I went to see Skyfall last Saturday and I can safely say that it is awesome, and I'm not even a fan of James Bond films. Usually Daniel Craig puts me off them, but he portrays Bond a little different this time and I think it helped out a lot.
Everything about the movie seems to click from the cast to the director, this movie has everything you need in a good/great Bond film. The pre credit scene involving Istanbul (I think) got me right into the action and had me paying attention for the rest of the film. The film doesn't have as much glitz and glamour as its predecessors, but it doesn't hurt the film one bit. It takes Bond down to his lowest point and allows him to start again; which seems to make Bond a lot more human than ever before, and features a finale featuring some of Bond's family history and a very fun shoot out in Scotland.
Though the action makes the film very fun, it's the cast's acting which makes it better than your average action film; with Judi Dench and Javier Bardem putting on some wonderful performances. Judi Dench's "M" is used a lot more in this film and is probably the main Bond girl in the film and it works wonderfully; I always thought casting Judi Dench as M was a stroke of genius, but it finally took a wonderful director for her to be used properly. Javier Bardem plays one of the creepiest villains of recent memory which seems to the norm with him; though he's no Anton Chigurh in it. He is able to create a "cybergeek" and make him genuinely terrifying, with one of his first scenes with Bond being both playful and weird yet oddly captivating. Ralph Fiennes also puts on a solid performance as a member of the team.
It's not a perfect by any means with some parts being a little boring, me not liking Naomie Harris and the finale being a let down compared to earlier parts of the film, though that may just be me.
Final Rating: ****
A really good film which features some great acting and some nice surprises, and a film that takes risks which are well worth it. A great choice for the 50th anniversary of Bond.