Welcome back, Mr. Bond

Rating: 10/10 (26 October 2012)

(this is spoiler-free as I realise most people won't have seen this yet.)
Oh. my. word.
Skyfall is amazing.
It is Bond. It is Bond with heart, with character. Bond with armour and without. It is a throwback to the classic Bond, a standing ovation to the earliest Bonds - and yet modern, fresh, gritty, brutal. You *feel* things in Skyfall. Bond feels things, like in CR - but unlike CR which was Bond becoming Bond, here we have Bond as Bond - witty, debonair,charming, dangerous, a man who lives in the shadows and occasionally puts on a front of lightness.
It is a more personal, character-driven film - but with superb action and AMAZING cinematography (seriously - some of the images in this film put Nolan's films in the shade!). The pre-credit sequence (yes, it's back) is worth the price of admission alone.
In one way CR was like a break from the old Bonds. It was a fresh start and the stench of Ye Old Bonde had to be washed off. But now in Skyfall it's all grown up, and so can appreciate it's roots - like a teenager realising their parents aren't always wrong.
It is brilliant. Go and see it. It's fantastic. (And if it wasn't Bond, it would win an Oscar or three. As it is, it may just yet - it's that good)
Welcome back Mr. Bond.