Spencer Ivey

Writer

If you love James Bond movies, you must see the newly released “Skyfall.” Fifty years removed from “Dr. No,” the first movie in this second-highest grossing film franchise in history, director Sam Mendes takes us back to the basics of a great Bond film. A charismatic actor playing Bond along with his supporting crew at M16, exotic locations, beautiful women, fast-paced action and a vodka martini (shaken, of course) have been the meat and potatoes for Mr. Bond since the inception of this iconic series. With Daniel Craig’s best effort as 007 yet, I proclaim “Skyfall” as one of the best Bond movies ever.

“Skyfall” had high expectations especially due to the underappreciated “Quantum of Solace,” which hardly passed as a Bond film. Mendes worked hard to feed Bond lovers’ appetites for a hearty serving of classic 007 flair, and he has certainly left them satisfied. After its first weekend, “Skyfall” deservedly raked in $87.8 million, which was good enough to claim the most profitable premier in Bond history.

I guess the third time is the charm for Craig. His piercing blue eyes and rugged exterior is complemented perfectly with the deep emotional development of his character. We see a different side of the sly killer for the first time, but not without a lack of action. Outfitted by the return of a familiar character in the series, who was missing from the previous two movies, Q (played by the young Ben Wishaw), and instructed by the always-stellar Judi Dench as M, Bond takes us on a thrilling, international adventure in pursuit of the bad guy with all the wrong intentions.

In an effort to not spoil the many surprises of this spectacular movie, I will avoid detail. In essence, this is a Bond movie you simply cannot afford to miss. Although I saw “Skyfall” on a normal theater screen the first time around, I will be sure to take advantage of the IMAX offering next time. This is a movie truly deserving of the big screen.