"Skyfall" Review

It only seems fitting that during the 50th anniversary year of "Dr. No", James Bond's first film appearance, that we would get yet another entry into the epic motion picture saga of Agent 007.  This time around, James' loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her in the form of Silva (a former MI6 agent with a vendetta against M for abandoning him; played by the sinister Javier Bardem).  As Silva works to carry out his villainous plot, James does what he does best: attempts to eliminate the threat no matter how personal the cost. (IMDb)
And Silva does make it personal.  He brings the battle to "Skyfall" (hence the title), Bond's boyhood home.  While preparing for the final square-off with our villain, our hero recalls the traumatic experience he faced as a child: the death of his parents.  While there are no flashback scenes, the audience still feels empathetic towards Bond in the same manner.

I really enjoyed the references and the setup at the end for a return to a more Classic Bond feel for films to come.  I liked that "Skyfall" felt like the classic Bond movie that fans have come to know and love for the past half century, while at the same time remained grounded in the realism that made 2006's "Casino Royale" a fan favorite.  I'm still not clear if this is my favorite of 007's adventures.  I think that title still remains with "Casino Royale", but "Skyfall" is an extremely close second.  Daniel Craig truly is Bond for a new generation, Bond 2.0 as it were, and I'm excited to go on future adventures with this guy.  Sign me up for Her Majesty's Secret Service.