Analysis :

Bond is back and with a bang too! However, you still don't feel the richness and the completeness of a Bond movie. There is something lacking, a nuance but still irritating. Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan have done a commendable job. The debonaire Bond is here, sexier, thoughtful and witty too but he should have been smoother. The nuanced Bond is still not here.

The plot is pretty thorough and labyrinthine to keep you engaged for a little more than two hours. A few times you just feel that the villains go easy on Bond. Childhood nostalgia for Bond seems contrived and forced onto the audience. Bond girls have no role in the movie but to please your eyes. Other than that this would have scored a 5.

Sam Mendes is a genius with his directional skills. There are a few scenes that slack off but at most points you are on the edge of your seats. The underwater part where Bond suffocates was excellent just as a few chase sequences and fights. Roger Denkins brings out the life in the movie with his cinematography. Dapper editing skills from Stuart Baird. The music from Thomas Newman makes the action more fast paced than it is actually. A few references from the old Bond movies and the iconic Aston Martin DB5 are appreciated. The last thing you would complain is about the Special Effects. “Mind-blowing” is a literally possible phenomenon; watch out people!

Humor, British style, terrific action and the perfect villain you wouldn't mind teaming up with (Javier) are perfect reasons you should not even think of letting this movie pass.

Performance :

Daniel Craig is just at his best. Re-read that, 'his' best. Don't compare him with Brosnan or Connery which would only leave you wishing for more, at least for now. Judi Dench as M is neat. Javier Bardem should impress the most critical critics on earth for his performance as the evil genius Silva was earth-shattering. Naomie Harris and Bérénice Marlohe as beautiful as Bond girls but nothing of importance in their characterizations makes you feel a little disappointed. Q does just what he was supposed to do.

Final Word: Get all the gadgets, action, bad villains, bond girls, chases and a little contrived emotion with this episode of the franchise, Skyfall but only if you forget that there were other bonds before this movie.