Skyfall

I know I'm not really qualified to review much of anything.  I hold no expertise in any field, but I have my opinions.  Every once in a while, I decide to review something that I struggle with.  Skyfall is a film that I am pretty sure I shouldn't be reviewing.

When it comes to Bond films, my favorites are the worst of the bunch.  Growing up, we owned four different Bond movies, all from the Roger Moore era.  Apparently, he is thought to be one of the worst Bonds, if not the worst.  I haven't re-watched any of those films lately, but I look back upon them fondly.

I recently re-watched Casino Royale, and it was pretty good.  I remember liking it a lot when I first saw it.  The film holds up just fine.  It's a good movie to re-establish Bond as a grittier, more realistic franchise.  Skyfall keeps that tone.  You get more of that same Bond.  While watching Skyfall, I knew it was a good movie, but it didn't always feel like a Bond movie to me.  Yester-Holly kept yelling in the background about what a Bond movie should be.

Now that we have my own short-comings as a Bond reviewer out of the way, let's talk about what makes Skyfall a great movie.  For people like me, looking for the typical Bond trappings, they're there, but they are subtle nods.  It elevates the quality of the film while still satisfying the desire to see familiar shapes and colors.

The story moves along at a good pace, keeping the viewer interested.  While the action scenes are good, I was a bit bored before Javier Bardem showed up.  I had heard his villain was quite good, and he did not disappoint.  He manages to be a charismatic creature without being over the top.*  It seems that you get to see a bit more into his psyche than a lot of other Bond villains.

Skyfall, like the last two Bond films, continues to do a great job with the action sequences and is beautifully shot.  Explosions are big, and the cars are fast.  One scene, due to the way it is filmed, is a bit hard to follow.  The director favors silhouette shots, using them multiple times throughout the movie.  It's striking but can make a fight scene hard to follow when you're working with bright lights in the background and no discernible features in the foreground actors.  Aside from the fight scenes, there are additional scenes that are amazing.  Skyfall is probably one of the more visually impressive Bond films.

Skyfall is an excellent movie.  Regardless of Yester-Holly's cries, it succeeds in strengthening the Bond franchise.  The story is good, and the acting is great.  Beautifully shot, Skyfall is worth your time and money.

*He looks really weird as a blonde.  This, of course, has no bearing on the quality of the film.