Skyfall - one of the Best Bond films?

James Bond in Skyfall - official movie site here

It's amazing to think that James Bond is 50 years old. Oct 5, 1962, to be exact, was when Dr. No debuted in the UK with Sean Connery as the first Bond. Bond returns in his 23rd film, Skyfall, with Daniel Craig as the sixth and current Bond. It's a must-see.

I'll avoid the spoilers but echo a similar sentiment that many critics have shared - this is a modern Bond that pays proper homage to his legacy. The film is also a joy to watch. The opening action scene is arguably the best action scenes of any Bond film I've ever seen. The Bond song, "Skyfall" by Adele, is reminiscent of the classic Bond songs (I was thinking Goldfinger), and it plays over an opening credit sequence that feels connected to the golden age of Bond opening credit sequences (from Thunderball to The Spy Who Loved Me). The Bond action is, well, Bond action, but the film is also character-driven like the earlier films like From Russia with Love or On Her Majesty's Secret Service. And the Bond villain carries all the psychological misgivings and creepiness of some of the great Bond villains, played perfectly by Javier Bardem as a character who would also be at home in some of the latest Marvel and Batman movies.

When it was over, I was also relieved to see that familiar message in the end credits - "James Bond will Return". No movie title followed - and hard to guess what it would be since we are out of Ian Fleming book titles at this point - but it's coming. We should be very happy about that because if upcoming Bond films are anything like Skyfall, we should expect the Bond legacy to thrive with many more worthwhile films to come.

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