Last year was the first year that I really started to watch as many movies as I could, especially the oscar contenders. Even though I had always liked movies, I hadn’t seen any major classics or anything that was considered too adult. ‘Hugo’ was my first Scorsese, ‘Midnight In Paris’ was my first Allen. But just as those films introduced me to great directors, ‘Skyfall’ introduced me to the Bond franchise. That’s right, this is my first Bond movie. And what a film to start with.

The movie stares Craig. Daniel Craig. And he’s returning to London after recently being declared dead. (Dude, the guy’s survived more bullets than Superman. More like James God.) He is selected to go on a mission in Shanghai by his mistress, M (Judi Dench). He quickly finds out a mastermind plan held together by Javier Bardem, and it’s going to take all of his wits to stay alive in a world without rules.

For my first Bond movie, it actually stands on its own as an action movie. They do make a lot of in-jokes about the Bond Franchise that fans are sure to eat up like kibble. For me the story goes like this: dull dialogue scene, awesome action. Half the time you’re just around for the good parts. But when they come, oh boy do they grab you by the throat. For one, I guarantee this gets a Sound Editing nomination. Second, the intensity brought on by the action and the music both add to the suspense and build on top of the previous action scene. And third, the creativity of the action, which is pretty much the reason why we love James Bond in the first place. The acting is also top notch, with highlights being Craig and Bardem. The writing and directing all propel this to be a great movie, but the fact that the suspense doesn’t carry through the film, almost creates two different moods. Kind of ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ meets ‘Dark Knight Rises’.

If you’re a Bond fan, this a must-see. Otherwise, you may want to decide for yourself. Skyfall: a movie with boring dialouge, but good things come to those who wait.

****