MAHF Reviews: Skyfall

OH MY GOD THIS MOVIE IS SO AWESOME!  Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let’s go into a little more depth about this marvelous film.  First things first, Skyfall is in fact the first James Bond movie that I’ve ever seen in theaters, and hopefully it won’t be the last, since this movie was a ton of fun.  Here’s the Cliff Notes: after a disastrous mission in Istanbul, 007 (played by Daniel Craig) is presumed dead, and an ex-MI6 agent turned cyberterrorist named Raoul Silva gets his hands on the identities of undercover NATO agents around the world.  Now, it’s up to Bond to stop Silva from undermining NATO and killing M.  Plus, we get a witty young Q, and we finally learn Moneypenny’s first name.  No, I won’t tell you.  So, let’s talk about what this film does right.

Something has to be said about Adele’s opening theme.  It’s simply epic, and sets up the mood perfectly.  Also, this is one of the first action/adventure movies I’ve seen that border on artistic in some places.  I’m not just talking about the opening credits (cool as they are).  There’s a scene in Shanghai that’s visually stunning.  The climax, a sort of cat-and-mouse game (I absolutely adore cat-and-mouse -esque scenes and stories) in a Scottish manor, is well-paced and enjoyable, and the film contains some appreciative nods to the original movies, including an old-fashioned Aston Martin.

But there are three things that really make this movie, in my opinion.  One is Q, who is funny and well-done.  Another is, of course, Silva, played by Javier Bardem, of No Country For Old Men fame.  He is creepy, interesting, and enjoyable, all with a psychotic motivation and a slick blonde hairdo.  But, in my opinion, the best thing in the movie, even more than the villain, is the dialogue.  It is simply perfect, and is some of the best I’ve seen in recent times.  It’s thoughtful, witty, laugh-out-loud funny once or twice, and really thematic.  If I rated the movie on dialogue alone, it would easily be a 10/10.

But, alas, this film does have one or two flaws.  For one thing, there are a couple of RIDICULOUS plot holes that even a James Bond movie can’t be allowed to get away with.  For instance, how on earth can you survive falling into a river off a several-hundred-foot-tall bridge and then a medium-sized waterfall with big rocks at the bottom?  Also, while the film’s main theme is aging and whether the old ways are the best ways, it feels like it gets thrown in your face a little too much.  So, pros:

• Top-notch soundtrack
• Great characters, especially the villain and Q
• Excellently paced climax
• FANTASTIC dialogue

Cons:

• A few plot holes
• The themes feel a little too obvious

Overall, my final rating for Skyfall is a 9/10.  While it felt a little ridiculous at times, the complex characters and fantastic writing more than make up for the glaring plot holes.  What are you waiting for?  Go see it!