A great Bond-ing

Rating: 8/10 (3 November 2012)

To say the least, this latest movie of the Bond franchise lives up to its expectation- Skyfall!
I have to admit, i'm not much of a Bond fan, or even Daniel Craig. But my perspective of him has now changed, and this movie is pretty awesome. The trailer looked promising and the reviews were great- how was i to resist this? So i entered the cinema, expecting a two-and-a-half hour movie that is filled with high-pumping adrenalin scenes, girls, cars and a mission we all know, in the end, he will succeed. There was more depth and substance in this installment, to which i think, brings James Bond to a whole new level.
There was no slowing down, not especially in the opening scene. The car- bike chase, especially on the rooftop, and on the train scenes were intense and definitely, they set a tone for the rest of the movie. Then, we were serenaded by Adele performing her opening credit single 'Skyfall'- like all other Bond movies where the opening credit takes about 3 to 4 minutes. The main essence of this movie relates to M and her past, which comes back to haunt her- and all those standing between them will suffer. James Bond, who returns after a 'hiatus' from the agency, has his loyalty for M tested when he meets the villain, Silva.
Somehow, Silva reminds me of the Joker and Bane from The Dark Knight saga. I had this odd feeling like he would play into Bond's mind and cause mayhem. One of the best scenes in this movie was when Silva broke out from his prison and sought for revenge at M in a council hearing. The script written for M and the timing of the movie was executed perfectly, with the right dose of soundtrack to keep suspense flying high. In an attempt to be ahead of the villain, Bond devised a plan with the help of his trusted team, Q, Tanner and later Mallory. He returned to where he began- Skyfall, Scotland, and i thought Skyfall is some metaphor for something, probably a departure.
The way Bond and his limited resources built a defense 'fortress' reminds me of Home Alone, but with much more violence. The climax was brilliantly done- right timing, right length of time, right amount of explosions and shootings, and right lighting. The ending was a little less expected- or i had not seen it coming, but it was a good ending to the movie.
There was not much 'girl' scenes to woo over- M was the leading lady and Severine was temporary eye candy, and not much 'cars' to envy. Perhaps, more gadgetry in this. Needless to say, the action was top-notch, the acting was great. Some scenes can make you burst into laughter. I got to learn more about James Bond and M.
Skyfall is definitely worth the money and time. Whether it is the best Bond movie yet, some may say, but i can't because i have not watched the older ones. But it is one of the best of this year's competitive movie list.