The 007 Project: Skyfall

 

Synopsis in 3 sentences or less:

Bond is presumed dead after being shot on a mission by Miss Moneypenny (who was aiming for Bond's target). He returns to England after a bomb is detonated in MI6, and the culprit is revealed to be Silva, an ex-agent who has never forgiven M for leaving him to be tortured. Bond and M retreat to Skyfall, Bond's childhood home, where they await Silva for a final showdown. 

Memorable Quote:
How much do you know about fear?  ~Severine

All there is.  ~Bond

Highlight:

While I do love the scene where Bond meets Q in the museum, I'm going with Bond and M getting in the Aston Martin while the Bond theme plays. Also love Bond threatening to use the ejector seat on her. 

Lowlight:

I'm not sure what the neon lights in the background are supposed to be during the fight on the top floor of the Shanghai skyscraper -- just seems very bizarre and out of place. 

Most interesting piece of IMDB trivia:

The role of Kincade (Albert Finney) was originally written with Sir Sean Connery in mind. Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson originally wanted Connery to come out of retirement and make a surprise cameo. Director Sam Mendes told "The Huffington Post", "There was a definite discussion about (Connery playing Kincade), way, way early on. But I think that's problematic. Because, to me, it becomes too... it would take you out of the movie. Connery is Bond, and he's not going to come back as another character. It's like, he's been there. So, it was a very brief flirtation with that thought, but it was never going to happen, because I thought it would distract."

Other thoughts, observations, and questions I didn’t ask when I was in fourth grade:

• Fantastic opening with great music, and the Adele song is the best opening song of the series for me. 
• I like the guy who plans Tanner (Rory Kinnear) -- he's a good actor who can say a lot with his expressions.
• The dialogue throughout is well written and smart, such as between Bond/Moneypenny, Bond/Q, and Bond's word association with the therapist.
• Q's "Were you expecting an exploding pen" line is a reference to Goldeneye. 
• The Bardem intro is memorable, as he performs a soliloquy while walking towards Bond, all in the same camera shot. 
• 1:27:00 mark -- Cool scene where Q is analyzing Silva's code while it spins in a 3D model (even if developers probably don't look at their code this way). And I like how Bond figures out before anyone else what is going on and is the first to sprint down to where Silva was being held. 
• 1:34:50 -- Tanner whispers to M that Silva has escaped and they need to get her to a secure location immediately but then they don't do anything. Get M to safety! 
• Poor Bond, Skyfall looked like a very depressing and bleak place to grow up. 
• 2:00:02 -- I love the shift in music from the happy-sounding Boom Boom song to the dark and ominous themes.
• Why did M even need to be in the house when Silva came, like he wouldn't know at that point if she was there or not. She could have holed up elsewhere. 
• Why does Kincade need a flashlight? He's lived there his whole life. 

Final Analysis:

Incredible movie. Of all the Bond movies, it's has by far the most depth and is the one most like an Academy Award type-movie given its dramatic and serious nature, the exploration of Bond's past, and his relationship with M punctuated by her death. At the same time, it manages to still be very entertaining and rewatchable, with great acting and characters (including Silva, Mallory, Moneypenny, and Q), clever dialogue, and a top-notch soundtrack highlighted by Adele's opening number. Tomorrow Never Dies is still my sentimental favorite, but this one is close behind. Ranking it 2 out of 23.