Skyfall kicks @$$!!!!!!!!! Man, I just love it when a movie lives up to all the hype. This movie was fantastic. Thank God there was some good writing present, but just as good was the execution of it all. The cinematography was outstanding! They really thought out the locales quite well this time around and how to use them. This is perhaps the most unique-looking Bond film ever. The yellowy fluorescent color palette and the desaturated look of London as well as MI6 is astonishing, especially how the lighting stands out. More to boot is the story. Like, there is actually a story here, with backstory thats mysterious and not always clearly defined but more hinted at. The greatest strength in the narrative here is the execution. In other words, Show, dont tell. Plenty of one-liners and witty dialogue, but this one significantly tones down its shaky cam and quick-cut editing, and provides a cleaner look for Bond, which is fitting because the Craig Bond films have had a good order to them: Casino Royale- reinvigorating in that it is far less preposterous than previous films and is far grittier. It focuses on an inexperienced Bond. Quantum of Solace- after Bond suffers loss, he faces an identity crisis. He is no longer very witty or savvy. There is an abundant lack of class in this one, as it does show him going through a phase where personal loss has seriously affected his line of work, making him more careless and less in the tradition of Bond and more in the tradition of Jason Bourne. Its an unfair comparison for me as I think This one was released at a funny time. And now, Skyfall, shows a far more mature Bond than previous who uses his head more often than before and genuinely cares for his superiors. Hes more of a human this time around, as we get elegantly revealed back story. Ralph Fiennes is in it too, so you already know its gonna be awesome. This one also has a good villain. One that hasnt been this good in a very long while. Javier Bardem is outstanding, chewing the scenery and being theatrical as any Bond villain should, but is changed up by showing how much of what he does is a personal vendetta rather than a typical Im taking over the world because I can. That doesnt even seem to be his goal here. Overall, this is a perfect balance of style and substance. Riveting story that while it did feel expected, it wasnt predictable. And at times, its PREPOSTEROUS!!!! Like a good Bond should be. Although what I appreciate here is the effort put in to making it more plausible than ever. Judi Dench is awesome too, and Moneypenny was a nice surprise. It is no wonder Sam Mendes was given the green light for the next Bond adventure. This is one of the best Bond films ever made, and even Roger Ebert agreed. 9/10
Posted on: Sun, 22 Jun 2014 05:01:13 +0000