Old Dog, New Tricks

Rating: 9/10 (23 November 2013)

At the end of the day, liking 'Skyfall' depends on whether you are a Bond fan. If you like mindless mayhem and some interesting characters, like the good old days of 007, then this film is for you.
My own sister says that this is the first Bond film that she has really enjoyed since Roger Moore hung up his shoulder holster after 'A View To A Kill' (1985). Even this film's villain looks creepily like Christopher Walken's Max Zorin...
Those who knock 'Skyfall' (and I haven't found very many of them), surely can't deny that Adele provides one of the best Bond songs ever, closely recalling Shirley Bassey's 'Goldfinger' and Tina Turner's 'GoldenEye' with her powerful vocals that are so Bondian and right for the franchise's Golden Anniversary. The fact that it was being played in every shop, supermarket and on the radio shows that it must have been good!
Again, yes, the plot doesn't make tons of sense if you look at it practically, but this is James Bond - he's had fights in hollowed-out volcanoes and in outer-space in the past!! It's not John le Carre and the escapism of it is what has made Bond endurable for all these years. So just sit back and enjoy, rather than being lost in a convoluted plot!
Javier Bardem makes a superb villain, bringing back to the series the sense of Blofeld or Scaramanga alive and at play in the world of politics, business, culture and intrigue. He does some pretty incredible things, which you could either take as an outrageous shoe-horning in of plot elements, or actually the machinations of an incredible vindictive schemer. He's definitely not as lukewarm as Mathieu Amalric from the previous film!
Dame Judi Dench gives one of her best performances as 007's boss, 'M' and is, indeed, a central figure in the plot, thus repeating the excellent decision made at the outset of Daniel Craig's assumption of the Bond role to make 'M' more important. There is certainly no shortage of references to the mother-son-style relationship between the two characters. And, also, it is interesting to see Dench paired up with another stalwart British actor: Albert Finney.
Naturally, as with 'Die Another Day' (2002) having celebrated the Fortieth Anniversary of the cinematic Bond, there are some classic Bond elements. The Aston Martin DB5 is a courageous warrior in itself once again here, there are some very beautiful women at points, the exotic locations and the ones closer to home are gorgeous, the villain has an incredible lair, and the classic 'Goldfinger'-esque sheen as showcased in 'Casino Royale' (2006) is back.
In fact, this film may be Bond's latest 'Goldfinger', just as 'GoldenEye' (1995) was to Pierce Brosnan.
The action and stunts here work to advance the plot rather than being mere spectacle. Although, of course, there is one stunt in particular that is an homage to the epic flipping of an 18-wheeler truck in 'The Dark Knight' (2008). A hint that the producers have been trying to lure Christopher Nolan into the franchise, or an affectionate affirmation that the producers are taking as much inspiration from him as he has from them, perhaps?
At the end of the day, this is the highest grossing Bond film - ever - and there is a reason why. The old sparkle is back, but with a few new elements sprinkled in here and there. And, who knows, with the rights to Blofeld and SPECTRE now held by the official Bond movie-makers, 007 aficionados may be in store for a very interesting set of new adventures...