An utterly worthy sequel to Casino Royale"

Rating: 8/10 (13 November 2012)

considering that "Casino Royale" was one of the most brilliant reboots of recent times and considering that the abysmally bad "Quantum of Solace" was a complete train-wreck of a movie, that could have broken the back of a less established franchise.
In "Skyfall" James Bond finally returns to his roots: there is a new Q (Ben Whishaw, properly nerdish), there's a Ms. Moneypenny (don't tell me you haven't guessed who it is) and, for the future, a new M (Ralph Fiennes, perfectly cast). A revamped Walter PPK and the return of Bonds Aston Martin are pure nostalgia. There's even hints of Moore-Bond-like humour and one-liners; again suitably without seeming forced or tacky. And there is action – plenty of fast-paced, memorable action. In short: "Skyfall" contains everything that makes a classic Bond picture.
Let's talk about the element which makes or breaks a Bond movie: the antagonist. Mads Mikkelsen's Le Chiffre and his bleeding eye did an alright, yet not overly impressive job, and Mr. Greene in "Quantum" – well, let's be frank about it: a bug-eyed Roman Polanski look-alike with a strong French accent hardly qualifies as "menacing". Javier Bardem has played one of the most memorable villains in recent years in "No Country for Old Men", so expectations where extremely high. And Bardem delivers: the Spanish actor had announced that his Silva would be an amalgamation of various Bond villains and he didn't promise too much, the character having elements and nuances of almost every Bond-foes since Dr. No, be it Zorin, Scaramanga, Alec Trevelyan 006, Gustav Graves and even the iconic henchman Jaws, to name but a few. A classic yet unique Bond adversary, filled to the brim with the charm of the psychopath. If ever there was a Bond opponent worthy of making a return in a potential sequel (which, with the exception of criminal mastermind Blofeld, albeit played by different actors, hasn't happened before), his name be Raoul Silva.
Having said all that, what's new about "Skyfall"? For one, the storyline not only continues to portray James Bond as a realistic figure (and not the cardboard-parody of, say, the Moore- and Brosnan-era). Craig's Bond isn't a near-invincible superhero but a person who has to deal with his inner demons, childhood traumas, and fear of aging, etc; troubles and tribulations that virtually every person can relate too. One of the few problems that some critics had with "Casino Royale" was the portrayal of Bond as someone who could be described as a borderline-psychopath (which, considering that killing other human beings is how he makes a living, isn't all too far fetched). "Skyfall" delves deeper into the psychology of James Bond, and especially his relationship to M (Judi Dench, more than ever a surrogate mother-figure to both Bond and Silva).
Nothing is perfect and there are minor flaws, which fortunately lie in the eye of the beholder. One could say that the introductory song by Adele Adkins is rather lacklustre, if not to say common. Speaking of product placement, like in previous installations, there's an annoying overkill of thinly veiled ads. Take it from the horses' mouth: despite Bond sipping away on Heineken-Pils, it remains a rather mediocre beer and so I personally will stick with Martini. Shaken, not stirred.
Some have criticised that there are "merely" two Bond-girls in "Skyfall" (not counting Bardem, whom joksters have described as the "first male Bond-girl") and despite Naomie Harris being cute as a button, the grimacing and facial contortions of Sévérine (Bérénice Marlohe) personally made me fear that she was about to suffer from a stroke at any moment.
But as said: nothing is perfect and so I give it 8 from 10 points and the distinct hope that tomorrow never dies and Daniel Craig will keep his license to kill, live and let die on her Majesty's Secret Service for a long time to come. (Forgive me, I simply couldn't resist).