It’s James Bond’s 50th anniversary and the 23rd Bond film’s reviews are mixed. ‘Skyfall’ is Daniel Craig’s third Bond movie, rising from the ashes of the disaster movie ‘Quantum of Solace.’ ‘Skyfall’ depicts Bond as more of a vulnerable character rather than the killing machine other directors have portrayed him as. However, the plot also has very clear flaws which make this review mixed, since the actors were so phenomenal.

For many, the best part of ‘Skyfall’ was within the first fifteen minutes because they were  fast paced and action packed. The plot then slowly starts to deteriorate. Although it is obvious the director tried to take a new approach by portraying Bond as somber and melancholic, the audience could not help comparing him to other Bonds, which could be one reason this movie has been getting such mixed reviews. Since this is part of a world-famous series, some aspects must be maintained and held to certain standards. Needless to say the characterization of the main character should be one such standard.

‘Skyfall’ did adhere to several Bond expectations, like the ever-present M, extreme action, the Bond girl, and the menacing villain being one step ahead of Bond.  Judy Dench continued to play the role of M to perfection and the action was adequate. The girl played by Naomie Harris was disappointing. Luckily the villain played by Javier Bardem more than made up for Harris’ inadequacy. Bardem was an absolutely terrifying archenemy that seemed to lurk at every corner.

‘Skyfall’ revolved around Bond’s mission to make sure a computer drive with a list of  British agents did not end up in the wrong hands. Typically, Bond must chase and fight the bad guys at every turn, and gets accidentally shot  by another agent. Believed to be dead, Bond does not show his face for months, and instead investigates who is behind the catastrophic list. He discovers it is a man from M’s past who is out for revenge against her and anyone associated with her.

The main problem with this movie is the unbelievable plot. Bond gets shot, falls over one-hundred feet, and ends up at the bottom of a fifty-foot water fall. These statistics alone are not feasible, and there is no effort to explain how Bond survived. One of these instances would have called for a plausible explanation, but this trifecta is left unanswered. Although Bardem played the villain spectacularly, his plan and reasoning seemed to be off. He is super powerful and all-knowing, yet his plans involve several hoops to jump through when he could have taken more of a direct route to get to Bond and M. Even though the cinematography, action, and actors were phenomenal, the plot holes are too large to ignore in this movie.

Rating: 3/5

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About the author

Sarah Campbell
I am a college student from the University of Wisconsin River Falls and will be graduating in December with a bachelor's degree in English Literature and Professional & Organizational Communications. My favorite activity is curling up with a blanket and getting lost in a book.

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