A bold new step in the Bond franchise

Rating: 7/10 (6 May 2015)

"Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don't really go in for that anymore." —Q
Probably the most anticipated Bond-film ever, Skyfall opened to break all kinds of box office records, including passing both Titanic and Avatar at the U.K. box office (which can only be a good thing). It was also the first one to be directed by a Hollywood big shot: Sam Mendes, best known for American Beauty. This was highly unusual as Bond films were always shot by lesser-known directors. Combine this with the inclusions of DP Roger Deakins and composer Thomas Newman, the shift in tone in the more recent Bond films and the long production time and you can see how this film got everyone psyched. For meit was definitely a great movie-going experience, though I'm hesitant to call it a Bond experience
Bond (Daniel Craig) is shot during the mission in the opening scenes and, though MI6 thinks he's dead, recovers on some tropical island in typical Bond fashion: drinks and women. Meanwhile, MI6 is attacked. A bomb goes off in MI6 headquarters, seemingly to harm M (Judi Dench). Bond finds out and returns to MI6, but before he can head back into the field, he needs to recover his previous strength and skill at gunplay.
I like how typical Bond-elements are ridiculed. Many Bond-films from the past were so predictable and sometimes downright silly in their adherence to what a 'Bond movie' is 'supposed to be' that they degraded the entire franchise. Skyfall, however, firmly establishes itself as a modern Bond-film. See, for instance, the above quote from Q who responds to Bond's disappointment about the lack of 'toys' MI6 has provided him with.
There are some things that annoy me, however. The way the Big Bad, Silva (Javier Bardem), has planned everything (and I mean everything) in advance sometimes requires too much suspension of disbelief. This was most notable for me when Silva receives a package in the London Underground from two henchmen disguised as officers. I thought to myself: am I supposed to believe that he planned for those henchmen to be there at that exact time?
Another thing is Silva's homosexuality. I could have said 'implied', but there's nothing subtle about it here. Everything about Silva is sosensual: his accent, the way he walks, his mannerisms, etc. Now, I don't mind homosexuality whatsoever, but I didn't really see a reason for Silva to be gay. What does it matter? Sure, it definitely makes Silva more fun to watch, but I just didn't see the point It just takes me back to past films where the bad guys always tended to be gay (Silence of the Lambs, etc.).
Something else that bothered me – and this is a critical point – is the adherence to typical Bond-film characteristics, such as the Bond-girl. I've read a lot of comments that Skyfall isn't really a Bond-film, because it lacks certain of these elements. I hark back to what I said at the beginning, how I was hesitant to call it a Bond-experience. I didn't feel like I was watching a typical Bond-film, but a good (psychological) thriller with some social commentary on modern society. Bond's past was moderately explored, M has more to do than boss Bond around and there's an important theme dealing with the role of technology in modern life. Silva is able to do anything with the push of a button and the way Bond and M eventually defeat him is in a place where Silva is unable to utilize technology. In a film like this, the token Bond-elements, such as 'Bond-getting-girl' felt even more out of place and, for me, this was the main thing holding this film back from becoming the drama it seems to aspire to.