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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Los Angeles, U.S.A. — All the Bonds. All the girls. All the action. All in high-definition. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment mark James Bond’s monumental golden anniversary with the release of “Bond 50,” the complete Bond experience showcasing all twenty-two classic films on Blu-ray together for the first time ever, neatly packaged into one cool, sleek collectable box-set. The collection will be available beginning September 24 in the United Kingdom and September 25 in North America with additional international markets to follow that week. “Bond 50” marks the debut of nine James Bond films previously unavailable in high definition Blu-ray and comes with a dossier of more than 122 hours of bonus features on twenty-three discs. Each disc contains a film and bonus content for that film except for the final disc.

The final disc of the “Bond 50” contains only bonus material such as “The World of Bond,” “Being Bond,” and the “Skyfall” video blogs.

Set for release just prior to the theatrical premiere of “Skyfall” in November 2012, “Bond 50” will offer a look at the latest Bond film through videoblogs shot with the cast and crew. The “Bond 50” collection also provides two all-new pieces that spotlight the history of 007. “The World of Bond” takes a look at the style and attitude that is signature to Bond; pulling together the cars, the women, the villains and the music that have been a staple of these films for the past 50 years. “Being Bond” profiles the six distinguished actors that have had the honor of portraying 007.

Additional bonus content in the “Bond 50” collection includes cast and crew commentaries, the behind-the-scenes making of each film, in-depth interviews with every actor that played Bond, a closer look at the exotic locations as shot on-the-set, the women of Bond, the villains of Bond, Bond’s cars and gadgets, music videos and much, much more.

Image Courtesy of  James Bond 007

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IMAX Corporation, Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment  announced that the long-awaited next chapter in the famed James Bond franchise, SKYFALL, will be released in IMAX theatres simultaneously with the film’s international release on Oct. 26, and its domestic release on Nov. 9, 2012. This is the first IMAX installment of the iconic Bond film franchise.

In SKYFALL, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her.  As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

SKYFALL marks the return of Daniel Craig as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007, as well as Judi Denchreprising her role as M. The film also stars franchise newcomers Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem and Naomie Harris. The film is directed by Sam Mendes from a screenplay written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan. Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are producers.

“SKYFALL will be the cool, must-see event release of the fall, and releasing the film in IMAX only reinforces that,” said Rory Bruer, President, Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing and Distribution.

“It is fitting that with SKYFALL marking the 50th Anniversary of the James Bond franchise, we celebrate in epic style and what could be more larger-than-life than IMAX joining the festivities,” said Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officers of MGM.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of this legendary franchise, whose iconic characters and electrifying action will only be amplified in the IMAX format,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “We are excited to rejoin forces with our friends at Sony Pictures Entertainment and MGM and so pleased to work with Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli, and Sam Mendes to bring their vision to IMAX and Bond fans around the world.”

The IMAX release of SKYFALL will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience with proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/JamesBond007

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Daniel Craig is reportedly set to become the longest-running actor to play James Bond following The People’s report that the producers have offered him “a multi-million pound deal” to carry on with the series for five more films.

The deal in question would cement Craig’s status as the 007 icon for a further five appearances following the completion of this summer’s “Skyfall,” – Craig’s third in the series – bringing his tally to a total of eight films since his debut in 2006’s “Casino Royale”.

News of this potential deal was first indicated by producer Michael G. Wilson, who was quoted by The People as saying:

“Daniel’s been a terrific Bond, a superb actor and a terrific man. The fans love him and I don’t think there’s a better actor to play the part. It’s certainly something we’ll be discussing with him once we finish shooting Skyfall.

Filming has gone very well so far and I’d love Daniel to surpass Roger’s record and do eight pictures. Daniel’s been an absolute pleasure to be around because he takes the role so seriously.

There’s really no one more passionate about making these films work than him – he’s a film maker’s dream.”

While there is certainly nothing official in these words or anything to indicate Craig’s own personal feelings about continuing on with the spy series, it is important to consider the series’ recent box office performance as well as Craig’s attempts to craft a successful film career away from the franchise.

First appearing in 2006’s “Casino Royale”, the film, which saw Craig take over the role from four-time portrayer Pierce Brosnan, opened to critical acclaim and more than tripled its budget at the worldwide box office, bringing in a final gross of over $594 million by the end of its theatrical run in March 2007. Comparatively, this improved upon the gross of Brosnan’s final appearance in 2002’s “Die Another Day” by more than $160 million and placed “Casino Royale” as the number one grossing film (unadjusted for inflation) in the entire series.

The 2008 follow-up, “Quantum of Solace”, brought in a similar final worldwide haul of over $586 million; however, its critical reception was not quite as positive. Still, the commercial success of the film cemented Craig’s status as James Bond; a status which he has yet to successfully broaden into other cinematic offerings. With producers such as Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg, 2010’s “Cowboys & Aliens” was tipped by some to be one of the year’s biggest blockbusters, however it returned a lackluster $174 million on a budget of $163 million. Similarly, his recent starring turn in David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” has gotten off to a slow start at the box office, with its worldwide gross still lagging behind its production budget in its third week of release.

Taking all of this into account, it seems unlikely that Craig is in any hurry to step away from the role and the franchise that helped turned him into a global household name. Whether or not he does indeed star in 8 Bond films is questionable, especially given the delay in the production of this year’s “Skyfall.” Also worth taking into consideration is Craig’s age. He is set to turn 44 next month, rumours surrounding Brosnan’s future status as the star of the series began to circulate before he reached 50.

So if Wilson and company would indeed like to see Craig break Roger Moore’s record of seven appearances, they had best put 007 back on duty as soon as possible.

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