A work of art, in the fifty years of the Bond franchise

Rating: 9/10 (5 April 2016)

Directed by Sam Mendes and produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, it has script by Robert Wade, Neal Purvis and John Logan. This is the twenty-third film in the franchise and the third in the new era of James Bond, embodied by the participation of Daniel Craig as 007. It inherits the central cast of the previous films, which joins Ralph Fiennes, in the role of Gareth Mallory, Naomie Harris, in the role of Eve Moneypenny, Bérénice Marlohe in the role of bond- girl Severine and Albert Finney in the role of Kincade. This film marks the end of Judi Dench in the role of M (although she appeared on video in the movie "Spectre"), and the resurgence of the character Q through the talent of Ben Whishaw. The role of the villain was handed to Javier Bardem.
In this film, James Bond will protect the MI6, threatened by a huge leak that compromised the lives of several agents in the field, but he quickly finds that the responsible is pursuing directly M, and that they have scores to settle related to her past.
This is one of the most impressive Bond films since the sixties. Rotated and released during the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the franchise, it couldn't avoid the good memories, some of which have an important role in the plot, as happened to the "old" Aston Martin DB5 that Bond used in several films since "Goldfinger". Daniel Craig was excellent, giving life to a mature agent, unable to field missions under normal conditions, despite his perseverance and willpower. And if Judi Dench showed, in other films, that she is a tough and demanding boss, she showed now as she was also careful with her agents and her work. It's interesting and moving to see the way that she and Bond gradually collaborated, despite his arrogance and her criticism. Ben Whishaw surprised in the role of Q, giving his character a breath of fresh air and a much more realistic approach, appropriate to the age of technology. The villain, however, exceeded expectations. Bardem surpassed himself, and all he had shown in previous works. He could truly give life to his spiteful, vindictive and almost effeminate character. From here, the sky is the limit for this actor and the doors are open for any project he chooses. Interestingly, this is one of the few Bond movies where bond-girls lose their usual relevance, but it wasn't negative. By seeing the movie we will not miss them. The opening sequence is, in my opinion, very impressive and one of the best in all the franchise. It's accompanied by the song "Skyfall", composed and sung by Adele, one of the best British singers of today. With this song, she got an Oscar and one of her biggest hits to date.