Skyfall (PG-13)

          The latest installment in the James Bond franchise, Skyfall is a heart stopping action movie that delves into 007's life before he became the super spy we know him as. This action-packed film directed by Sam Mendes, grabs the viewer's attention right off when James Bond (played by Daniel Craig) is shot down and "killed" by one of his fellow MI6 agents. Discovering that M (Judi Dench) called the shot that nearly killed him, Bond fakes his death and drops off MI6's radar. Meanwhile in London, M is struggling with the grief of accidentally killing her very best agent. To add to the list of MI6's troubles, a list of field agents falls into the wrong hands, compromising agents the world over. After the MI6 headquarters is attacked, M relocates the agency. Upon seeing the danger England's agents are in, a vengeful Bond returns to work. Little does our favorite spy know, M's shadowy past is returning to haunt her.

Raoul Silva speaks to his captive: James Bond

            Their are a great many excellent things about Skyfall. One of them, of course, is Daniel Craig reprising his role of James Bond for the second time. Although no Sean Connery, Craig is certainly a worthy Bond. His mixture of English manners and cold humor make for an interesting hero. This is most easily shown in the first scene in this film. While chasing a rouge mercenary on a moving train, Bond jumps into a half-destroyed train car, adjusts his cuff links, and moves on. Other notable actors in this film are Judi Dench as M and Javiar Bardem as Raoul Silva. Silva is an ex-MI6 agent who wants revenge on M for leaving him for dead. Bardem gives his character an insanity coupled with a sadness which makes the viewer sympathetic towards him when he is finally killed.
             Another interesting aspect of Skyfall is how much it delves into Bond's childhood. The climax of the movie takes place at Bond's childhood home in the Scottish highlands. It is here that we learn how Bond has become the spy he is. Of course, I won't give away such a huge spoiler here. However learning this, makes Skyfall a bit more personal to the viewer and gives you that much more of a reason to root for the unflappable James Bond.
              Skyfall was an excellent Bond film that I would recommend to anyone searching for a good action movie. This film won one Academy Award: Best Original Song. The song, entitled "Skyfall" was written by the extremely talented Adele and Paul Epworth. This award was well deserved as "Skyfall" is a haunting song that perfectly explains the essence of the film that is its namesake. Skyfall also tied with Zero Dark Thirty for Best Sound Editing. Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers made every sound, from explosion to gunshot, as realistic as possible allowing the viewer to become immersed in the film. Overall, I would rate Skyfall a 4 out of 5 stars. Keep a lookout for my next review: We Bought A Zoo. Thank you all for reading.



Picture Courtesy of: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4lWxetNo90Ikr0N4H6HnXqONiIO0201WiCVaEzR3079iqUWz4UPqEwG30RruCLfVqFFbsvm0KLsyAGQkjbvqhyphenhyphenV8XQZfzwTUJUyzQB4Td0usVbEZ_Qw4bdS-NX6CMuiZ1pRhA7UkVCU/s1600/Bond+%2526+Silva+Interrogation.jpg