PCP on DVD - Skyfall

James Bond returned (finally, after a 4 year hiatus due to MGM's financial woes) to the big screen last year with Skyfall, the third Bond film starring Daniel Craig. I've always loved a good bond movie, and although Quantum of Solace was disappointing, Casino Royale was one of the best Bond movies, so I went in to Skyfall with high hopes that the franchise would redeem itself.

Skyfall - 2012, rated PG-13.  My rating:  8.5 out of 10.

Skyfall is somewhat unique amongst Bond films, as this one is directed by an Academy Award winning director in Sam Mendes. To my knowledge (although I could be wrong) this is the first time that an Oscar Winner is directing a Bond film. In fact, Skyfall has a lot of Oscar cred, with Oscar winners Judi Dench & Javier Bardem, as well as two time nominee Ralph Fiennes and five time nominee Albert Finney in the cast supporting Daniel Craig. Skyfall itself took home 2 Oscars this year (best original song and best sound editing) out of its 5 nominations. So this Bond film is not like a lot of its predecessors, this one is far more serious and filled with much better acting than any prior film in the franchise.

Bond has to fight against a threat from M's past, a super creepy Javier Bardem. Seeing him here reminds me just how much I need to go and see No Country for Old Men when I have some free time. Bardem is trying to take down MI6 and take out M herself in a massive plot of revenge. It is up to Bond to stop him.

Just like the two previous Daniel Craig 007 movies, Skyfall is far more grounded in realism than some of the goofier earlier entries in the franchise. Wounds have consequences that the characters have to deal with, and not every one of the mooks' bullets miss their targets. In addition to the realism, the film is gorgeously shot, with a lot of scenery porn, especially in the scenes set in Scotland.

Overall, Skyfall was a great movie, and one of the top Bond films ever. It definitely restored the franchise to rights after the disappointing Quantum of Solace, and I can't wait for the fourth Daniel Craig 007 film, as well as seeing where the series goes from there whenever he's ultimately replaced by yet another actor.