Review of Skyfall (2012) by Victor T — 16 Nov 2015

After the mixed results of "Quantum of Solace" and the serious financial problems of MGM, Daniel Craig is back as 007, under the direction of Academy Award winner Sam Mendes. The result of this experiment is a film that is generally considered "one of the best Bond films ever": "Skyfall".

A mysterious individual has targeted MI6, just to torture M. Bond is up to task of finding this induvial and bringing him to justice but Bond will find out that he isn't prepare for what its coming for him.

2012 was one a big year for summer blockbusters with the release of the ultimate Marvel crossover, the allegedly return of the "Alien" saga, the conclusion of "The Dark Knight Trilogy", the beginning of "The Hunger Games" saga, and the start of the polarizing "The Hobbit Trilogy", but "Skyfall" managed to make a name of its own. Is the third Craig era Bond film is as good as it reputation? Sadly the answer is no, but it is not a disappointment either. "Skyfall" counts with impressive action sequences, Mendes' directing is smart and know how to tweak the script and the standard Bond formula but unlike Martin Campell, he doesn't ignore it; Roger Deakins´ provides his trademark beautiful cinematography that heavily uses unique lighting, Craig continues to show an interesting take of the character, it flawlessly and subtlety creates a mixture of the Craig era style with the trademark elements of the Connery era (which is not surprising considering the fact that the 2010s are all about embracing nostalgia) , the visuals are spectacular, the performances are solid with the best being Judi Dench giving his best performance as M, themes that are relevant, the Bond song is the second best of the whole franchise (by the time this review was written), some surprises are actually shocking, and there is a little dose of comedy that gets a handful of chuckles (I particularly love the new Q). With all that being said, "Skyfall" has a lot of problems: The story is extremely predictable and it feels like a "Dark Knight" rip-off, Javier Barden´s acting is blatantly trying to emulate Heath Ledger (which is completely unnecessarily since Barden has previous experience with villains as shown in "No Country for Old Men"), the end reveal is disappointing, and the setting of the climax is a little ridiculous but the action still looks impressive.

"Skyfall" is a standout of the franchise but it isn't the greatest of them all (it barely reaches a spot in the top 10 for me). It is engaging, respectful to its roots and entertaining. While it doesn't live up to its status it is definitely not a disappointment, as it marks the return to the classic Bond formula.