A very entertaining, somewhat poignant Bond film

Rating: 8/10 (9 November 2012)

While I'm not an old school Bond fan like so many others who grew up with him, I have been a big fan of his recent Daniel Craig led efforts. Having grown up in the Brosnan era Bond, with his fairly cheesy rendition that contained all things Bond, but was more of the vanilla style Bond than anything else, Craig's rendition has been a welcome change. There has been a more emotional impact here, with Bond examined as a character and a human being, versus simply being the caricature of a super agent. A lot of people may take issue with this, as die hard fans may prefer a more fantasy oriented version of the character than one who is more realistic. But there is no doubt that Skyfall is a great film.
In one sense this is even more a character study than any Bond film before it, though I won't suggest I have the knowledge of the series to say for sure. Here, we have a Bond that goes through some radical changes throughout the film. You could even call this a much more mature Die Another Day, with some of the same beats here as in that film. But this Bond film goes into territory that drives in a very different direction from even Casino Royale or Quantum. The relationship between Bond and M is heavily explored, and M herself is examined. Q is finally introduced in this one, and we get a wonderful turn from Ralph Fiennes, who adds to the fantastic cast. But what of the villain. You've most likely heard much about him, and yes, it's true, Silva is fantastic. He is wonderfully quirky and has all the elements of a great Bond villain, from his own secret lair to physical blemishes (thoughts of Bloefeld come to mind). But this is also a villain who is highly intelligent, with a bit of a psychotic streak and who is capable of matching Bond in his skills.
But with all of this, this is still a Bond movie, and it may very well be the closest to an old Bond film than any of Craig's Bond films yet. Gadgets, even if small, become apart of the film, and there's even a small scene involving car gadgets. We also Bond who has gone a bit beyond his angry, gruff, and brutal personality into more of what we've come to expect of Bond. We see him getting more into the role of an experienced agent who acts cool and suave, maintaining a calm collection. And that famous wit that Bond is known for makes an obvious mark here. Yes, this is the bridge that will undoubtedly connect between what we've seen in these past three Bond films to the Bond that we have known and loved for 50 years.
There's also plenty of action to be had, with the gorgeous cinematography lending itself greatly to almost every scene. The action here isn't as big as we've come to expect, with it happening in spurts and consisting mostly of chases, but it is none the less exciting and even with it's nearly two and a half hour running time, the film never feels slow.
Die hard Bond aficionados may find this one too different from their tastes in Bond films to enjoy it, but for most of us who have enjoyed the new turn in the Bond universe, this is a fantastic movie. It goes beyond the typical Bond formula to give us something more. And it is every bit as enjoyable for it.