1.25 No Time to Die (2021) https://trakt.tv/movies/no-time-to-die-2021
2 Non-Eon films
2.1 Casino Royale (1967) https://trakt.tv/movies/casino-royale-1967
2.2 Never Say Never Again (1983) https://trakt.tv/movies/never-say-never-again-1983
I'm watching the entire Craig-era Bonds for the first time in my build up to watch No Time To Die, and this has been the stand-out entry so far. A comprehensible story that dabbles into Bonds past, a great villain that links to Bonds current stresses with M, making the characters bounce off each other perfectly during their interactions. Javier is superb as Silva, the perfect level of unhinged but in-control, terrifying from the moment he's introduced. And then there is the truly memorable set pieces (tube station, Skyfall booby traps and shootout, Javiers introduction). The only miss for me is that I didn't feel like Bond and M really had the connection I think the movie tried to sell to me. There's some quips and verbal banter but they never really come off as sincere or with a layer of caring behind them. This makes the finale a little deflating from an emotional standpoint, but everything else is great. Now onto Spectre, which I've heard...not great things about lmao.
Skyfall is not the best of Bond films out there but is definitely not the worst either. The direction from Sam Mendes is very solid and makes for probably the best-looking film in the series. The cast of Skyfall is brilliant, Craig acquits himself well in comeback as an old, slow agent coming out of retirement. Naomi Harris, Ben Whishaw, and Ralph Fiennes were nice additions and by the end, they fit their roles well. The screenplay is a hit and a miss and runs wildly from fast-paced actions to slow conversational drama but still, Craig's personality hooks me up throughout. The action is grand, the spy game is average and the poignant closure of M is good. Overall a decent Bond Entertainment extension.
An all time high for Daniel Craig
Watching this once again to refresh my mind before seeing No Time To Die and I forgot how absolutely beautiful this film is. Roger Deakins is in top form here. Amazing use of reflection and shadows to augment the story telling in a visual way. Best Bond in my lifetime...to date.
The perfect way to celebrate Bond’s 50th anniversary. “Skyfall” is the missing link between the semi-realistic (yet generic) approach of recent Bond films and the over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek exuberance of the classics. We are brought back to where it all started, with an elegance and technical virtuosity that is absolutely new to the saga. It might sound like a mere nostalgia operation, but it’s instead quite the opposite: Bond has to finally fight his ghosts and come to terms with having been left behind in a world that is nothing like the one that gave him birth.
My only complaint is that the film tries to deliver too much within one story without allowing enough time to develop each narrative theme properly. The second half back in the UK is definitely the strongest, but the preface could have been shorter and more focused. Heads up to Javier Bardem acting as both the most memorable villain and best Bond Girl in recent 007 history.
Most Bond movies are kinda uninspired and interchangeable.
They’re good at giving the audience what they want, but because most installments aren’t interested in challenging the formula in any way, they don’t make for very visionary pieces of art.
That is not the case for Skyfall, you can feel the inspiration and vision that the filmmakers had for this one.
It stands out primarily as a result of it being driven by a concept and theme, rather than just action and tropes.
Sam Mendes directs the hell out of this movie, combining the gritty Daniel Craig era of Bond with some more traditional elements in a way that works very well (something he would subsequently fail at with Spectre).
There are some campy ideas in this (the whole hacking plot is complete nonsense if you know the slightest bit about hacking, Javier Bardem’s performance is over the top), but because they’re presented in a dark/sinister way, rather than a silly way, it doesn’t mess with the tone (kinda like Nolan did in his Batman movies).
The acting is great, the action is very well handled and memorable, it’s shot extremely well (Deakins should’ve easily won the Oscar for this), good music, and most importantly: all the new characters leave an impression.
Naomi Harris is very likeable, Berenice Marlohe gives an excellent performance for the little time she’s on screen, Ralph Fiennes has a nice little arc, and Javier Bardem is a terrific bad guy.
I only have one small nitpick, and it has to do with the whole ‘I wanted to get captured’ trope, which makes the plot a little less tight than it should be.
It worked for The Joker given how psychotic that character is, but here it just seems like forced nonsense.
I love that chase scene through the London underground that comes out of it, but there are quite a few conveniences in it because they lean into the ‘I planned all of this’ trope so hard.
8.5/10
Story is a bit of a mess, but it's still good
"I always hated this place."
By far my favorite James Bond movie. Roger Deakins on Cinematography, Thomas Newman composing and Sam Mendes directing... this movie is beautiful espionage film. Casino Royale set up this awesome world, Quantum of Solace let it down a bit, and Skyfall rounds it out to a great finish. Or so we thought...
By far one of the best Bond movies as it has a great villain and everything else you would want from a great bond movie with it having non stop action and almost bringing the franchise back to the basics.
Love this film, but the one thing I have a problem with is the length which sometimes feels way too long. Otherwise this is a great Bond film and Daniel Craig is an awesome James Bond.
I had high expectations for Skyfall. Not only in the time of its release, but also by nowadays, it is really well spoken. It is the best one from Daniel Craig, but still, not a very good action movie still.
Javier Bardem makes a great villain. I really liked. It is certainly the best aspect of the movie. His introduction monologue is awesome.
Roger Deakins is responsible for the cinematography. He is my favorite at this job and you can always expect gorgeous scenes. Shanghai is beautifully shot by his eyes.
Sam Mendes is directing now, the action is better. It is not that exagerated shaky cam like the previous films.
The plot is confusing, illogical and ridiculous. I guess I can say this to every James Bond movies starred by Daniel Craig. I did not like Q, boring. The hacking in this film is laughable. Moneypenny is annoying, also, what is it with that name?
M is finally gone. Killing 007 and not trusting him once again to catch the bad guy despite him saving the world countless times is a good choice.
Why does 007 let everyone die? Come on. He could have easily saved that woman if he just did his thing 5 seconds before.
Greatest technology that no one suspects about is a radio with a GPS, wow.
The last act is good, nice explosions and beautiful cinematography. I liked the conclusion. By the way, Ralph Fiennes becomes the new M, but wasn’t his previous ocuppation superior to the one he is now?
Whilst not up to the same caliber as Casino Royale, it’s definitely a step up from Quantam.
Pacing issues plagues this movie, but it is made up by brilliant acting by the major trio (Barden, Craig and Dench).
Craig really came into his own in this movie and cemented himself as one of the great Bonds. Javier Bardem was scary and great despite not having too much material fo work with. Whilst Dench was again brilliant in her final outing as M.
There was some issues (along with pacing) ie. Q plugging the laptop in, only for it to get hacked 5 mins later (like come on man). But excellent cinematography, particularly the fight in the high rise early in the film, and the Scottish scenes were brilliant to watch and experience.
Definitely one of the best Bond films in a while. 9/10
A solid return to form for the Bond franchise after a bit of instability in Quantum of Solace. Daniel Craig is still growing into the leading role, but he's begun to mix in little quirks and kinks to his performance that, taken together, make a big difference. The action sets, also, seem to be past their growing pains and strike a nice balance between the stark, modern realism of the two preceding pictures and the characteristic over-the-top absurdity of past chapters.
Like its predecessors, Skyfall struggles with pacing issues, dilly-dallying for most of the first act, but once Javier Bardem finally surfaces around the sixty-minute mark it gets to the point and presses pedal to metal the rest of the way. It's interesting that, while in previous films the villains have been momentary flashes of color meant to shine a brighter light on the hero, Bardem's role in Skyfall often actually eclipses that of Bond himself. He's a brilliant, charismatic, damaged bit of anarchy that's reminiscent of, if not quite as eccentric as, Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker, and Bardem is magnificently unnerving in the role.
With the spirited new foil, the return of a few familiar monikers to the series and a dramatic, meaningful finale that's sure to reverberate through subsequent installments, I think it's safe to say James Bond is finally, firmly, back in the saddle.
Overall, this is an excellent film, Craig's best outing as Bond, and a Top 5 franchise film.
On the negative side - I don't like how they ditched the gritty reality of Casino Royale so quickly. And Javier Bardem doesn't quite hit the mark for me as a baddie for some reason.... Pacing isn't perfect and there's a little feeling of zero jeopardy once the film hits its stride. The (for me unnecessary) obligatory return of the Bond-isms.
Now the positives - visually stunning. A tried and tested plot but one that is executed well. Great chemistry & interplay between Bond and Moneypenny. Plenty of M. Spectacular fight scenes that don't go too Bourne with the editing.
I'd have loved for Casino Royale to be followed up with a film of this calibre but a more natural evolution of the character. It's streets ahead of Quantum of Solace (which is much better if watched as "Casino Royale extended cut") and the dreadful Spectre.
8.25/10
The new Bond series returns to the old formula in Skyfall and delivers a typical Bondian style action/adventure film. When MI6 comes under attack by a former Double-O agent, James Bond must track him down and stop his attacks. Unfortunately, the series steps back from the harder, grittier tone that the Craig films have been going for and tries to return to the campiness of the Connery era. As a result, the characters are rather stereotypical and the performances aren't as interesting. However, the film still delivers on the intense, gripping action sequences, and there are a number of fun homages to classic Bond. Skyfall is an entertaining and thrilling action film, but it's lost some of the edginess that has made this rebooted series so compelling.
I feel as if Skyfall was better in my memories. Although the cinematography and soundtrack were positives, I feel as if it only somewhat made up for the plot which was overall lacklustre. Skyfall was good, but nothing memorable.
This is by far the best looking James Bond movie thanks to Roger Deakins beautiful cinematography. Bond's resurrection arc is very interesting and we get so see more of his past. Judi Dench finally has a big role and she is great. Javier Bardem is a super creepy villain, especially when he takes his teeth out but he doesn't have a ton of depth. The reintroduction of Q and Moneypenny makes me happy. It has one of the best bond songs by Adele. Overall I think this is my favorite of the franchise.
Skyfall(2012)
0.5/1 Plot/Pacing
1/1 Acting/Characters
1/1 Writing/Directing
0.5/1 Theme/Tone
1/1 Dialogue/Genre
4/5 what I give this film.. love the directing aspects and the sound was amazing.. the pacing was awful but still a great film
Forgettable like the Bourne movies... I miss Roger Moore rip
What a load of crap! This is not a Bond movie. It's some bullshit Hollywood drama written by someone with a total lack of respect for the franchise.
"If all else fails, sometimes the old ways are the best."
Good but not that good. Forced and idiotic at certain moments.
It's the Bond film we've all been waiting for. After the stunning reinvention of Casino Royale and the misstep that followed with Quantum of Solace, Skyfall feels like a true resurrection of the character and the Bond universe, and an incredible addition to the storied franchise.
I miss the old Bonds. What they lacked in visual effects they made up with stories that made sense. This one was complete nonsense all the way.
This is one of my favorite movies and the best action movie i have ever watched
Finally we get to know a little bit about Bond's past
Flat out, this is a fantastic 007 film. Personally, not my favorite in the whole franchise, but probably close to the top 5. I'll be ranking them soon to find out. What I really like about this movie is how it feels very modern while still filling a lot of the conventions that Craig's films had been missing. I do have some minor issues with plot points here and there, but not enough to bother me until a 3rd or 4th viewing. That first time I was so in love with the fight scenes and cinematography and acting and credits and Adele and... well I could go on forever.
I really like James Bond movies and this one was quite good after Daniel Craig being a huge disaapointment in the first two movies featuring him as James Bond.
The story was quite complex and probably not a Bond Bond, like you would expect. Still the best Bond with Craig so far. There's quite a lot of things that reference stories from the classical Bond movies - kind of comes to an end or better yet, the circle is (almost) complete :).
Judi Dench is fabulous as usual!
James "Daniel" Bond almost like "Braveheart" defending his Scottish homestead ;)
Certinly one of the best Bond films for me. A very well directed movie that is almost always a feast for the eye in one way or another. The action and chase scenes are highly engaging and scattered through the movie in moderate, fullfilling doses. The dialogue is quaint. The performances of are magnificent. Creig played Bond better than ever, Dench got a lot of time for her character and used it with much skill. The supporting cast was also very strong. If that all was not enough, we are treated to one of the best Bond songs and one of the best Bond villains.
The movie has a few kinks to work out, like being fairly predictable or unBondish at times, but overall it is nothing that detracts from the overall experience too much. This movie in many ways is everything that a modern Bond movie should be, at least in my eyes.
Late comer to the review for this film. I'm watching all the Bond movies with Daniel Crag in anticipation of seeing Spectre this weekend.
For those who hated this movie, I really am sorry. I agree - Connery's Bond was great. So were the '60s. (Didn't he do another one in the '80s?) After all, I was born in the '60s, which means I got to see all the Bond films on ABC. Sean Connery or Roger Moore, it didn't matter - ABC showed em all. So I know Sean Connery rocks and Roger Moore sucks.
And the dark period continued until 2006, when along came Daniel Crag.
I love Craig in the role of James Bond. Cassino Royal is my favorite Bond movie since Connery was in the role. Quantum had some excellent moments, and Skyfall was a suitable vehicle for Judi Dench to exit the role as the most excellent M in the series while telling some much needed history of Bond and his family.
Best of all for Hollywood, the last three films have made good money from a franchise clearly in decline after some of the worst miscasting in any franchise's history. (I mean, Pierce Brosnan? Timothy Dalton? How did we miss Peter O'toole?) I argue, if it weren't for Craig, the Bond franchise was as good as dead.
More importantly, though, is an understanding of every film's place in the world within it exists. No one was buying the suitcase helicopter, Voodoo crazies, Jaws, Mr Scaramanga or Nick Nack in 2006. However, the world would buy a Bond who relies on his brains and muscle as well as an intelligent team of well-rounded characters, including the first complex Bond girl in a 45-year-old movie franchise. Cassino Royal was a film built for brilliance.
Are the last three Bond movies worth anything? Yes, and more. In a 24-movie series, the last three are the only ones with inter-movie coherence and consistency. The characters are not cardboard. The plots do not rely on gadgets that boarder on science fiction.
And best of all, the man playing James Bond is completely believable, and for my wife, completely hot.
back to see before going to see the last Bond and I liked it more than when I saw her in the cinema, one of the best Bond
This what a great movie. I'm just not sure it was a great Bond movie. It just didn't have the sense of fun that I expect from Bond.
Financial troubles at MGM meant that there was a four year gap between Bond films. In that time they’ve shaken things up a little, brining Sam Mendes in as director, Thomas Newman as composer, and Roger Deakins as cinematographer. With those credentials, this is a film that shows promise from the get-go.
Bond gets shot in the field by a colleague who accidentally misses her mark; he gets out alive but is presumed dead and uses this to go into retirement. In the mean time a terrorist hacks into the MI6 building and manages to trigger a gas explosion, setting off a blast right in M’s office. Bond learns of this news and feels compelled to go back into the field in order to catch the villain.
Skyfall marks the 50th anniversary of the Bond franchise, and it’s a sentimental film in a lot of ways. We are constantly reminded that ‘sometimes the old ways are the best’. There’s an attempt to meld the ‘old’ and ‘new’ Bonds, the result is steeped in nostalgia. Admittedly some elements are quite heavy handed (at one point Bond uses the DB5 from Goldfinger…) but for the most part Mendes manages to lend an air of the old films to the Daniel Craig era - something which wasn’t even considered when Brosnan was in the role.
This reconciliation of the past with the present is a central theme in the plot. Javier Bardem plays the villain, Raoul Silva, an ex-MI6 agent scorned by what he saw as a betrayal by M, many years ago. It’s an old style revenge story brought together with a modern, technology based attack. Bond goes back to his childhood home, Skyfall, in order to lead Silva onto familiar ground; a literal trip back in time.
Actually the final third has to be mentioned since it’s easily the weakest part of the film. Some have joked that it’s James Bond meets Home Alone and although harsh it’s not far from the truth. Bond drives up to Skyfall with M and together with the gamekeeper they booby trap the house, awaiting Silva’s arrival. It’s a well executed scene but the whole premise and driving force behind it don’t really make any sense, and it’s a sloppy way to end an otherwise solid story.
There are issues all the way through with the plot, but it’s all details and nitpicking. It doesn’t make sense, for example, that they would connect the prison door system to their computer main frame. The whole thing rests on this in a way, but it’s forgiveable and easily written off as a necessary evil to keep the plot moving. However, when it all goes down at Skyfall, ALL of these issues are brought back to the forefront.
As to the performances, Casino Royale was a great turn for Daniel Craig but Skyfall is the film where he seems truly relaxed in the role. He effortlessly conveys quiet intelligence mixed with raw anger and of course brute strength. Surely he’s put any doubts about the casting choice to bed.
Mendes also exploits Judi Dench to her full potential. She’s one of the great actresses of our times but never seems to get to be involved as much as she should. Here she’s almost a co-lead and plays a pivotal role in Skyfall’s success.
In other supporting roles, Ralph Fiennes gets to play with a well constructed cliché-turned-on-its-head role, Ben Wishaw gives a fresh take on Q & Naomi Harris is a little awkward in her new Moneypenny role but she’s probably a good choice. The real wasted talent is Berenice Marlohe, the ‘Bond girl’ of the film. She’s so interesting and exotic and is absolutely captivating on camera. She’s disposed of in what feels like 5 minutes. Completely absent and sorely missed is Jeffrey Wright’s Felix Leiter, a classic character he played so well in the last two films.
The Craig films have all so far comprised of solid action sequences and Skyfall is no exception. There’s another technical aspect of note though, the cinematography. Roger Deakins is one of the best in the business and his work here got him an Oscar nomination. It’s a well deserved nod, too; the sequence in the tower block is thrilling and innovative. The scenes in the casino are pure eye candy and set the mood in a way nothing else could.
This is a huge step up from Quantum of Solace and Mendes’ confidence means we aren’t bombarded with constant action sequences. Skyfall is a film made with love and care, and really gets the franchise up and running again. It’s a shame that the final showdown leaves such a bitter taste in our mouths.
http://benoliver999.com/film/2015/09/27/skyfall/
Another good (but not excellent) modern James Bond movie. This time around the story is more engaging than the previous two Bond movies but I did not like:
a) how they handled the technical aspects of the cyber terrorist threat. I mean, come on, nowadays every teen knows that hacking doesn't happen the way it is pictured here!
b) that no gadgets are used. I get that this should reflect the fact that there was some overuse of unbelievable gadgets in previous Bond movies and that modern secret agents are not running around wielding guns & gadgets, but to skip gadgets altogether seems a little drastic to me.
None the less this is a very enjoyable action movie and I most probably will watch again in the future.
Quite frankly one of the best Bond films ever and cements Craig's status in the role. This is up there with From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. The movie acts as a fantastic nod to 50 years of Bond with the final minutes sure to bring a smile to the faces of Bond fans in the same way that The Dark Knight Rises did for Batman fans. However rather than simply nodding to the previous entries, this is still a cracking film in its own right. After a great action sequence at the start, the spectacle is largely much more subdued with a greater emphasis on Bond as a character and a story that allows for Bond to do some actual spying and investigating. There is far more humour in this than the previous Craig films, but the quips are not overdone and a healthy dose of sarcasm helps. Whilst the action here serves the story much better rather than simply being sequences stitched together into the film, there are still some great sequences, notably a neon lit assassination and a final sequence at night in Scotland, both of which are beautifully shot by Roger Deakins. This is not just a great Bond film, but also one of the best of the blockbuster films released this year.
I had pretty much stopped enjoying the Bond franchise somewhere in the Brosnan era, and since then I have been watching them when I got around to it, didn't expect a whole lot, and mostly got what I expected.
But Skyfall took me by suprise, it's not clean, it's not stupidly gadgetly, it digs up a lot more backstory than I expected.
As someone who gets bored watching any Bond film, I was incredibly surprised that I could actually enjoy this one. Skyfall isn't your typical Bond film - and that's a blessing rather than a curse.
Daniel Craig is the best Bond. Great movie.
not as good as the other BOND films
What Pdr said, quote "Above average action Movie without the "bond" feeling in it....".
That.
The best Bond there is so far...
Still excellent! For sure, one of the best Bond films.
Spent too much time doing other things, but seemed good! I need to watch it again
Best James Bond movie in years? I don't know about that, and I've seen every one of them. It's certainly good, and definitely way better than the bleak and disappointing "Quantum of Solace." But I still think that "Casino Royale" was better. At the same time, this does give "Casino Royale" a strong run for its money, and it's good to see them bring back secondary characters like Q. Worth it, especially for James Bond fans, and after this one, I'm very interested to see where they're going to go with the rebooted Bond (can we still call it rebooted after three movies?).
Best of the Daniel Craig bond films, and on its own.. an actually really great bond film. Loved it.
What happened with the list??
En af de bedste Bond film!!
It is a great 9/10 action movie, but I'm just not sure it was a great BOND movie. I like the fact that they tried to inject some intelligence into the story and some character depth, but seriously - trotting out the dead parents/brooding orphaned hero thing is a little too Bruce Wayne for my tastes. Even Silva had echoes of Ledger's Joker about him. There were moments to love but it was all a little too dark for a Bond film in my opinion.
The truth is, I just don't really like Daniel Craig's current take on James Bond. For a start he's blonde which just doesn't seem right. Secondly, he's so cold that he's sucked all the fun out of the franchise. Where's the sex? The one liners? The humour? (Yes there is Berenice but she was only in a tiny portion of the film!)
I understand the decision to make Bond more realistic - the invisible car of Die Another Day was a sign that things had just gone too far. However, I think it is important to remember why we love Bond in the first place. We want it to keep it's sense of fun. Hopefully, with the end of the movie "resetting" the layout to the Connery/Moore characters, we can finally see a less brooding version of Craig's Bond. Here's hoping for some Bond/Moneypenny pithy banter in the next one.
The best ever Bond .... Forget the rest!!!
Best one of Craig's. enjoyed the storyline very much.
Good action, but as a 007 movie it just doesn't stack up like the others.
Beautiful to watch - several scenes just stunning on screen - but Bond fans are gonna have a lot of complaints as this deviates from formula.
It's not Bond anymore. Certain scenes are too long and not too interesting. Good overall, but not Bond-style.
Well, in the first half Bond evolves from the ordinary, elegant commander on her Majesty's secret service to a weak, slow, self-destructive anti-hero wich is using his almighty superpowers only to betray the grim reaper. While the story develops, he gets permanently attacked of being too old for this stuff. So after every single one of M's inferiors failed, he kidnaps his Boss, and travels in his db5-time-machine to the past. But on his fate to rescue his now surrogate mother from a deranged former MI6 agent, he starts to portray Clint Eastwood in a final 3 round shootout in his family's estate, only to let the boss finally beeing killed by an irrelevant henchman.
sublime action movie but unworthy Bond-movie
Great movie... The best 007 movie with Daniel Craig. Finally he fits into the character, because, specially in Quantum of Solace, he didn't act like James Bond to me. Anyway, a great action movie that I recommend to any 007 and action movie fans.
Loved it, though it had a few boring/long scenes.
Never a Bond fan but overall a nice action movie
Best bond ever ... honestly. It took all the old bonds just to lead up to this one. Impressive! Was definitely not expecting this. Great scenario, cast & directing.
Bond the old fashion way. Great cast and directing. Highly entertaining. I really enjoy it.
It's just not the same anymore... An "ok" action flick without a trace of Bond, just like the previous Craig's Bonds.
Ok i might have feared Daniel Craig as James bond in the past, and feared that de had lost the old James style ... But now I feel safe ... This movies totally rocks !!!
A tribute to Bond movies, a gift to the fans ... A pure moment of pleasure, without even overdoing it !
Chapeau !!!
Very good movie
I don't like Daniel Craig as James Bond and the first two movies with him were horrible - didn't feel like James Bond movies at all. This one still isn't as good as the old (pre Craig) James Bond movies but much better.
I especially liked the end, when you find out at which time the movie plays (even though the technology-stuff is unrealistic ;)
very poor, same as every other bond, same plot, weak script and hammy acting. if you don't like bond ignore everyones raves this is the same as all the rest.
Above average action Movie without the "bond" feeling in it....
For people saying this is the best bond film ever made you are wrong. Any classic Sean Connery bond flick beats any new bond movies.
decent movie, great non stop action flick but the storyline has been done before. Seen this storyline too many times. 7/10
This was a beautifully shot film with exceptional cinematography especially the stunning shots within the Shanghai skyline. The story too was intriguing with so much of society relying on technology. I also like more of the realism in action sequences as opposed to the sensationalism of the past. What I do not care for is the length of Bond films in general with this one coming in a little short of two hours and thirty minutes. It seems as if the movie could of and should of ended 30 minutes earlier and would have been sufficient. Although a good movie, I still prefer the Bourne series more.
I'm surprised at all the praise. Being a big fan of the previous two Craig bonds, this one just didn't hold up. The villain was totally undercooked and the plot dull. The movie lacked that Bond vast feel, even though it obviously tried with various locales, which in this just felt tacked on serving no purpose. Disappointed.
This is a really good movie. Cinematic without it being annoying, good action scenes, and compelling filler between action. Loved the opening sequence.
Watched this today and liked it.
Oh, it's just perfect as usual.
It's a shame that M is dead.
Still not convinced.
Theater, beer, Bond. Let's see if this works out.
Daniel Craig does a bang up job as usual...
Great movie, and a great couple of hours of entertainment.
I like the realistic style, but needs a smidgen more 'Bond'.
79% Approval Rating. Truthfully I expected more and I wasn't the only one in the group I went and saw it with. I felt as if the pace was just wrong and that there wasn't really the type of climax that 2012 movie fans were seeking. I was hoping for a TDKR like redemption movie and what I got was a drawn out sequel setup with a bad guy who's physically and mentally capable of so much more than we get to see and too much character development from characters that we didn't need to see. The reason I like casino royal so much was that they abandoned the cliche, stale bond movie format and started fresh with a new story line. This movie just brought back that old story line format which i've had plenty of….
"Skyfall" brings Daniel Craig to his 3rd film as James Bond and it also brings the franchise to its 23rd film. While the same concept still there, "Skyfall" brings a new and fresh style to the franchise. Sam Mendes does an amazing job in the directing and pace of the film. The beautiful cinematography and locations make "Skyfall" a very exotic and mysterious film that really does its job entertaining the viewer. From the funny lines to the great action Daniel Craig does an acceptable job as James Bond. (Not a big fan of Daniel Craig as James Bond), While Daniel Craig sets his mark with his own style of James Bond, Javier Bardem does a very surpringly great job as the villain. Definately leaving his mark as a very "unique" villain that really shows the changing of times we live in. From the great action scenes to the classic Aston Martin DB5, "Skyfall" is the best James Bond movie in my opinion since "Goldeneye" with Pierce Brosnan. Definately a must see...
Good solid james bond movie.
way better than the last one.. I like the different style.. more old-school bond-ish imho
why is there a chain lying on top of a moving train? Did i miss something?
Alternative Bond style. I'd like it. Missed sine action though.
Shout by nutmacBlockedParent2016-08-12T18:31:25Z
@diebagger Agreed. Skyfall is a beautifully shot film no doubt, with amazing cinematography. Although Javier Bardem didn't have much material to work with, he still managed delivered one the best performances of all Bond villains. Kudos for Judi Dench on her exit performance. And Skyfall is easily one of the best Bond songs.
At the end of the day, however, a Bond film should be exciting. And Skyfall lacks excitement and suspense. Skyfall is like driving the best car in the world on a traffic jam.