I had the
privilege last night of seeing the new James Bond movie, 'Skyfall,' in theaters
in Argentina. This is certainly the best Bond movie since 'Goldfinger', and
Daniel Craig has now put his stamp on the character - and the series - in such
a way that you'll forget about Sean Connery. Daniel Craig is James Bond now,
and what a Bond he makes.
This film
feels like a close sequel to the excellent 'Casino Royale'. It delivers on that
movie's potential in a way that the lackluster 'Quantum of Solace' never did.
Kudos to the director, Sam Mendes, who has massively exceeded all expectations.
Javier
Bardem shows up as a deliciously creepy and repulsive villain, certainly the
most memorable the series has had Jaws (who was a henchman and not a proper
villain, but hey, let's not get technical here).
The Bond
girls are a bit forgettable; Berenice Marlohe is beautiful but fails to make a
strong impression, while Naomie Harris is plucky and likable but not quite
lustworthy.
The movie
has a number of sharp references to previous films in the series, but it never
feels beholden to its predecessors. We're on fresh turf here much of the time,
with meaningful deaths, serious questions about Bond's fitness (physical and
otherwise) for duty, and a sharper dynamic between Bond and M than the series
has ever had. We also get a compelling look into Bond's past, territory the
series has never ventured into previously.
'Casino
Royale' was 'Batman Begins' makeover for James Bond. In the same vein,
'Skyfall' is a homerun follow-up that outshines its predecessor, much the way
'The Dark Knight' was.
With a
killer soundtrack and the best theme song in many years, courtesy of Adele
(clearly relishing the chance to belt out a Bond song), this movie is the
complete package and will certainly stand as a classic. I'm a die hard Bond fan
and have seen all of the movies numerous times; I will be back in theaters to
watch 'Skyfall' again for sure. This is a great Bond movie - maybe the best
ever - and just a great movie, period.
And best of
all, as the closing titles inform us, James Bond will be back. I'm looking
forward to it.
