Better than CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE, put together!

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 2012)

And, for me, that is saying a lot.
Because, for me, CASINO ROYALE was pure rubbish, the way it dispensed so cavalierly with James Bond's back-story as established in some of the previous movies! Which, in turn, is why I boycotted QUANTUM OF SOLACE, altogether.
But, because this was the golden anniversary of 007's film debut (and because they didn't want Albert Broccoli spinning in his grave), Eon Productions decided to make up for all the continuity errors that had made CASINO ROYALE such a disappointment for me. They _loaded_ SKYFALL with references to previous films!
The sarcastic reference to exploding pens, by new Q? And, the bittersweet reference to the deaths of 007's parents when he was still a boy? Both date back to GOLDENEYE.
The trampoline-like leap to freedom off the back of a Komodo dragon? An allusion to the crocodilian hop-scotch in TO LIVE AND LET DIE.
And, the vintage Aston Martin with ejector seat and machine gun-toting headlights? From GOLDFINGER, of course!
In short? This third entry, in what I will initially call "Daniel Craig's 007 trilogy," has alleviated the fear I once had that one of the longest-running (and most beloved) of all film franchises had been irreparably torpedoed.
Thank you, Mr. Craig and Eon Productions, for proving me wrong. :-)