AAR goes to the movies: Skyfall

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-gLRp5bSpwThe best news about Skyfall, the latest James Bond movie, is: It’s good. Really good. While I liked Daniel Craig as James Bond from the start, I was not overly impressed by either Casino Royale or Quantum of Solace. The former suffered from one of the worst cases of deus ex machina I have ever come across, while the latter was just close-ups and quick cuts and glaring wholes in the screenplay. So when my husband and I went to the cinema this weekend, we were giving James a last chance. Let’s just say, we’ll be back!

With Skyfall, James Bond returns to old heights, and he returns to Britain. Greater parts of the film are set on the British Isles, and quite a bit of time is used to explore the inner workings of MI6. At the same time, there is a proper (and logical!) plot, and the characters and their relationships are examined. Although the overall tone is rather solemn, there are sparks of the old James Bond humor. The settings are fabulous, and filmed to great effect. I enjoyed the minor characters very much as well, especially Q, the Scotsman and the character played by Naomie Harris. Judi Dench is a delight as usual.

One slight drawback is that Javier Bardem as the villain is just a tad over the top for my taste. In spite of this, I can recommend Skyfall very highly, especially if you like your action movies with varied pacing and with images that stay with you long after you have left the cinema.

Those of you who’ve seen the movie – how did you like it?

– Rike Horstmann