Brand Bond still slickly packaged

Rating: 6/10 (10 January 2013)

Like Cocoa Cola the James Bond franchise has run smoothly for nearly have a century with the same formula. Brash and predictable it still provides some hair raising moments in the traditional format of the instantly recognizable figure in silhouette, 60s electric guitar riffs a wild opening scene followed by a pop ditty the same as when I caught the Saturday matinée of Goldfinger back in the 60s. In Skyfall we are given the same adrenalin filled flawless start enhanced by today's evolving technology but we are also saddled by it's understandable intent to appeal to a larger audience in which Bond is a tad more touchy feely with major female players defraying action and pace in favor of tedious heart to hearts.
James Craig is probably the best Bond since Connery and Javier Bardem a worthy quirky villain but with the odd choice of the pretentious Sam Mendes directing and an Oscar winner (Judy Dench) playing M the film bogs down in tedious dialog and the film begins to drag. There's a wonderful nostalgic re-appearance by a classic Bond character (non-human) but an equally disappointing non-appearance in a role tailor made for Sean but played by Albert Finney instead.
There are some riveting action scenes but some sloppy ones as well and while it delivers much of the time it hangs around too long for its own good. Face it the first three Bonds in the early 60s will always be the gold standard no matter how advanced the technology.