SkyFall

Daniel Craig returns as Bond, James Bond in Skyfall; the third in Daniel Craig's realistic portrayal of a world supporting guns, gadgets, villains, loose women and Judy Dench's M.

Stepping up to the plate is Sam Mendes; the third director in the modern franchise. I have not seen the previous two nor am I a James Bond connoisseur. However I went into this movie with an open mind as I rode the same bandwagon as anyone else in terms of expectations.

Skyfall hits the ground running with exhilarating pace as we are introduced to James Bond (Daniel Craig), who is hot on the trails of a former agent who, like a majority of bogies are involved in terrorist activity across the globe. However, an act of retrieval goes wrong as Bond is caught up in a high speed scuffle and mistakenly shot by rookie agent Eve (Naomie Harris). The incident sees Bond disappear and declared dead.

Pulling the strings behind MI6 is M (Judi Dench) and associate Gareth (Ralph Fiennes) who are facing fierce criticism from the prime minister in relation to their anonymous actions and private missions associated with the agents within the high-profile organisation. While it would seem Bond's  death could benefit M16 in terms of the media frenzy, it isn't long before they reunite in a resurrection that sees M doubting the once skilled James Bond. With echoes of Gareth labelling Bond a liability, M is reluctant but needs Bond to investigate a series of threats surrounding MI6, with fingers pointing at one specialised culprit, Silva (Javier Bardem), the man behind the curtain.

Silva is classed as the "He" by James Bond cameo hottie, Severine (Bérénice Marlohe). Bond develops a convenient fling with Severine in order to buy a meeting with deranged lunatic, Silva.

A touch clever than Bond and co could have expected, Silva keeps the iconic agent on his toes as Bond is destined to meet the mysterious Silva in what becomes a more personal status that could damage the reputation of M and everything she built around James Bond.

Skyfall is a refreshing take on what the critics labelled its predecessors; Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace as "acceptable". The introduction is a wonderful taste of brutal and ecstatic action scenes that soon follow. Sam Mendes's product is a realistic dumbed-down portrayal of an agent who was once at the top and had to fall to really find himself; it's a simple story which was pretty dramatic, direct and very effective.

The James Bond franchise had parodies over the years and rightly so if you look at the plethora of different Bond concepts. If fans of the previous twenty movies expect a similar creation, I think they will be slightly disappointed. However Skyfall does reference numerous subjects, past characters and products relating to Bond's movie history.

Although the return of Q (Ben Whishaw) can be highly significant to some, the gadget concept is pretty much deceased in Skyfall which is not such a bad thing in terms of the grittiness and realism surrounding the seriousness of the plot. However the action scenes are brilliantly shot, while the movie offers some of the best acting performances of the lot; Javier Bardem who plays a terrific villain once again. Javier's on screen presence would send shivers down the back of anyone. Both Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem developed a wonderful chemistry even though the presence of Javier is not seen through-out the events of Skyfall.

Although the hype surrounding Skyfall was ridiculous first off, I can understand why because Daniel Craig's reprisal as James Bond is tremendous, supporting a production of great quality with the door left open for a return of the same entertainment. For me however, Javier Bardem steals the show, who introduced that "Ledger Joker" maniac character with a consensus that only he knows will end. The female presence in the movie was not highly significant and at times quite irrelevant, unless you are the charming Judy Dench. It qualifies successfully with the presence of the female characters. Your attention is more so turned to acknowledge the introduction of Javier Bardem; a fine one it turns out to be.

Overall; Skyfall is a delightful resemblance to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Daniel Craig can do no wrong as special agent Bond. Just as Nolan did, Sam Mendes provided a Bond reprisal with tremendous action scenes and the ingredients of modern drama. However the final consensus of Skyfall would not have been greatly positive without Javier's demented character, Silva.

8/10