Bond is back where he belongs!

Rating: 10/10 (28 October 2012)

OK, so I finally watched Skyfall after a long and painful four year gap. When I heard they were going to bring the old Bond back with gadgets, more Bond humor, etc. I was very thrilled. But the first teaser trailer sort of felt like this same dark side of Bond. But I went to the cinema, watched the movie and was completely stunned to put it mildly! Sam Mendes impresses with his brilliant and tireless direction, Thomas Newman made a fine job with the new score, Adele made a brilliant Bond song and Roger Deakins sure as hell did a good job with the cinematography!
Mendes really redefines Bond 100% percent to the better! A good old throwback to the sixties! Skyfall is at least as good as Casino Royale and beats the crap out of Quantum of Solace! You can't really help that a flow of nostalgia hits you when watching this fine masterpiece!
The only thing I will say about the plot, is that the movie starts out with an assassin stealing a list of all undercover NATO operatives! A classic and phenomenal Bond chase through Istanbul ensues, where Bond gets shot and disappears! MI6 then comes under attack and Bond resurfaces to find them responsible and bring them to justice! The plot is in fact very simple and very smooth. I can't imagine you're gonna get thrown off.
As mentioned, Roger Deakins' cinematography is very well done, providing you with the best 007 image to date! Newman's score is very subtle in its own way, but still very "bond-ish". Sam Mendes directs Skyfall with finesse and dedication, and he can also make action look beautiful (especially that first part)! My only regret is that they use too much CGI in the post-credit scene, which is very sad, because the only purpose it serves, is to show a background, when an unnecessary closeup of Craig on a bike ensues. The sound and sound mixing is fantastic, and so is the editing! Very few gripes in the technical department.
The screenwriters really give Craig the opportunity to redefine his Bond, giving him more depth and making him so much more emotional. Craig masters this in every scene in this movie and puts his fingerprint as one of the best Bond actors (if not the best) so far. Javier Bardem is also really brilliant in this movie. His acting is a little over-blown at times, but he still delivers a great performance! Bardem is a classic Bond villain, but still makes Silva his own. Unfortunately Naomie Harris and Bérenicé Marlohe fall for the same trap. Not enough screen time. They aren't really important to the story, which makes you stop caring about them. Their performances are solid, though. Judi Dench IS the real Bond babe in this film (not meant literally). She's much more personal and much more emotional in Skyfall. Ben Whishaw as Q was also a positive surprise! Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, Helen McCrory, Rory Kinnear, and Ola Rapace also fill out brilliantly supporting roles.
Sam Mendes has set the standards for how the next Bond movie should be, which makes it so much easier for the next directors (if Sam Mendes doesn't return for the next project that is). The movie has in its own glory, celebrated the 50th anniversary for James Bond, in the best possible way! Skyfall is a brilliant and classic Bond film, but I still miss the feel and formula "Casino Royale" introduced us to back in 2006...