Reboot complete: Bring on more Bond!

Rating: Null/10 (5 December 2012)

Sam Mendes's SKYFALL (2012) seeks to answer the question, "Is there any place for James Bond in today's world?" The plot addresses this issue head-on, and in so doing the film proves that there's still room in modern cinema for the British super spy.
The film is the twenty-third in the popular franchise, and third since the series was rebooted with Daniel Craig as 007. Its release in 2012 also marks the 50th anniversary of the film franchise. Today's James Bond has been updated from the character's Cold War roots, but SKYFALL pays tribute to the Bond legacy. Bondophiles will spot several references to the previous films, but it's not like the 40th anniversary (and twentieth film) extravaganza of DIE ANOTHER DAY (2002). We do get to spend time with our favorite Aston Martin.
The pre-credits chase is classic James Bond excitement and sets the plot in motion. Oscar-winner Javier Bardem plays the eccentric Bond villain. A former secret agent with a mane of blond hair, he's a computer hacking genius (finding the physicality of spy work too exhausting). He seeks a sort of revenge against M (Judi Dench) and MI6. British Intelligence is crippled and 007 is off his game. But in a world where spies are deemed old-fashioned, Bond is the only one who can save the day.
Naomie Harris plays a fellow agent who has a nice rapport with Craig's Bond. Ralph Fiennes joins the franchise as an authority figure at MI6. His performance hearkens back to Bernard Lee in the original Bonds. Bérénice Lim Marlohe plays an exotic woman of mystery. She makes for a beautiful Bond Girl, and it's a shame she doesn't have more screen time.
As with every Bond film, SKYFALL takes viewers to exciting and exotic locations. The action takes us from busy Turkish streets to Shanghai by night to the foggy highlands of Scotland and even to the tunnels of the London Underground.
The opening chase scene is great and the action also includes a cool nighttime fight in silhouette, a "Home Alone" booby-trapping montage, and a Komodo dragon pit. Bond also finds ways to ride an elevator and catch a subway train as only a secret agent can. Bardem's character is a little quirky and his ominous arrival at the climax is accompanied by an old rock 'n' roll song, an interesting in-story choice.
Mendes does things with the James Bond character we don't often see. Bond is vulnerable and, as we learn, less than bulletproof. Bond is confronted with age and the changing times. Fiennes's character considers Bond over-the-hill and washed up. We also learn a little about Bond's past. His childhood. Not too much, but more than has ever been hinted before. Albert Finney plays a character from Bond's youth.
Like other Bond films, the title ("Skyfall") sounds much cooler than its actual significance. Adele's theme song, though, is an instant classic and the title sequence suitably trippy. Adele's song is catchy and perfectly sets the tone. The theme is incorporated seamlessly into the film's Bondian musical score.
The James Bond franchise has been rebooting itself since CASINO ROYALE (2006), when Bond first gets the job. In SKYFALL the final pieces fall into place, including the introduction of the modern tech-savvy head of Q Branch (Ben Whishaw). With the Bond supporting cast finally coming into the picture, the updated series is ready to roll. SKYFALL feels like the end of the beginning. It clears away the clutter and sets the pieces up for the *real* adventures yet to come. The final scene is great and will leave viewers thirsty for BOND 24.
With SKYFALL Sam Mendes takes James Bond, a relic of another era, and makes him relevant and new. He proves that there is a place for super spies in the modern world and the modern cinema. SKYFALL puts the new Bond universe on a firm footing and sets the table for a promising series of new adventures.