Skyfall (2012)

"Bond, James Bond."

James Bond movies have been around for 50 years.  Take that in for a moment.  50 years.  Is there a longer running franchise?  If we were to do a survey of global citizenry, James Bond might be more well known than John Wayne and the Beatles.  ( I think.)

That was where my head was when I went into the theater.  How can anyone think they can be original, inventive, true to the genre, meaningful, and above all deliver on BOND?  My answer was that one can't.  The best I was hoping for was a "Goldeneye" or "Casino Royale", and the worst was a "Moonraker" or "Die Another Day".  (-the best part is that I would completely forgive the worsts and still demand more bond.  Boy, do we have brand loyalty.)

Yet, Skyfall is a Bond apart.  It is neither campy nor above making fun of itself.  It follows none of the Bond protocols and troupes and all of them, all at once.  Some may claim that, "you can't be everything to everyone."  To that I say, in a franchise with as much history as James Bond, that has been everything to everyone at some point in the last half century, there are no rules or absolutes that apply.  In a unique way, James Bond can do anything.

So yeah, I liked it.  I actually loved it.  This is the first Bond that I can remember that wasn't about world domination or stopping a war.  Skyfall is about people.  It's a personal Bond.  Our villain shows and tells the audience that he could try to take over the world, but for the maniacal,  the world has gotten too small.  It's too easy he says.  In a weird way, Skyfall has reset the clock back to 1962.  Our perceptions are now back to the personal from the global.  From outward villains to inward villains.

Oh, and I loved the concept of a broken Bond.  It was fantastic storytelling to show us the audience some truth and not just the suit and gadgets.

Ratings:

Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, George Lazenby:  See it  (I would love to see all of you on Inside the Actor's Studio together.)

Ralph Fiennes:  See it  ( I look forward to you in more Bonds.)

Villains of dubious repute:  See it

Malcontents:  Skip it  (Why do you go to movies anyway?)

Steven Spielberg:  You produced this and for that I am grateful.

On a scale from Jane Seymore to Terri Hatcher to Michelle Yeoh to Famke Jansen to Ursula Andress and Minnie Driver (Did you forget that she has a bit part in Goldeneye?), I give Skyfall 3.89 out of 5 stars.