Good action flick, but hardly a masterpiece

Rating: 7/10 (16 December 2012)

I'm not a Bond fan, but I did like Casino Royale quite a bit (the less said about Quantum of Solace, the better). Skyfall got reviews like you wouldn't believe, far surpassing anything in this series before, so I was excited to see it. It is, I must say, pretty good, though the praise seems a tad ridiculous. It's good for a Bond flick. It's nothing special beyond that. In fact, I think I liked Casino Royale better (neither is a film I'd ever bother rewatching). Skyfall is very entertaining, but there's nothing here putting it above the average blockbuster. The story is thin and rather silly, all kinds of clichés are hit upon and there are plenty of completely unbelievable stunts. Laughable moments include Bond using a terrible CGI Komodo dragon as a step-stool and characters desperately trying to escape the bad guys flipping around a flashlight in the darkness like a homing beacon. Javier Bardem gives another good baddie performance, though he comes off as kind of a Batman villain here - he's able to convince hundreds of faceless henchmen to die for his very personal cause for, I don't know, money, I guess. I hope their families got paid, anyway. I seem pretty negative, but it's only because I think it's overrated, not bad. One thing I absolutely loved was the look. Filmed by Roger Deakins, it is one of the most beautiful blockbusters I can think of.