Skyfall

*****
Dir. Sam Mendes

The James Bond franchise has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years, but Sam Mendes' Skyfall is certainly among the best, worthy of comparison to the Sean Connery classics. After the failure of Quantum of Solace, this 23rd installment in the series is a fresh and compelling take on the character for a new generation of fans.

After faking his own death and taking some time off, 007 (Daniel Craig) is called back into action when a band of cyber-terrorists threaten the stability of the MI6 agency. M (Judi Dench) is particularly plagued by these events, as she knows these madmen must be dealt with prior to her retirement. Soon to take her place is Agent Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), a worthy successor to the legendary director.

The villain is Silva (Javier Bardem), a mastermind crime lord and ex-MI6 agent, bent on destroying the organization and killing M. His motivations are not random, but personal as he seeks vengeance on M for having nearly been responsible for his death years earlier. With the help of his partner Eve (Naomi Harris) and tech assistant Q (Ben Wishaw), Bond must stop at nothing to bring this terrorist to justice.

Rather than follow the standard formula for a Bond film, Mendes (Jarhead, Road to Perdition) rejects these conventional elements so as to produce a genuinely intriguing thriller, giving these iconic characters much more depth than their predecessors have allowed. The script was left in the hands of some of the best writers in the business: John Logan (The Aviator, Hugo), Neal Purvis (Casino Royale), and Robert Wade (Die Another Day). With the story containing a great amount of emotional appeal, the dialogue really delved into the internal conflicts of these characters. While there were plenty of explosive action sequences and firefights, this was nonetheless one of the more plot-driven Bond movies.

After his legendary performance in No Country for Old Men, Javier Bardem was perfect for the role of the antagonist here as well. That innate ability he has to strike fear into viewers was well utilized, making the scenes between Silva and Bond all the more intense. His sheer presence is something rarely seen in action movies today. Furthermore, it's no question that Craig is one of the best 007 actors. This being his third time playing the iconic spy, it certainly won't be his last. And because the script was so good, it finally gave him and Dench the opportunity to show younger audiences how great they can act. While Ben Wishaw was slightly annoying, the cast was nevertheless very impressive.

Beyond the story and superb acting, the action scenes also demonstrated a nice deal of originality. Having been influenced by classics such as Apocalypse Now, Mendes uses tactics from previous filmmakers to engage his viewers. This is a fast-paced and gritty installment in the series which will keep you on the edge of your seat up until the very end.

I was never a big Bond fan in the first place, especially because the first ones I saw were the unwatchable Pierce Brosnan disasters. Yet whether you are a hard-core fan or have never seen any of them, go see this movie. Just as Christopher Nolan reinvented Batman, Sam Mendes has done the same with 007.