So much average

Great Film overall

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Me and my oldest son have been doing a bit of pseudo binge watching of James Bond. Every weekend we have been watching two of the movies starting with Dr. No quite a few weekends ago. Last weekend we arrived at the Daniel Craig ones. I had actually not watched those ones before. I have to, grudgingly (I am a Sean Connery fan), admit that the first two we watched were not at all bad.However, today we watched Skyfall. What the f...? This is not a James Bond movie! If it had been just some other movie I would probably have thought it would not be a too bad one. However, it pretends to be a James Bond movie and as such it is utter crap. It is a bloody Hollywood drama written by someone with a total lack of respect for the Franchise, not to mention the old Bond fans.James Bond should be out hunting international villains. Villains with a good chunk of bad guy charisma I might add. What we got however was some loathsome prick having a grudge because M didn't come to his rescue when he fucked up.The British Secret service should also be just that, a powerful organisation protecting Britain (and the rest of the civilized world) from communists, terrorists, criminal superorganisations like Spectre or whatever. Having scenes with M more or less on trial and having to defend herself in front of a bunch of clueless political asshats is just crap and it is definitely not the kind of crap that should be in a James Bond movie.The whole movie is just full of sensationalist shit, politically correct crap, killing of popular characters, sentimental bullshit and other nonsens of the kind you would expect in a bloody Hollywood soap opera. And what about the new Q? A boring brat with a over-inflated ego. Not fun at all.Even the special effects are debatable. For example, if you make a subway train crash by blowing a hole in it's path then for Christ sake put some crash test dummies or something in it to at least make some pretense of it not being an empty mock-up!This is undoubtedly the worst Bond movie ever. My disappointment with this movie cannot be overstated.

Skyfall celebrates a long running franchise that spans 50 years and staples itself as one of the best so far. After the misfire that was Quantum of Solace, Bond is back in a form we haven't quite seen before. Director Sam Mendes anchors a brilliant script and adds meaning to what was previously a character without much layers. Mendes doesn't shy away from giving us a splendid variation of visual flairs, making this Bond the most aesthetic yet. This time around we see 007 face his own vulnerabilities after having been accidentally shot down by his own team. Bond retires the life of espionage, inducing himself in alcohol, with no purpose, only to be brought back by a mysterious hacker who has targeted MI6, more precisely, M herself. After a rigorous regime to get James back in shape, the agent is back as he tracks down this new threat. Enter the villain. With a superb one shot introduction, we meet Javier Bardem's Silva, a blond haired, weirdly camp and psychotic-in-a-fun way villain that delivers right from the start with a monologue that couldn't be better written for him to chew off. Him and Bond bounce back and forth like a pro tennis match, each trying to gage the other, Silva sometimes sexually. This is where protagonist meets antagonist in a perfect symbiosis. The action remains thrilling, relying in more realistic sequences rather than bombastic set pieces often seen in the Pierce Brosnan era. One sequence especially serves as Bond's best hand to hand combat. The Bond girl here is Judi Dench, as she owns the role one last time. She is as much a Bond girl as he is M's guy. The relationship between Bond and M almost mirrors one of a lost son and a mother without one. All in all, Skyfall delivers in almost all fronts. Sam Mendes has crafted a beautiful, intelligent and relevant film that brings James Bond back as one of the most iconic spies of all time.

For twenty-something films, Bond movies have always followed the same "Bond formula" (although who can blame them, it's mostly enticing and satisfying to watch: see Casino Royale). But not anymore. This is the first Bond film that captures everything a Bond film should have - the amazing score, spy action, feats of impossibility, classy and luxurious settings, a criminal mastermind, near apocalyptic scenarios...etc. yet doesn't feel at all cliché. For the first time, the tables have been turned against Bond from the very beginning: he is getting older, his abilities have deteriorated, and he is no longer equipped with futuristic gadgets we're all so used to. From there, the plot develops as a typical Bond film... or so it seems... until things really start escalating. Without spoiling much, I'll just say that the plot takes many turns that immediately sucks viewers in. Unlike many other mediocre bond films, the plot in this leaves viewers engaged and invested in the story. Moving beyond the plot, the characters in this film are also portrayed perfectly. Although some may think it's a bit cliché - a classy womanizing spy, a badass criminal mastermind, a beautiful and seductive damsel, this is a Bond film after all. And these characters are all so very classy, leaving viewers incredibly satisfied upon viewing. But what makes this film a true masterpiece is the cinematography. From the first scene to the end, the tone and environmental shifts create a surreal and artistic experience. Many shots are incredibly artistic, with amazing background contrasts, focus usage, closeups that capture the grandeur of a exemplary Bond film. Finally, the colors and tones of this film paint a truly unique experience, where the many shifts between cold and warm colors accompany the rise and fall in plot points, generating suspense and emotion to the film.It doesn't matter if you usually watch Bond films or not, I'd recommend this film to anyone who remotely likes action and suspense. The cinematography and plot are both atypical of Bond films yet excel spectacularly in the spy film genre.

Whenever going through the Tube I fantasized about sliding down the long and steep escalator and taking satisfaction in the masses envying me. Here James Bond (Daniel Craig in this third outing as 007) and the evil Silva (Javier Bardem) achieve this in the Tube, and it's one of the most impressive stunts in Skyfall.I would have achieved greater satisfaction if the movie (even in the DVD outtakes) had a scene where Bardem, channeling Anton Chigurh from No Country For Old Men, swiftly despatches the arrogant commuters who attempt to push him aside to reach their platform on time, e.g. the suited people who think they can push their way through (I guess their Jaguars are being serviced) or the grumpy old guy who gets angry because he missed his train, even though the next one will arrive in 3.01 minutes.The Scottish highland scenes are stunning, although I was surprised to learn Bond's mansion was actually constructed in Surrey, in the neighboring country of England!Gareth Mallory MP, the Chairman of the House of Commons Intelligence and Security Committee, becomes the new M. I wonder if the by- election caused by Gareth's resignation from Parliament was won by the Opposition or a third party? Political intrigue at its finest. Anyway Ralph Fiennes plays Gareth, and in 2007 he made huge news when it was reported he had a mile high tryst with Qantas Flight Attendant Lisa Robertson.