Once in a while a franchise reboot comes around that is truly something special. I think we can all look back to moment when we first saw Casino Royale and agree that it was one of those times. It was so fresh, so subtle and so, for lack of a better term, real. And other than the lack of a proper car chase sequence, it's been my fave since. So can Skyfall do what Quantum of Solace didn't and unseat Royale as the best Bond?
Directed by a Sam Mendes, a guy known for high drama rather than high action, Skyfall is easily the most stylized of the Daniel Craig trilogy. It's the most similar to the classic films, but also has something that no other Bonds have. We see a raw 007, who gets stripped of gadgets and gizmos who has to confront his past. This shotgun-wielding, waxed canvas-wearing, DB5-driving Bond drops his stern façade and shows real emotion. This actually juxtaposes well with the climactic and somewhat playful Home Alone meets Downton Abbey sequence.
By the end of Skyfall, you realize that the Daniel Craig as 007 films have actually been a series of prequels and now the classic, campy Bond storyline begins. What I appreciated most about Skyfall, above its beautiful and straight-up cool cinematography and art direction, is how much it made me love the nuanced and gripping Casino Royale, which for me is still the best Bond.
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