Review: Skyfall

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Written by: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan

Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe, Albert Finney

Rating: [5/5]

Early retirement has its perks in the way one can sit back and enjoy life while others continue their daily grind. However, this lifestyle only truly works for those who have fulfilled all they want from the workforce and truly want to hang up their boots, which cannot be said of the 007 we follow in Skyfall. Coming back to fulfill a duty he feels drawn to, it pulls him into a wide-ranging story filled with thrills and some of the best craftsmanship this franchise has ever displayed. 

After presumably being shot to his death during a mission gone wrong, James Bond (Daniel Craig) takes the opportunity to retire in obscurity. When he hears of an attack on MI6 with M (Judi Dench) as the target, he makes his way back, not at the top of his game but with the purpose of tracking down the cyberterrorist involved. 

The Daniel Craig films have proven to be quite the wild roller coaster in regard to quality that deserves appreciation. It follows the same trajectory of incredible to fine back to incredible and so on. With each of them having something to enjoy Skyfall has jumped out as the one bearing the greatest results in all filmmaking assets and even jumping into the masterpiece category in how it brings us into this story along with the beautiful way it all gets captured. 

Only the third film into Craig’s run as Bond makes it questionable to already have a feature where he receives the label of declining in his abilities. Whether it has arisen from his time off due to unplanned retirement or all of the trauma he has encountered in the first two films catching up to him, this feature makes it clear he’s not at the top of his game. From failing the physical and psychological examinations required upon his return, one may question whether or not he possesses the adequate ability and capacity to carry out taking on this big bad new villain. This almost puts him in quite the underdog spot, which typically does not occur with this character allowing for a different dynamic. 

However, with that said, with the excellent maneuvers and the physical invulnerability he possesses, one would be hard-pressed to believe this man does not have his top game on display allowing for some tremendous stunt work. These Bond films certainly know how to put together some engaging set pieces and we receive just that in this feature. A dissertation could be written on each of them and the excellence on display, but it certainly has a flashier appeal showing the evolution of Craig’s Bond’s story dependent on the direction. Casino Royale certainly utilizes a much grittier style to capture the action sequences, whereas this one has more gloss and gets even bigger. 

The opening train scene alone utilizes some sublime work and technique to present the altercation. Then you also have the London Underground sequence as well showing Sam Mendes definitely liked the idea of combat on top of and inside trains for this story. However, some grittiness does still exist, which exists as one of the running themes of the Daniel Craig Bond films. This especially makes its appearance in the final sequence taking place at a small house where all grandiosity gets cut out for a classic standoff utilizing the talents of the individuals involved. A slice of simplicity amongst all of the grandiosity of everything else occurring throughout the feature making for something quite refreshing. 

As someone who has watched minimal Bond films outside of Daniel Craig’s run as of the writing of this review, it does surprise how this feature focuses on someone specifically trying to take out M, which ultimately draws Bond back in. Typically someone there to boss around Bond and give him the necessary assignments, many of these Bond villains seek to craft some world-ending mechanism MI6 needs to impede. This narrative introduces something much more personal between the villain and M that allows for something much more frightening for all parties involved, especially when witnessing the capabilities at the hand of this villain. 

Javier Bardem steps in for his turn as a Bond villain and he absolutely knocks it out of the park. We receive this massive build-up to his introduction and in every scene he appears in he ensures his attempt to completely steal the show from Daniel Craig. The back and forth between the two carries some electricity, especially the very first one where some suggestive elements get introduced about Bond’s sexuality. Bardem presents a distinct physicality not only through his appearance but also precision in his willingness to do whatever it takes to simply go after M raising the question of what she did to him in order to delve into this hatred. 

On a visual level, it becomes quite evident Roger Deakins got the call to serve as the cinematographer of this feature and he decided to absolutely go nuts with what he crafts here. So many scenes of this film made my jaw drop in what it manages to display proving Deakins knows how to make even the most unremarkable scenes visually engaging. From the shower scene Bond shares with Sévérine (Bérénice Marlohe) to the final scene back at the Skyfall house, the use of shadows in this feature and the contrast makes you elicit the classic chef’s kiss in the visual grandiosity. 

Encapsulating everything that makes a fun Bond film while excellent as a feature overall, Skyfall delivers everything so exceptionally well. We get everything that comes with a Bond film from the sexually suggestive scenes, massive set pieces, and a bombastic villain, but it also gets to the emotional core of Bond and his relationship with M. Everything in this feature feels much more personal all the way down to the motivation for the villain. It thankfully utilizes the services of Roger Deakins to provide something absolutely visually sensational to accentuate everything else occurring in this spellbinding and impactful feature.