Easily one of the top 5 best Bond films.

Rating: 9/10 (22 November 2012)

Could we be entering a second golden age of James Bond films? After the last disappointment of a Bond film, Quantum of Solace, the thought would not have even entered my mind. But Skyfall easily holds its own against the very best bond films. As with Craig's first film, Casino Royale, Skyfall successfully adopts the ultra serious, brooding tone that is prevalent in many of today's action films while still maintaining its identity as a Bond film.
In the latest Bond adventure, the lives of James Bond and his chief, M, are jeopardized by a rogue MI6 agent named Silva, played brilliantly by Javier Bardem, (you can't find a better person to play deranged psychopath than Bardem!). Silva, who has a personal vendetta against M, stole a hard drive that contains a list of British secret agents working in the field. James Bond must recover the hard drive before Silva can release the list to the public. The film opens in Istanbul with Bond and a fellow agent played by Naomie Harris (whose character cannot be revealed in this review) in pursuit of Silva's men. Bond's chase leads him to the top of a freight train with one of Silva's henchmen while Harris watches helplessly through the scope of a sniper rifle without a clear shot at the enemy. M orders her to "take the bloody shot" anyway, almost callously. Harris hits Bond instead, just as she feared, and Bond is assumed dead- but of course, he comes back to England just when M needs him most.
Skyfall earns a place among the best Bond films because it takes the series in many new directions. For once James Bond has a great personal and physical obstacle to overcome, as he has not completely recovered from his physical injuries or his psychological injury from his betrayal. His loyalty to M and MI6 are put to the test while he confronts one of the most dangerous villains he has ever encountered. Craig brings a certain toughness to the role that I don't think we have seen since Sean Connery, but he also brings a vulnerability to the part that we haven't seen before.
But the most surprising development is Judi Dench's M, a character who has never been given much depth. Skyfall examines the dark side of espionage work by focusing on the morally ambiguous decisions that must be made in the field. As the head of MI6, M has made many of these decisions in the past, and she has a significant sense of guilt. The film is also more politically aware of the controversies of intelligence work, a place the series has not dared to go in the past. Director Sam Mendes, an unlikely choice, turned out to be a brilliant call on the producer's part, as more traditional action directors might not have been capable of directing this kind of Bond film.
Another thing that makes Skyfall stand out among Bond films is just how remarkably subdued it is- the most complex gadget is a radio, and it features few exotic international locales. The film takes place almost entirely in Britain, and the final action scene is in Bond's abandoned family mansion, Skyfall. Compare that to the inside of a volcano or a space station! This is not the first Bond film to feature few gadgets, but what surprises me is how determined the producer Barbara Broccoli is to stick with this formula. In the past, the series has always reverted back to the over the top, tongue in cheek style that characterizes the majority of Bond films. Skyfall is joyfully aware of its deviations from the series, most notably in a verbal quip from the gadget master Q that MI6 does not do "exploding pens" anymore. Yet the film also embraces Bond's past, as the classic Aston Martin from Goldfinger makes an appearance, and old school fans will love the recreation of M's office from the Connery and Moore eras.
Of course, the plot elements in Skyfall have been explored in other films, but the Bond series is not about originality so much as damn good entertainment, and Skyfall accomplishes this in spades. The pacing is a bit off at times, slowing down in the middle, but it all comes together with a riveting conclusion where Bond defends M with shotguns, dynamite, and knives, a very raw action sequence for a Bond film.
The James Bond series has been revitalized thanks in part to Barbara Broccoli understanding the need to give the series a face lift. Skyfall is going to be hard to beat, but I hope Barbara Broccoli can churn out one or two more great Bond films before Craig leaves the series. With one more great Bond film, I think Craig's era will match or possibly outmatch Sean Connery's films.