Movie Review: Skyfall is the Newest James Bond Classic

When you think of James Bond, a couple of things come to mind: suave, smooth, sexy, British. But never "aging".

James Bond is back, and at his best (well, at least Daniel Craig is)

That is the driving force behind Skyfall, the 23rd film in the James Bond canon and the third film to feature Daniel Craig as the legendary super-spy. Directed by Sam Mendes, it is a re-imagining of sorts of what Bond means for the 21st century. The action, the humor, and the irresistible sex appeal, are still there in full force, but it is all darker and much cooler than the previous Bond films.

Since 2006's Casino Royale, Daniel Craig has been critically lauded for his grittier, more dangerous portrayal of 007. His tenure has been pretty much flawless, and Skyfall finds him at his zenith. Daniel Craig no longer seems like he has to convince people he's worthy of Bond; he is Bond, and he is the best one yet, for this generation at the very least.

He is in top form, even though his Bond is considerably weathered this time around. After nearly dying in Turkey chasing a contract killer, he comes back with physical and psychological damage (even though his ability to seduce remains intact), exposed through a grueling series of tests. His working relationship with M (played by Judi Dench) is also in tatters because she is the one responsible for his near-death experience. In a compelling character arc, Bond has to contend with his mortality, and the fact that he isn't as valuable as he once thought.

This reality is heightened (although not as fleshed out as it could have been) with the introduction of the Raoul Silva, played by Javier Bardem. The antagonist of the film, he is a cyberterrorist responsible for a number of security breaches at MI6, with a dark past connected to M and the agency. Bardem is, without question, the best villain Bond has ever seen, and his deranged performance is worthy of an Oscar, á la Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. While he comes dangerously close to stealing the film away from Craig and Dench, the three actors compliment each other well. Considering it's her last Bond film, the film does an excellent job in giving increased attention to Dench, who had been relegated to cameos in prior films. She is excellent as an embattled leader dealing with her own future at MI6. One of the best scenes of the film comes towards the end between Dench and Bardem, which is so arresting and disturbing that it caused chills, a first watching a Bond film.
  
A lot of the classic elements see some downgrading, notably the role of Bond girl (spoiler alert: she is offed in the first half). Still, there are some great nods to the franchise's fifty year history, such as the re-introduction of the Aston Martin. It's great to see that the producers understand the past, even as the plan for the future.

While that future has been planned since Casino Royale, Skyfall serves as the official, iconic benchmark for what this generation of Bond will be for the next fifty years.