LET THE SKY FALL. WE WILL STAND TALL, AT SKYFALL.
Skyfall is a mere proof that a good spy film doesn't need nonsense action-sequences or incorporation of unrealistic gadgets, it just needs a great screenplay, astounding performances and outstanding direction. I see a lot of people complaining that a James Bond movie without action sequences and gadgets and devices is worthless. What they don't understand is that everything needs to evolve and get out of its own self-made shell, because, sooner or later, people start demanding for something else, something they never would have expected, something that makes them change their mind about a certain subject.
Same is the case here. Sam Mendes has proved himself to be an outstanding director once again (he directed American Beauty for which he won an Academy Award in 2000). His sense of imagination is so brilliant that it totally works for the film. Cinematography is done by Roger Deakins, having received nine nominations for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, he is one of the great cinematographers of the film industry and he continues to prove it in Skyfall with his brilliant camera work.
The important thing about this film is the screenplay, which is, no doubt, different from all the Bond movies made before Skyfall and that's what makes it so better. Written by Neal Purvis, John Logan and Robert Wade, the screenplay works like a charm because you get to know Bond and above all, the other major character of the movie, M (played by Judi Dench). Daniel Craig continues to shine in his role even more, it seems like he had been practising to improve himself and it becomes really clear when you compare his performance to the previous installment 'Quantum of Solace'. In Skyfall, it feels like Craig has found his lost indenity and he is never going to let go of it. The other key character of the movie is Raoul Silva (played by Javier Bardem who is perhaps the most famous Spanish actor, having previously won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'No Country for Old Men'), is the film's main antagonist and he is more than a villain. Bardem's performance and his character reminds me of the Joker (The Dark Knight) at cerain points, he has done it so wonderfully and only he could make it happen. Other cast members include Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Lim Marlohe, Albert Finney and Ben Whinshaw who support the film's plot and storyline properly.
What I love about this film is that it doesn't feel like I am watching a Bond movie and that's exactly what I love. It has a different soul, a darker one, the character-driven plot has been handled in an amazing way. I don't mind if a spy film doesn't have more action-sequences because to me, the plot and main theme of the film is more important. People may also say that the plot of the movie is so typical and predictable and it gets boring but if we look closer, we see a rebirth of the entire Bond franchise, just like Christopher Nolan did with the Batman franchise.
...And who could forget Adele's wonderful voice in a melodious soundtrack to the movie, written by both Adele and Paul Epworth and the way it has been incorporated in the opening sequence is just freaking brilliant. I wouldn't be surprised if it wins the Academy Award for Original Song.
Am I liking it too much? Am I impressed with this movie too much? Am I being biased? MAYBE. Because SKYFALL is just the right amount of Bond I wanted to see in the 23rd film.… Expand

I wouldn't ever claim to much of a James Bond fan but I did enjoy Skyfall. Its a zippy enough spy-thriller with some good set pieces. The opening chase is a good indication of what kind of film Skyfall - senseless but brilliantly done stunts as Bond destroys much traffic trying to catch a spy. Its silly, but still good fun. I felt after this that the film sagged quite a bit but once Javier Bardem appears things pick up nicely. Bardem is wonderfully over the top and is a great choice for a villain. After he arrives, the film rocketed along and as long as you dont think too hard about some of the plot points, its an entertaining thrill ride. I didnt rate Quantum of Solace too highly but Casino Royale and now Skyfall establish Daniel Craigs run as one of the better Bonds.… Expand

People are giving "Skyfall" a little too much credit. Yes, I thought it was good and it definitely brushed off the cobwebs from "Quantum of Solace", but I don't think that it deserves to be placed among the best Bond movies. The action and villain were great, but the story dragged in some places.

I don

As a major Bond fan of Fleming's books and the films, Skyfall to some is the twenty-third film in the EON films, and to others, the twenty-sixth film counting all spin-offs of the series. But in reality, Skyfall is the third film in a whole new series that began with the masterpiece Casino Royale and continued with Quantum of Solace. Together, all three of these films seems more like an opening trilogy, to present Bond in a darker light, to continue the Craig series. Check this one out.… Expand

Skyfall is one of the best movies released this year, every aspect about this movie is great except for the fact that i felt like the film was trying to make me the view feel sympathies for the villain of skyfall, the reason i think this failed is because it didnt give me enoth information about this villian to make me sympathies with the villian. Over all it is a great film and would recomned to any JAMES BOND FAn… Expand

Since Daniel Craig took the post of Bond, the agent is turning into a complex character, with psychological density. So the origin of 007 is being explored, and it's very good since it's a trend, it's happening with batman, spiderman(tobey maguire), green lantern, superman(man of steel) and others. And it's quite fun to see how James became a 007 and know about his history. Daniel Craig is the best Bond in my opinion, because he has updated the Bond franchise into movies with density, drama and critics, not just act like it was before. And besides, it's more dificult to interpretate a character in this conditions.… Expand

I think a 7 is a fair score for this Bond film. The best part was the intro, it was action packed, fast paced, and had very memorable moments. From there things started slowing down and never really picked back up. The acting was good but the writing wasnt exceptional. I think the new Bond girl is very attractive and she played the role well but I would have liked the writing centered around her to have been done differently, maybe include her more than they did. Bonds sidekick from the first half is very likeable and was one of my favorite characters next to Bond himself and Bonds sidekick from the latter half. What bothered me the most was that the entire premise for the antagonists descent from sanity seemed ill thought. Without spoiling anything, he seemed semi justified for why he was doing what he was doing but maybe that was designed to make the audience have some compassion towards him? Either way the actor portraying him did a terrific job as well. perhaps even the best job. Overall despite some high points, I wouldnt watch this movie again and was honestly waiting for it to hurry along in the middle of it. Not enough action or maybe just bad pacing.… Expand

This is a special Bond movie. The Bond franchise struggled to find itself for a while, hampered first by Roger Moore's camp nonsense, then placed under high expectations following Timothy Dalton's two excellent outings and finishing with the mediocre then fun then awful roller coaster ride of four outings from Piers Brosnan.
Thankfully, Daniel Craig managed to revitalise the series with his entries in the series that have gotten better with each outing. Skyfall though stands head and shoulders above the others. There will be no spoilers here, but the final few moments of this movie should ensure that every Bond fan leaves the theatre wearing a broad smile in anticipation of future films.
Strong emotional engagement, well handled action and a realistically motivated villain. There is much to enjoy here and it stands up to repeated viewing. More please, its good to ave you back Mr Bond.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Quizá la más interesantes de las 3 de Daniel Craig. Porqué cierra la trilogía, por el final de M, por enseñar que el propio sistema a menudo crea a los peores villanos, y sobretodo por la magistral interpretación de Javier Bardem.
Lo mejor de la película, cuando Bardem sobetea a Craig, y éste sabe aguantar el tipo. Magníficos los dos.… Expand

I absolutely loved skyfall. I was so excited to see the new James Bond, after an upbringing being mainly about action films and being indoctrinated by 007, I arrived at the cinema with my friends. It was the second week of it being showcased at the cinema, and it was packed full! This is a good sign, I thought. I thoroughly enjoyed the pace of the movie, however, the story line sometimes had its downfalls. Also, the song. I really do not think that this dreary Adele song should have been chosen to be the main song for James Bond!! It's never going to be as awesome as the James Bond classics such as Goldfinger. On the contrary, I absolutely loved the tragic ending! I would thoroughly recommend going to see this James Bond movie, at least it's better than Quantum Of Solace (or do we not count that one as a James Bond movie anymore?)… Expand

Skyfall is possibly better than Casino Royale and much better than Quantum of Solace. The story follows on current events and takes you back through James Bond's past. This is the most emotional of the trilogy which makes you feel the movie as real as it can be. The story is great and is complimented with the visual effects and the action... along with those small details. This proves to show that Bond can still kick ass without needing all those gadgets. Daniel Craig, along with the rest of the cast make this movie a real triumph! Craig is definitely the best Bond and this is the best current movie since The Dark Knight Rises hit cinemas. Although both very different, they are as good as one another.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It was good. I watched it last night after work (which was the late showing at 10:10 in my area) but fell asleep a couple of times. It was a bit long but very good. Like the fact that it focused more on M (although she died) but it was worth watching. Not better than Casino Royale, in my opinion, but still pretty good.… Expand

"Skyfall" is an excellent addition to the Bond franchise and wipes clean the memory of the lackluster "Quantum of Solace", though it never reaches the level of "Casino Royale".

This was a really great action movie, but it didn't "feel" like a Bond movie at all. Not enough time was given to the villain, which is a shame because I believe a lot could have been done to make him a very menacing character. Skyfall was must better than Quantum of Solace, however. Overall, action fans and Bond fans should enjoy this movie.

With a simple but deep plot, back-to basics action and beautiful cinematography, this is probably the best Bond so far. Daniel Craig continues to present a gritty, bruised and human bond, Javier Bardem offers a sinister and intimidating adversary and Judi Dench is on top form calling the shots and making painful decisions. While the audience may have been left wanting more details from the plot and back story, the simplicity allowed the mood and character of the film to come through.… Expand

The problem with watching a movie a week after it's come out is that your mind has been made up for you by your friends reviews and online reviews such as this one. Unfortunately for me, I went in to "Skyfall" with astronomically high expectations. These were obviously not met, however I still have not much bad to say about this movie. The only two things I left frustrated about was the lack of a Bond girl and a lack of cool gadgets (Bond staples if I say so myself). But if I hadn't been expecting either of those things, I would have been blown away by this highly anticipated movie. Special shout out goes to the cinimatographer.… Expand

It may not be the best Bond film, but Skyfall is an exciting action movie, with an awesome villain, brilliant acting by Craig and Dench (as M), and a storyline more genuinely emotionally engaging than most other Bonds (aside from Casino Royale), even if the originality of Casino, and the escapist fun of the older Bonds, is not quite captured.

The action set pieces are thrilling; the opening sequence was very much Bond. It was followed immediately by Adele's brilliant contribution to the soundtrack during the title sequence. As good as all the action was, the best scene was the introduction of the villian, Silva, portrayed wonderfully by Bardem. While it doesn't have the emotional depth of Casino Royale, it is still one of the best Bond films and one of the best movies of the year.… Expand

Its different, about that there is no doubt. I myself thoroughly enjoyed it. JB movies have always been anchored in the here and now, always tackling current affairs and issue's and in that it doesn't fail. I can understand the people who disliked it and their reasons for disliking it. But in this current iteration of movies starring Daniel Craig, who has grown on me 10 fold after watching this, I feel this movie is well placed. Its almost like a new start for the series without giving away any spoilers for those who haven't seen it. The whole film has a real understated and dare I say it 'realistic' sense to it. Sam Mendes is a great director and I for one really like the direction he has taken with this even in comparison to Casino and Quantam. Watch it for yourselves if you haven't seen it. One thing is absolutely for sure...its better than Quantam of solace.!!… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amazing. Simply amazing. I've seen almost every James Bond film, and this stays true to the critic's reviews - "Best Bond yet." How could you not like this movie? True James Bond style. The movie had a Dark Knight feel to it. James Bond and Raoul Silva felt similar to Batman and The Joker in a way. Anyway, the story was powerful even with the lackluster death/ending Structure was great even though I'm sure some negative views on here will say "oh he should have died here and then again there, and he didn't it was unrealistic." Well, shut up. That's James Bond style, that's why it is the way it is. Regardless, the movie was amazing, and I hope to see it again, and will be buying when it releases on Blu-Ray.… Expand

Arguably the best film in a very celebrated series concerning a rugged, battled and bruised Bond (Daniel Craig) who must put his personal troubles and professional insecurities aside in order to help his agency, MI6, from a threatening ex-agent (Javier Bardem) and his mission to destroy it. The most personal and darkest Bond film ever made is also its best, as the film is not only Craig's finest two hours of acting (which is not meant to be an insult, as he is a talented actor), but it also makes self-referential jabs that come across as refreshing and humorous. Director Sam Mendes strikes a delicate balance of making fun of the old films at times, but also finding a way to honor the history of the series while in the same turn reinventing it going forward as a more serious, adult series. No easy task, but he passes with flying colors, with an final scene which could not be more perfectly executed.… Collapse

Best James Bond Movie Yet Bond Girl didn't last to long but other than that the movie is good. This Movie had the best opening in the history of the Franchise

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After just returning from watching the new James Bond Film, Skyfall, there are a few words that I would use to describe this film- great but not amazing. Ashamedly I have only seen one film before hand of the 23 films- Casino Royale- but I would say that this film is the anti-climax to what was an exciting array of movies this year and in the 50 years Bond has been on screen. Initially I enjoyed the idea of the film, Bond gets shot, Bond comes back to fight a former agent but there are some plot holes throughout the movie that seem glossed over merely for continuity and some forgettable acting that spoils the movie slightly. There were publicised rumours that Pinewood Studios were cash-strapped and had to rely on heavy product placement to help pay for the movie, but you would never had known at times. This film is a visual delight! From the frantic chases through Turkish Bazaars (via CGI) to the neon lights of Shanghai and the mossy hills in the Highlands, this film really is eye candy. The plot revolves around the attempted recovery of stolen records, of which will endanger undercover NATO agents all over the world. James Bond is no longer the spy he used to be, espionage has aged his hair and his shooting isn't as good as it used to be (for some reason) but he will need all of his dull wit and courage to overcome what lies ahead in this movie. Daniel Craig and Dame Judy Dench both reprise their roles as James Bond and M respectively, with the welcomed inclusion of new characters such as Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) and the cyber terrorist Bond bad guy Raoul Silva (played by a bleached-blonde Javier Bardem). Albert Finney makes a late appearance at the end of the film as Bond's ex-groundkeeper and he almost steals the show with his welcomed humour. His role was rumoured to be originally offered to Sean Connery as the ultimate nod to Bond's 50th anniversary but he manages to justify why they casted him instead.... sort of. The inevitable Bond girls as a whole were mostly forgettable and I didn't really care for them if they were under threat or killed (Sevarine you know who you are). Sometimes the plot just baffled me, why the hell do you have the locations of hundreds of secret NATO agents being carried by an agent? Why can't you just store it in MI6? Are Bond… Expand

Mixes up the bond formula in a good way.

don't know what movie those people claiming its the best bond yet where watching but it was not skyfall. well Skyfall does have its moments of that Bond felling it tends to go towards what you would expect a action pack CIA movie. rally uses any gadgets and his big one is a gun! really a gun that only shoots if Bond holds it. lame. overall Id give this movie a 6 out of 10. if it did not have the bond title in it and was ratting it as far as action movies go I would give it an 8. good thing though is I think its the best out of the Craig bonds.… Expand

Hm, okay, there is something new in this Bond film, vut especially the ending sequence at "Skyfall" was unrealistic and much too similar to an average action movie. The villain seems unmotivated, certain actions are not comprehensible, and then M's dead at the end, which destroys James' invulnerable image ... absolutely a matter of taste!

Despite it's flaws, which were a tad too straight-forward plot as well as a few cliches, Skyfall was a fun, adventurous film that was well put-together and delivered as what all Bond movies were meant to be--a popcorn flick with oodles of action. Although perhaps the most indulgent treat it offers is the performance by Javier Bardem, who played his deranged, psychotic role to near perfection.