Skyfall means Rosebud!

Rating: 3/10 (6 November 2012)

Yes, a Bond movie takes the famous 'Citizen Kane' motif, but why? Well, it is a film that just lifts dialogue, action sequences, and tropes from other movies, so why not one of the greatest. Except it is a monstrous cheek and totally unworthy of a Bond tradition. It has action, but it is all rather too familiar (duel on top of train, motorbike chase around Istanbul, chasing along the Underground - yawn,yawn!). It has some jokes, but Roger Moore was better at it. It has wooden acting - Daniel 'one note' Craig. Everybody forgets that Bond has to go from suave seductive charmer to cold blooded killer in an instance - 'Dr No' and Zena Walker. Yes, only Timothy Dalton has come anywhere near Sean Connery. Lines are taken from a range of sources, including 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century' - 'I've been ready since before you were born (Albert Finney originally considered for the first Bond!). Shots are copied - the final outside scene shows Bond looking over London from the rooftop as its guardian - Batman looking over Gotham City!!! Even 'Revenge of the Jedi' gets a look in with the Rancor Monster being doubled by the Komodo Dragon (which can never be exported by the way)! Plot holes galore and even the shirking of action killing - cue Tube train falling through the floor during rush hour but obviously having no passengers! And what about Javier Bardem locked up like Hannibal Lector? He escapes in an even worse plot hole than Anthony Hopkins! I could go on, but no, the film critics have lost all sense of critical judgment and objectivity - this Bond is only marginally better than the rubbish that was 'Quantum of Solace.' Give the role to Ola Rapace, who looked the part of Bond even though he ended up like poor old Robert Shaw, and the helm to a Swedish director - he might do better!