My favourite Bond film

Rating: 9/10 (25 February 2013)

*CONTAINS SPOILERS* (don't read if you haven't seen this film and plan on seeing it, also contains spoilers for Die Another Day)
Skyfall marks the 50th anniversary of the most successful movie franchise in history and it is appropriate that this special anniversary is marked by the greatest Bond film of all time.
One of the major strengths of this film is the acting. The supporting cast - featuring the likes of Helen McCrory, Rory Kinnear, Berenice Marlohe, Naomie Harris and especially Ben Whishaw, Albert Finney and Ralph Fiennes - is outstanding but the best performances come from Javier Bardem and Dame Judi Dench.
Bardem is absolutely wonderful as the central villain and is one of the best villains in the entire series. He is so good that there was talk of him getting an Academy award nomination, which is unheard of for a Bond villain. He doesn't actually make an appearance until half way through the film but his presence is still felt (there is echoes of Joseph Wiseman's Dr No here), he is in the shadows and causes massive problems for MI6. When he finally appears, the viewer isn't disappointed. He is camp but threatening at the same time, is very mysterious and has a real grudge against the secret service and especially against M. He gets captured but somehow manages to escape, which was a great decision by the writing team as it makes him appear more of a threat.
Judi Dench is even better as M. Back in 1995, many people were sceptical about this particular role going to a female given the massive success the legendary Bernard Lee had in the role and the skill set required to play this character. These people have been proved completely wrong and Dench's M is one of the best characters ever to appear in this franchise. In this film, she has a pivotal role that allows her to fully showcase her amazing acting talents. Her first discussion with Mallory (played by Fiennes), her courtroom scene and any scenes involving her and Bond are all examples of this. Her death at the end is quite emotional and Mallory (the new M) has a lot to live up to.
The cinematography, score and Adele's song are all excellent and it was good to see these all get nominations at the Oscars (with Adele deservedly winning).
The only minor problem I have is that no explanation was offered for how Bond survived getting shot in the opening sequence. In the novelisation of Die Another Day by Raymond Benson, a reasonable explanation is offered for how Colonel Moon escaped almost certain death in the opening sequence of this film. Something similar here would have been excellent.
Overall, this film is absolutely excellent and is actually the best film of 2012 beating off some very strong competition. It is a shame that the Academy didn't give this film what it deserved in terms of awards and at least a best picture nomination.
It is fully deserving of a 9/10.