Yet another revisionist Bond, but this one appreciates the value of the past as well

Rating: 8/10 (17 June 2013)

Despite its innovations, "Skyfall" is, in some ways, a welcome return to normalcy for the Bond franchise after an uneven period of experimentation. Daniel Craig's earlier films, understandably, sought to break away from the aspects of the Bond character that had grown stale, but at the same time they sacrificed some of the characteristics that make Bond stand out from other action spy heroes. In "Skyfall" Craig still broods and mopes a bit, but he is not so humorless as in his first two outings as 007; he has at last acquired Bond's requisite wit. "Skyfall" re-embraces essential elements of the franchise as much as it carries the quasi-serialized Bond universe into new territory. It offers a culmination of themes that the Bond films have been dealing with in one way or another since Judi Dench took over the role of M in "GoldenEye": Bond's vulnerability, his relationship with M, and the decline of British power in world affairs. A new and intriguing aspect of Bond that may prove to be Craig's most significant contribution to the character is his compassion. This Bond seems to want to help people and to heal them, and what is more noble than this in a government servant? "Skyfall" is not a perfect movie, dealing hamfistedly with the issue of sexual slavery in Asia for example, but it is the best Bond film in at least a generation.