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Skyfall movie review by Liam Hoofe.

28 Oct 2012
“You know the rules, you’ve been playing the game long enough” M tells Bond in one of the earlier scenes in Skyfall. 50 years we’ve been playing to be exact and yes we all know the rules. Fantastic opening music, stunning Bond girls, maniacal villains, cheesy one liners and one night stands, yes we all know what to expect from a Bond movie but does Skyfall deliver where Quantum of Solace did not? 


Director Sam Mendes took the reins on the latest Bond instalment with the intention of restoring a little bit of dignity to everybody’s favourite state sponsored hitman. Bond has lost his way over recent years, gone are the witty one liners and foreplay and in there place were soulless action sequences and over complicated plot lines. James Bond had lost his identity, he was no longer the suave sophisticated killing machine we all knew and loved he was a cheap Bourne replica trying to cheat his fans out of money. 

In Skyfall Mendes has wrote what can only be described as a near perfect Bond film, clever enough to keep Bond relevant in the 21st century and charming enough to honour Bond’s rich heritage. The perfect film to celebrate 50 years of Bond. 


From its fantastic opening sequence in the streets of Istanbul to its gripping ending in the Scottish highlands Skyfall keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.  The film is beautifully shot as one would expect from Mendes and the action sequences are spot on, not muddled and poorly directed like in Bond’s previous outing. 


If Skyfall does anything it takes Bond back to his roots. With nods to previous Bond movies through out the film from Goldeneye to Goldfinger, the nostalgia element of the movie should be enough to please hardcore Bond fans and at last give Bond his identity back. Taking Bond back to his roots has also taken Bond back to his best. 


Poor Daniel Craig, since he took the role in 2006 the villains that have played along side him in his movies have been forgettable to say the least. All great Bonds have a worthy adversary, Connery had Goldfinger and Blofeld, Moorehad Zorin and Scaramanga, Brosnan had Trevelyan, well now Craig has Raoul Silva, not only the greatest foe he has faced but one of the greatest villains in the history of Bond. Silva is a former agent on a personal vendetta against Bond’s leading lady, M. Javier Bardem takes the role of Silva and in memorable fashion. Twisted and chilling Bardem’s Silva is reminiscent of Heath Ledgers The Joker in terms of his unpredictable nature and his chilling, sadistic acts and he is a villain Bond fans will never forget. 


Bardem would steal the show as Silva was it not for Craig’s fantastic performance as Mr Bond. Daniel Craig has had his doubters since he took the role, myself being one of them but in Skyfall he proves us all wrong. Playfully charming and sophisticated but a cold ruthless killer when he needs to be. Craig has got Bond back to his best and long may he stay that way. He is also surrounded by a fantastic supporting cast, Bardem has already been mentioned but a mention must be given to Ben Whishaw and Ralph Fiennes both making their debuts in the Bond series and both doing a fantastic job at it. Whishaw was the perfect choice for a young Q and he and Craig establish a fantastic relationship in this movie with some memorable exchanges. 

The weakest part of the movie is unfortunately Naomie Harris’ outing as field agent Eve. Her and Craig lack any sort of chemistry whatsoever on screen and she delivers her lines with such an awkwardness it makes you want to bury your head in your popcorn. However Eve is not the most important bond girl in this movie that honour belongs to the truly magnificent Judi Dench. Skyfall explores the relationship between M and Bond like no Bond film has ever done, M is not like any other women in Bond’s live, she is like a mother to him and this film really delves deep into their relationship and for the first time in a long time adds a lot of depth to the James Bond character. The final scenes in this movie are some of the most touching in the history of Bond and will no doubt live long in the memory of Bond fans everywhere. 


This isn’t to say the movie is without its flaws. To say product placement was over the top in this movie would be an understatement. The film is shameless about its advertising with a total of 8 products being noticeable in the opening sequence alone. An annoyance at first but one you quickly forget about as the film rolls on. Also Bond has managed to go 50 years without being intellectual and referencing Literature, why has he started now? These are minor gripes at an otherwise fantastic movie. 


Final Verdict: At one point during the movie M says that the Golden age of espionage is gone, well based on this showing I’d have to disagree with her.  A fantastic outing for Mr Bond and one perfectly fitting for his 50th anniversary. Greatest Bond of all time? Well it’s certainly not far off. Bond is back at his best. Rating: *****

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