Bond is back. In his 23rd outing as Britain’s most reliable 00 agent, James Bond (Daniel Craig) returns with a much more personal mission.
In “Skyfall,” MI6 and M (Judi Dench) are under attack by someone from M’s past. She assigns Bond to find out who is terrorizing her and what the terrorists are after.
After the last Bond outing, “Quantum of Solace,” failed to live up to fans expectations, “Skyfall” redeems the franchise. For fans of the older Bond films, there are a ton of callbacks and nods to movies made decades ago. Bond’s Aston Martin, the reintroduction of Q (played for the first time by a younger actor, Ben Whishaw), a great opening sequence performed by Adele and strong “Bond girl” help bring the franchise back to its roots.
Javier Bardem is fantastic as the movie’s antagonist, Silva. He comes into the movie already unhinged and is one of the best Bond villains ever. Silva plays with Bond enough to make 007 question his loyalty to M and realize there may not be a happy ending for all secret agents.
Daniel Crag and Judi Dench get all of the credit, though, for making this movie more emotional than previous entries. Craig dials back the anger and tension he had in the last two movies and seems more cool and collected in “Skyfall.” The relationship Bond has with M is a major theme throughout the movie. M acts like the only real mother figure Bond has ever had, and the audience can see how the two characters react when they both have everything on the line. Dench plays it perfectly, walking the fine line between caring for Bond and completing the mission her country.
From the opening 15-minute action sequence to the explosive third act, “Skyfall” is packed with action but balances it well with the story. For once, the action takes a backseat to the overall Bond story. Director Same Mendes does a great job of keeping the core of Bond alive with a story which could work in our current time.
“Skyfall” is the perfect way to celebrate James Bond’s 50th anniversary. It is a classic movie with plenty of recognition to its past. The formula may be an old, but “Skyfall” manages to keep the genre alive with the most exciting entry yet.