By Chris Kavan - 11/13/12 at 08:02 PM CT
After a longer-than-average four-year hiatus from theaters, James Band returns in his 23rd outing with Skyfall. Celebrating 50 years, the film opened very strong in international markets before setting a franchise record over the weekend. But is Skyfall really the best Bond yet? Here's the breakdown from the FilmCrave crew to see if you should believe the hype surrounding the latest 007 film.
The Official FilmCrave Staff Rating (Average): 3.17/4 Stars
Alex's Review 3.5/4: Skyfall
Alex is the resident James Bond aficionado, so when he analyzes, Skyfall, he really gets down to the meat (and heart) of what makes a great Bond film. His seven-point inspection, covering everything from cinematography to the Bond girls, is both a guideline and critique and for Skyfall, it earns near-universal approval. The cars, the action, the villain, the style, the music - it all adds up to a beatifically-rendered 007 film. In fact the only thing preventing it from getting the full 4/4 rating was one eye-rolling scene (I'm interested to know what this scene is, since he didn't elaborate). He considers this better than Casino Royale - near the top of the Bond heap, but not quite the best.
Chris' Review 3/4: Skyfall
I'm a fair-weather Bond fan myself - I like the series well enough - I've seen all the movies, and wouldn't pass up one in theaters, but I don't consider it one of my favorite series ever. That being said, I was a big fan of Casino Royale - a grittier Bond than I was used to. Quantum of Solace was a bit of a letdown. Though I rated Skyfall and Casino Royale the same, I still give the edge to the first Daniel Craig Bond film. I did enjoy Skyfall - I agree with Alex on most of his points, but despite the fact all the pieces are there, I didn't feel they quite fit to make this an exception Bond film. I still recommend it, I just don't get why this is being touted as "the best Bond ever" - I just didn't feel it.
Nick's Review 3/4: Skyfall
Nick agrees with me that Casino Royale is still the best Craig Bond film. For him, Skyfall fell short because it just wasn't memorable enough to be a great film. Despite the iconic DB5 making an appearance, he couldn't elevate this from good to great. In fact, he categorizes this as a must-rent rather than a theater-worthy effort (a bit harsh in my opinion) but the worst thing any film can do is be unremarkable (i.e. forgettable) and that's exactly what Nick feels is wrong with Skyfall.The staff averages a 3.17/4 while the FilmCrave.com average is at a higher 3.45/4 - with 29 reviews and counting. I think that despite some varying viewpoints, Bond is the kind of series that has a kind of universal appeal. It's obvious the pent-up demand for a new Bond has been met and while not everyone may think this is the best Bond ever, it still has enough appeal to be a welcome addition to the franchise.
