Double 0-verrated.

Rating: 6/10 (2 November 2012)

After the disappointment that was Casino Royale, I decided to give Quantum of Solace a miss altogether on account of the very mixed reviews (to date, it is the only Bond film that I still haven't seen); Skyfall, on the other hand, had been getting such unanimous glowing praise that I simply had to check it out for myself, if only to confirm my suspicions that viewers had been letting their sense of relief that it didn't suck as much as the last two films to seriously affect their judgement.
Just as I imagined, those who have been claiming that this is the best Bond ever are only fooling themselves. The film begins in great style with an incredible chase scene, one that really gets the adrenaline pumping, but this promising starts only serves to highlight just how badly mishandled the rest of the film is. With far more conversation than chaos and a running time of well over two hours, Skyfall really drags in places.
The introduction of Javier Bardem's Silva, an intriguing mix of John Malkovich from In the Line of Fire and both Hannibal Lector and Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs, improves matters slightly, giving the plot some much needed focus, but the overall lack of action and adventure is still all too apparent (the only other memorable set-piece being a spectacular underground train crash/chase scene), as are the script's more convoluted elements and irritating plot holes.
The final act, which culminates in a showdown between Bond and the baddies at his family pile in the Scottish highlands, fails to save the day, being atypically Bond in almost every respect: the locale is dreary, the cinematography is dark, the weaponry outdated, and the overall tone way too sombre.
It's a shame, because Daniel Craig makes for a good 007—I just hope that they give him the Bond project that he deserves before he gets too old to play the part.