Robust and Energetic

Rating: 9/10 (27 November 2012)

Sam Mendez may seem like a surprising choice to direct the latest installment in the Bond franchise but having him at the helm is nothing short of inspired. American Beauty, Road To Perdition, Jarhead and Away We Go showcased Sam Mendez's talent for great filmmaking and beautiful direction. He brings his talents behind the camera to create one of the best Bond films we've seen.
It's hard to know where to start complimenting a flick like this. Skyfall is a film that benefits from having everything work perfectly in sync. Mendez's clear and masterful direction ensures that every scene is wonderfully handled. There's none of that MTV styled, quick-cut, hand-held film techniques on display here. Cinematographer Roger Deakins (A Beautiful Mind, Jarhead, No Country For Old Men) does a great job as usual and gives us some great looking scenes. The silhouetted fight against the lights of a skyscraper in Macau is a highlight. Thomas Newman's (American Beauty, The Green Mile, Wall-E) eclectic score deserves a mention too. There isn't a huge reliance on the classic bond theme and the music perfectly supports the unfolding story.
Simply put, the plot is awesome. It's a multi-layered screenplay that deals with Bond's relationship with M and even looks at his childhood. Skyfall explores way more than your usual Bond flick whilst delivering all that you would expect from one. Mind you, the whole thing isn't perfect. The "Bond chicks" may be less gratuitously handled here but they are nevertheless severely underused and underwritten.
Daniel Craig has emerged as one of the best Bonds since Sean Connery. He delivers another great performance, giving Bond the perfect amount of emotional depth and internal turmoil to juxtapose his suaveness and physical prowess. If Craig is one of the best Bonds then Javier Bardem gives us one of the best Bond villains ever. He received an Academy Award for his terrifying performance in No Country For Old Men and now he's given us another memorable bad guy with Silva. He isn't just an evil guy bent on world domination, Silva has a more emotional reason for his malice that makes him all the more terrifying.
Skyfall is a robust, energetic blockbuster that will please even those who aren't Bond aficionados. There's plenty of nods to Bond films of the past and a strong determination to "refresh" the 50 year old franchise. It may be a little long for some tastes but who can really complain about there being too much of a good thing?