Ileana’s Movie Review: Skyfall

Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench

Summary: After the disappointing entry that was Quantum of Solace, the future of James Bond was uncertain. Financial troubles with the studios only made matters worse. It would’ve been a shame if the Bond legacy had ended on such a bad note. Thankfully, Sam Mendes has saved it all with Skyfall. Mendes manages not only to salvage the brand but also sets it up for a promising future.

Skyfall shows us a new form of cyber-terrorism where those who can’t keep up will eventually fall. M (Dench) finds herself at a crossroads in her life after a failed mission in Istanbul results in loss of sensitive information. That information falls into the hands of a terrorist named Silva (Bardem). Bardem, who is no stranger to playing memorable villains, creates a truly iconic villain similar to Blofeld and Goldfinger but with a more sadistic creepy factor. Silva is targeting M specifically due to their shared past. With M threatened Bond (Craig) must bring Silva down in any way he can.

What I enjoyed the most about this film is that it rejuvenates the Bond franchise in a way that keeps it true to itself. Longtime fans, like me, will giggle with glee at the classic Bond references throughout the film. I also loved the re-introduction of Q, played wonderfully by Ben Wishaw, as a young, cocky wonder-kid. So thank you Sam Mendes and team for not only saving Bond but making him better than ever.

Trivia: This is the first Bond film where the character of Q is younger than Bond.

Rated: PG-13 – For intense violent sequences throughout, some sexuality, language and smoking.

Grade: A