After Daniel Craig's second outing as Bond, Quantum of Solace, was merely adequate, he had a lot to prove with his third time up to bat, Skyfall. Appointing Sam Mendes as director certainly proved to be a savvy choice, for the acclaimed filmmaker gave Bond the Dark Knight treatment, focusing on dark cityscapes, a fall-and-rise narrative, and exuberant set-pieces. I don't think anyone expected Skyfall to be quite as great as it turned out to be, benefiting from one of the series' best-ever villains in Javier Bardem's Raoul Silva, and an excellent performance from Judi Dench as M, giving her final turn as the character. This is everything a contemporary blockbuster needs to be: it's smart, slickly-directed, visually stunning (thanks to master DP Roger Deakins) and superbly acted. It also manages to be reverent to the Bond of old while ushering in a new era for the character. Smartly, Mendes is attached to return for Bond 24, so the odds are looking good that we won't see another Quantum.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
