Skyfall - So, I have a fair deal of knowledge on the cultural phenomenon of James Bond, but never watched any of his movies in its entirety. This was basically the break. I was expecting pretty much nothing (I'm pretty neutral on James Bond culture shenanigans, don't care about action movies, let alone blockbuster-friendly stuff), but the movie was quite a pleasant surprise. Good pacing, well-acted, well-directed and actually well-written, especially considering the constraints of the genre and the medium. The whole experience had a surprisingly personal feel, which ties into the themes of paradigm changes and generational transitions pretty nicely, and there were actual shadows of insight towards both James Bond and M (this I utterly didn't expect). Actually making use of Judi Dench's raw talent, in whatever manner the context actually allowed, was a complete breath of fresh air, for all that I felt Albert Finney was sorta underused even within his limited role. Of course, Daniel Craig is also pretty danged good. It was just a pretty tightly knitted experience given context, and the quality casting hands quite a paint of dignity to the whole movie (the actress who played Evelyn was also not bad at all. The designated Bondgirl was pretty much a waste of time). And, of course, Javier Bardem was responsible for some of the best lines and one of the best scenes. Not much to complain about at all. Except maybe Adele, but bloo bloo the bloo blooest. If you want to talk about embarrassing Bond themes, Madonna is available at the wax museum to your left.
EDIT: Ralph Fiennes and the kid who donned the Q moniker were both charming, but weren't used much. The final transition involving Fiennes' character was quite appropriate, though.
