I wasn't really a Bond fan until Daniel Craig remastered the superspy into a gritty, punchy daredevil, and I'm pleased to say that Skyfall represents a brilliant comeback from the plodding, dusty Quantum of Solace. It's exciting, cohesive, and a more streamlined story, which gives some truly excellent character acting its chance to shine. Reviewers are raving about Judi Dench and Javier Bardem for good reason - Bardem's peroxide blonde villain is slick and slippery, outwardly polished and maniacally twisted. He is a polished psychopath; Entertainment Weekly compares him, aptly, to Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter. He's chilling. And if the Academy can nominate Johnny Depp for Pirates of the Caribbean, surely they can find it in their hearts to recognize Bardem.
What I deeply appreciated about Skyfall is that it's a serious action film that isn't afraid to be cheeky. Casino Royale was an introduction to a new kind of Bond - not afraid to get dirty, more inclined to feats of parkour than gadgetry, it showed us the dark side of espionage (while still managing to include the obligatory martini and tailored suit). Skyfall melds that with the more classic Bond feel, bringing back Q (Ben Whishaw, completely charming in the role) and some of the gadgets, as well as giving nods to some Bond staples (like the indomitable Aston Martin). While there is never any danger of Skyfall veering into camp territory, it seamlessly brings back more elements of a previous Bond era. Adele's theme song works into this as well; it has a very smoky, kind of scratchy 60's feel and I LOVE it.
(A side note about Q: I appreciated that Bond and I had the same thought about him at the same time. Namely: "Dude, you're like TEN.")
I would also like to point out, without spoiling anything, that Skyfall has the best use of Chekov's Gun I have ever seen. It is MASTERFUL, and it is batshit crazy, and I didn't think it would happen but then Christmas came early and I got the ludicrous death I so deeply deserved. I won't tell you what it is, but I guarantee you'll know it when you see it.
I had planned to address the "Bardem as possibly gay" question, but...it doesn't really matter. There's a scene between Bardem and Craig that might be flirting, might be gay chicken, might be a lot of things - the only thing about it that actually matters is that Bardem makes your skin crawl. My personal interpretation is that Craig's Bond is simply trying to unseat Bardem's villain in the only way he currently can; I can't imagine that someone as savvy as Bond has never used sex as a weapon before.
(Also, if you're honestly getting your panties in a twist about Bond drinking a Heineken, he was on a BEACH in a SHACK. Dude has to make due with what he has!)
