Skyfall (4K UHD + Blu-ray)

I grew up watching 007 on T.V. & on the big screen which lead me to read the novels. Always formulated , always fun & action packed James Bond Movies are quite different from the novels, both are great for there own reasons! Sean Connery & Roger Moore put out an equal number of 007 films although Connery's "Never Say Never Again" is not a part of the official Broccoli franchise. Not counting David Niven's portrayal of Bond in the Comedy spoof "Casino Royal" or the Americanized T.V. appearance of Bond in a movie with the same title( I can't remember who played Bond in that debacle!) George Lazenby shares the distinction of only playing 007 once in the official franchise. And it seems as though the fans are as equally split as to their favorite bond as the number of appearances each actor put in. Sean Connery may have a slight edge over Rodger Moore perhaps being the first James Bond. Rumor has it this was Daniel Craig's last appearance as Bond making Daniels number of Bond movies one more than Timothy Dalton & one less than Pierce Brosnon & if the number of times a actor play's 007 has any bearing on how endearing he makes himself to movie goers I doubt he will be missed a great deal! But the rumor of his leaving the role does open up many potentials for James Bond fans to imagine playing the immortal British secret agent! James Purefoy, Clive Owen? Will the next James Bond rival Sean Connery or Rodger Moore? We will have to wait & see. As I stated before 007 films are very formulated giving us "The new Bond Girl", "The Next Bond Song", & Action, Action ,Action!!! "Skyfall" has everything your looking for in a Bond film plus some added treats like the elimination of the female "M" something I think most hard core James Bond fans never quite warmed up to! "Skyfall" is a very good James Bond film & ties all of Daniel Graig's James Bond films together quite nicely, so much so they could be considered a legitimate James Bond trilogy instead of each movie being very independent like the 007 films of the past. One thing is certain if the rumors are true the future for James Bond could be bright indeed!!! The latest trend has been leading Super Spy 007 away from the campy one liners & unbelievable cliff hanger type escapes into more serious & even darker story lines & plots! I have a feeling that the longest running action hero may be headed into new territory becoming less formulated & more lethal than ever!!! I don't think the franchise will completely abandon such a successful formula but we may see a James Bond appear that is more akin to the novels. But it is my opinion that Daniel Craig has given us the first true James Bond trilogy & to fully appreciate "Skyfall" you need to watch "Casino Royal", Quantum of Solace" & "Skyfall" in chronological order!!! When you do this Daniel Craig's portrayal of James Bond will move up the rank's of actors who have offered their brand of 007 mayhem!!!

Good Movie

Being the year of the 50th anniversary of the beloved super spy, the 23rd Bond installment had a lot to live up to. While Casino Royale was a worthy and thrilling reboot to the franchise, Quantum of Solace fell flat with critics and fans. To make matters more interesting, MGM has had financial woes over the last number of years and needed a hit to reinvigorate the studio. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Skyfall. Not only does the movie qualify as one of the most action-packed and entertaining movies of the year, it ranks on my list as one of the best Bond flicks to date. As has come to be expected, Craig is terrific as the British spy, portraying the character with charm and intensity. The action is top notch and the story is superbly written. Among my favorite moments were the blistering opening sequences, the introduction of the film's villain, and the intense final act, which finds Bond cornered yet unafraid. The real treat, however, is Bardem's role as the sinister Silva. Rivaling any villain in recent memory, save Heath Ledger's Joker, Bardem is intimidating, powerful, and irresistible to watch. You'll find yourself glued to the screen whenever he appears, and hoping he'll show up again soon when he's gone. Another huge nod has to go to Mendes, whose vision of Bond is spectacular. The movie is tightly scripted and the director does a very fine job of bringing out great performances from his cast. The cinematography is some of the best I've seen in a film for a long time; the production crew did a remarkable job utilizing light, colors, and atmosphere to really draw the audience in. Another treat is the glimpse the audiences gets into Bond's past, which plays a crucial role in the film. The transfer to Blu-ray is beautiful; the colors are pin-sharp and the picture is clear, crisp, and detailed. In a film that contains such vibrant colors and contrasts, this was immensely important for home release. All of the great cinematographic moments you saw in the theater look just as great here. The audio is equally perfect. The disc's DTS-HD MA 5.1 track contain all the intensity and clarity contained in the theatrical release so you can enjoy the crashes, explosions, gun shots, and dialogue in high definition. By way of special features, there's just under an hour of behind-the-scenes featurettes that are an interesting watch, as well as the original action-heavy trailer for the movie, "Skyfall Premiere" feature, and two different audio commentaries; a detailed and information-rich feature from Mendes and a not-so-interesting one from producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson and production designer Dennis Gassner. The insight from Mendes is fascinating and any fan of the film will be sure to enjoy it. The commentary from the producers felt more like a promotion of the film and could have been left off the disc in my opinion. Whether your a die-hard Bond fan or a casual observer, Skyfall has something for everyone. There are multiple references to past Bond adventures, yet enough new and innovative ideas to please newcomers to the franchise. I highly recommend this film. This BD set doesn't boast hours and hours of extra footage but it has enough to please fans that are curious about the making of the film. Overall a terrific movie, beautiful disc transfer, and engaging Blu-ray set.

Is this the best Bond ever, as some in the media have proclaimed? IMO, no. Is it even in top 5? Close. I'd put Casino Royale (the Daniel Craig version), Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me, and From Russia With Love ahead of it. It's debatable whether Skyfall, Live & Let Die, For Your Eyes Only, Dr. No or Goldeneye should be next. Yup, for me it's that hard to decide. Each of those movies are terrific Bond movies, for different reasons. Regardless, Skyfall is one of the better Bond movies. Reading through the reviews, a lot of the 1-star and 2-star reviews seem to be focused on the lack of gadgets. Its rare to see someone argue that they think a Bond movie needs more gadgets! If you need gadgets, you should be happy with nearly all of the Brosnan Bond movies (esp Die Another Day) or Moonraker. If you note on my top Bond list only one of the movies I listed would qualify as having lots of "gadgets". I prefer my Bond to be more of a MacGyver, someone who uses the tools at hand rather than a deus ex machina solely geared toward helping him out of whatever trap he's in. In fact, several Bond movies (For Your Eyes Only, Goldeneye, Casino Royale) were purposely made in a way to get away from the gadgets that can otherwise dominate the show. I also prefer (generally) the Bond movies that are a little more 'down to earth' and don't have crazed megalomaniacs out to destroy the world (The Spy Who Loved Me being the lone exception). And while other low-starred reviewers decry the lack of action I prefer a breather every once in a while, not to mention a little plot development. If I wanted non-stop action I'd recommend sticking with Michael Bay films. No thanks! Instead, what do we have here? A Bond who has to make choices with consequences. He can't always save both England and the girl. As M and others have noted, Bond's women don't have a particularly good survival rate (5 out of 8 have died in the last 3 movies, by my count). And Bond isn't a superhero; he gets beat up & shot. Sure he wins the day but his body has taken some punishment. A villain who's not a maniac out to destroy the world or make a fortune but who has a very personal vendetta against MI6 and especially M with a well conceived plan to carry it out. Javier Bardem's a weird fellow, no doubt, but he does a good job as the villain. Some information on Bond's origins, which have always been a bit nebulous. I thoroughly enjoyed it and happily give it 5 stars.

(This review talks about details of the film in broad strokes, but if you want a zero-spoiler viewing experience, stop reading Amazon and watch the movie! You'll like it.) Despite what critics always had to say, I never minded the "Bond Formula:" cool stunts, rich locations, fancy cars and unobtainable women, all carried off by an unflappable alcoholic who's better than everyone at everything. It worked well enough so far, and I never needed it to change. When 2006's Casino Royale came out, I found that I enjoyed the change-up, but I also left the movie glad that the stage was set for more "formula" outings. Unfortunately, someone thought one emotional detour wasn't enough. And so they made Quantum of Solace, seemingly believing that they could make a never-ending series about a moody sad-sack. Well, with "Skyfall," it looks like producer Barbara Broccoli may have finally found a way to move forward. Yes, the film feels like another reboot, and yes, Bond girls are again pushed to the corners, but by the end of this film we have classic characters back where we need them, psychological conflicts purged, and a mature Bond who's ready to pursue the bad guy with the casual detachment he's been missing for the last three films. Skyfall itself is imperfect but usually entertaining. For starters, Bond is past pining over dead girls, and he has the humanity the character used to have in the Connery days. So he can stop and help someone who's hurt while not sobbing over it. The lack of "emo" also makes room for lots of clever, witty dialogue between the talented cast of actors. The action is pretty good but Casino Royale's was better. Visually, however, this film is peerless. The "travelogue" aspects of Bond films stopped working for audiences long ago, but this film brings them back and they feel like a revelation. Every location gets to show off at its most stunning and exotic. I wish I'd seen this in IMAX. The film also tries a few new steps regarding sexuality (you'll know the scene when you see it), and while the angle is a new one, it really harkens back to the early Connery days, when the Bond films were actually considered sexually progressive. Everyone's talking about the villain, and he is in fact pretty memorable. The writers definitely watched The Dark Knight's Joker a few times, but if you're going to borrow, borrow from the best! He's another crazy person with an improbably precise plan that seems to anticipate every move the good guys make. I said the movie is imperfect. Its implausibility hurts it a bit, especially at the climax. Logic just goes away, and that's difficult to forgive considering the stakes. Also, there's a character toward the end that was clearly written for one very particular actor, for the series' 50th anniversary. And when That One Actor does not appear, you're left with the equivalent of a drunken stand-in. The part just doesn't make sense without That One Actor, and they should have cut the role when he refused it. Despite its flaws and dramatic themes, "Skyfall" finds its way back to the "fun" Bond formula of years past. Here's a medium-dry hoping there's more fun to be had in the future.

Spoiler Alert: You may wish to postpone reading this review until after you have seen this movie! This is a defining moment for Bond and the crucible of all 007 films. At one level, while strictly speaking, not a meta film, it clearly questions the effectiveness of 007 against today's sophisticated computer hackers and terrorists . At another level, it asks its viewers, in a not-so subtle way, if the 007 franchise still has a future. This movie redefines Bond and MI6, and in the process, it presents a Bond who is tired, unshaven, who drinks by himself, who runs out of bullets and who fails to get the bad guy. It also presents a Bond who throws away his PPK when we runs out of bullets ( this cliche is usually reserved for the bad guys in the bad movies). Bond has hit rock bottom and fails the MI6's physical and psychological tests before he can be reassigned to the field (M assigned him anyway). Bond's metamorphosis started with a bang in Casino Royale and a thud was heard in Quantum of Solace. The suave, debonair, charming and ultimate womanizer is put on hold. In addition, the gadgets, humor and dream cars are, at least temporarily, a thing of the past. In the opening scene the mission to retrieve a "list" with information compromising British agents is botched. M orders agent Eve to take a shot at the bad guy. She misses and hits Bond. Bonds disappears to an island where he heals his wound, sleeps with a girl, does not shave, drinks heavily, sometimes with a scorpion on his hand. This scene, does not advance the story, but it sets the mood, and therefore is necessary. This is rock bottom. Bond, M and MI6 have failed. This time Bond's arch enemy is Raoul Silva, née Tiago Rodriguez ( Javier Bardem). Silva is an ex-MI6 agent who was betrayed by M in exchange for English prisoners(?) held by the Chinese. Mr. Silva wants revenge by blowing up MI6 and killing M. That translates as going to war with Bond. Silva's character is brilliantly portrayed, and so far, unique. He works alone--although he seems to have some sort of network-- and has the knowledge and the resources (after all, he used to be one of them) to hack into MI6's computers and eventually blows up MI6 headquarters with apparent ease. Mr. Silva is out for revenge and everyone is vulnerable. Gone are the considerable wealth, private armies, missiles, underwater cities, private islands and limitless technological resources of Bond's former arch enemies. Silva is ugly inside and out. When is captured briefly by MI6, he removes his dentures: his face was deformed by hydrogen cyanide when he tried to commit suicide.. Silva is a very effective villain and presents a really challenge, even to Bond's male role. In a scene while Bond is immobilized, Mr. Silva explores and caresses B's chest. The ultimate heterosexual man is the victim in a gay scene. And to add insult to injury, Silva's seduction of Bond is topped of with an offer to come to the dark side! The incomparable M (Judi Dench) is on her way out--she has messed up several times. Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) suggests she retires with dignity and he is to replace her, but not before Bond and M regroup for the last time to eliminate the demented Silva. The scene when they decide to go after Silva takes us to memory lane with Bond driving M in his Austen Martin. It was fun to see M, under attack by Silva AND Parliament to bring the much needed comic relief. M dares Bond to eject her from the AM's passenger's seat. In a key scene, we see Clair Dower, MP (Helen McRoy) grilling M about the effectiveness of MI6. And just when M starts making a strong case for the agency's reason for being( without the MP's anger, but with great dignity), Mr. Silva crashes the hearing and makes an attempt on her life. Yes, this film is driven by a personal grudge, but it is clear that MI6 is still needed to protect the citizens of a free society. In another key scene, reminiscent of the older 007 films, Bond visits an upscale casino in Macao. There he meets the beautiful & mysterious Severine ( Berenice Malohe). We find out that she was part of the sex trade, Bond, who is about to be killed by her(?) bodyguards gets into a fight and ends in a komodo dragon pit. Again, he is working with another field agent. Eve (Naomi Harris) who saves his life. In older Bond films, Severine would have been at least one of the Bond girls. Yes, he spends the night with her and soon Silva will kill her. Bond fans will be disappointed in Ben Wishaw's second outing as Q (Quartermaster). In past films. Q's straight face( and envy?) was the perfect foil for Bond's jeu d'esprit. Here Q comes across as nothing more than a boring computer nerd with unruly hair. Gone is the dynamic banter we came to expect over the years between these two. But in this new spy business, it is after all, according to Bond, "a young man's game". In the final battle with Silva, Bond and M under siege. They are sitting ducks outgunned, and outnumbered. In the process, Bond's ancestral home in Scotland ( Skyfall) and his Aston Martin are destroyed. M dies as the result of her wound, and Bond kills Mr. Silva, unceremoniously, in the estate's chapel. In conclusion, This film is back to the quality of Casino Royale, Daniel Graig's, first outing as Bond and it is highly recommended. The one between these two, Quantum of Solace, was a waste of time. In this film we find that Bond is from Scotland, that he was an orphan and that his mother was French(?). Bond is portrayed more human, some one who makes mistakes and who drinks heavily. Out of the ashes a new Bond and new MI6 begin to take shape, his resurrection. In the last scene, we are properly introduced to the Eve, who turns out to be the new Moneypenny: not everyone is made for field work and she is reassigned to office work. What's not cool: Broccoli & friends' comments do not add anything revealing or entertaining to the film. (optional). What is: Bond is the last of the two rats standing. Bond will be back.

Just a brief review of the movie, and then a brief review of the blu ray. First, I'm a huge Bond fan, but that doesn't mean I'm going to like it so much instantly. Is this a "tight plot / perfect story" movie? No. Are there more than a few plot holes and questions that go strangely unanswered? Yeaop! Is this "the best Bond movie ever"? Hmmm... not as much .... But... are you going to have a great time watching it? OH YEAH! Are you in for a treat? yeaop! Are you going to escape to exotic locations for a while and relax?!? Yes!! Are you going to loose yourself in the beautiful women and landscapes? Indeed! Is there a devious dark baddy bad guy that you want to love to hate!?!? 100% yes! It has many of the "trappings" of a great movie, it's a bit short on the "Bond toys", but there is a small explanation provided, for now at least, and lets hope they change that as they make more movies. It's got M, and Q and Bond, and that's nearly all you need for a solid Bond movie, and a good time. As long as you're not expecting something else, you're not going to be disappointed with this purchase! The blu ray portion, It plays nicely with a good sound system, and the bigger the screen you can get to watch it, the better you're going to love it! Not very many extras, but i didn't find myself wandering over too much looking for them for some reason... The vocals are super crisp and I didn't need to adjust the volume or anything like that hardly ever. The images are very nicely presented, and the hard work that everyone put in really paid off. This blu -ray / movie will age well I imagine. In 5, 10 or 20 years, this will still be enjoyable and easy to watch. if you are unsure to get this or not, just know that if you like / love Bond, you won't be disappointed. If you don't know Bond well, or at least a fan of Daniel Craig, then this may not be the movie for you, and you'll feel sort of empty for most of the movie. But other than that... get the butter, pop corn, soda, and the best seat in the house, cuz it's just this is just about the most fun you are going to have this side of the blu ray player!

From [...] Daniel Craig is finally back in the expensive suits for his third run as the iconic James Bond. The stakes are high and the super spy’s very existence is examined in this worthy entry to the franchise on its 50th anniversary. Director Sam Mendes wastes no time jumping straight into the action as Bond and Eve (Naomie Harris), another field agent, are tracking down a missing hard drive. M (Judi Dench) is forced to make one of the toughest calls of her career leaving Bond incapacitated. The script drops the ball on Bonds return to the world of the living and the details are merely glossed over, but non-existent. When MI6 is directly threatened through terrorist acts, Bond brings himself back to active duty. In trying to discover who is committing the terrorist acts against his agency Bond has the pleasure of running into Severine (Berenice Marlohe). Severine is Bond’s link to Silva but the character doesn’t have much purpose beyond being a bridge and is incredibly underdeveloped. Silva (Javier Bardem) is the greatest Bond villain in recent memory. He is smart, powerful, and funny while simultaneously being creepy, threatening and emotionally disturbed. Silva has a personal grudge against MI6 and using his vast well of internal knowledge tests Bond’s dedication to M. A big part of Skyfall is the question of someone like James Bond still being relevant in a digital world. This is an especially interesting question to ask on Bond’s 50th anniversary as well as Daniel Craig’s return to the character after a lackluster second film and an extended break due to MGM’s financial woes. Q (Ben Whishaw) summarizes these exact thoughts to Bond in a very well written scene that speaks directly to the audience without being blatant exposition. Unfortunately the question of Bond’s irrelevance and his triumph in proving otherwise isn’t fully explored and the notion is essentially ignored by everyone involved except newcomer Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes). Mallory is the British Government’s answer to M after the aging director failed in recovering the crucial hard drive Bond was hunting when he was injured. The script for Skyfall pursues many interesting angles for an action franchise. Unfortunately Mendes leaves a lot of threads hanging on some of these subplots. Skyfall does something that the Bond series has needed for a while, it begins to explore who James Bond actually is as a man. Since he is not someone whose origin story needs to be shrouded it is surprising that this character could have such an impact on pop culture without his past being well known cannon. Exploring Bond as a man is great for breathing new life into the franchise and would have been absolutely perfect in 2006′s Casino Royale. The concepts are not wasted on Skyfall but the subplot is not fleshed out fully. The question of old fashioned ways in comparison to the amazing technology that world governments now posses is another brilliant concept in the script. However when it comes down to the finished film Mendes again fails to fully deliver to the audience. There is never a moment of doubt in Bond’s capabilities or a major triumph moment for the character where technology is proven to not be able to do everything a thinking man in the field can do. The subplot merely tells the audience that times have changed in the 50 years since Bond began entertaining us and that goes without say. Craig embodies the character he re-created in Casino Royale and this version of Bond lands somewhere between his Royale and Solace roles. In Royale Bond was as charming as he could ever be and the most physically impressive Bond ever. Solace was a much darker story where Bond was only motivated by hatred and revenge. Skyfall strikes a nice balance where the spy can turn on his charm when needed, even directing it towards a man at one point, and despite some bodily harm is still fit and up to the physical tasks that Silva throws at him. M plays the same role she has with little variation. Dench is not a physically dominating woman but when she is playing M it is clear that she is a character you don’t want to cross. Mallory and Eve are both newcomers to the Daniel Craig Bond franchise but both characters are played so magnificently its a shame they couldn’t get more screen time. Mallory seems almost villainous since he is introduced as damage control to a botched operation but he is likable and a man just doing his job in the most sensible and real way possible. He proves his worth in a few pivotal moments and definitely wins over the audience with ease. More of Eve and Bond working in the field would have been nice to see. The script doesn’t short the audience on the interactions between the two characters but they play off each other so smoothly that an entire movie could be built around their working relationship. The true stand out performance of the Bond film is in the villain. Villains are often allowed to be larger than life while the heroes have to remain relate-able to the audience and Silva is no exception. A strange look to a strange man Silva seems very happy and confident in his work. At the flip of a switch he can change the mood of the entire scene and really make the audience feel for him. A sympathetic villain that can remain terrifying is not an easy feat but Bardem nails it. Despite some minor pacing issues and a couple sub-plots that needed a bit of grooming Skyfall is a great action movie with a lot to offer fans of James Bond and action movies alike. To answer the main questioned poised by the movie, Skyfall tells us that James Bond is up to the challenge and here to stay.