Skyfall Hits Blu-ray
While Daniel Craig hits everyone else.
While Daniel Craig hits everyone else.
Skyfall, £15
(c) 2012 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation
After the polarising Quantum Of Solace, hopes were high for a return to form for Daniel Craig’s third outing as Bond, and by and large, it delivers – it’s a bigger, more Bond-y film than we’ve seen from this reboot so far, a big, colourful, action-packed affair that feels not unlike watching a classic Connery Bond on magic mushrooms.
(c) 2012 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation
As enjoyable as it is, our major issue with Skyfall is its plot – overall, despite how big the film feels, its actual focus is very small, with big baddie Silva (the compulsively watchable Javier Bardem) only interested in a fairly simplistic revenge caper against Judi Dench, leaving poor Bond without a story arc in his own film. Watching it again, it’s actually closer in tone and story to The Dark Knight than a Bond film (Silva’s personality and apparently-complex-but-really-brutally-simple plan echoing Heath Ledger’s Joker all the way through), but then, the Bond franchise has always conspicuously aped current cinematic trends (Casino followed the Bourne route, Moonraker was a Star Wars cash-in, and Live And Let Die was, to all intents and purposes, a Blaxploitation flick), so it doesn’t really feel out of place.
(c) 2012 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation
Everything else about the film feels gloriously right, however: Craig is still hard as nails, Bardem is devastatingly creepy, and Maxim cover girl Bérénice Marlohe is fantastic in the short amount of time she’s given to do her thing. The cinematography is incredible, and even though Q disappointed with his gadgets (a gun and a radio? Really?), his banter with Bond was spot-on. Throw in a superbly realised opening sequence and probably the most action we’ve seen thus far from Craig’s Bond, and you’ve got a fun, good-looking movie.
(c) 2012 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation
We’re also happy to report that the Blu-ray’s picture quality is great, and none of director Sam Mendes’ sensational vistas and depth of picture are lost or degraded in the transfer to the smaller format. The disc comes with commentaries and 13 featurettes that let allow you to look inside Skyfall’s stunts, sets and sequences.
(c) 2012 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation
Skyfall is out now on Blu-ray and DVD from MGM and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Dog Reviews: Skyfall Special
See Skyfall Star Bérénice Marlohe’s Sexy Maxim Cover Shoot!