Bond 23: Skyfall (2012)

Elevator Pitch: Bond returns to the fray when M is targeted by an internet based villain, which results in the MI6 headquarters being blown up. He had been accidentally shot during a chase and had been living off the grid, but now he has been approved to re-join the organisation and travels to Asia where he pursues a villain who has stolen worldwide agent records. The trail leads to Silva a vengeful former agent who is captured but once back in London escapes and imitates a train of events eventually leading to a climax at Bond’s family home, Skyfall, in the highlands of Scotland.

Content: There is no nudity and one sex scene, though more being implied. There is some drinking in a variety of venues. The film starts with a motor bike chase over the rooftops of  a Turkish town, which concludes with Eve shooting Bond by accident. In the Far East Bond spends time in a casino and fights a villain who is dragged off by a Komodo dragon. Afterwards he is captured by Silva and taken  to a derelict offshore island where Severine, an acolyte of Silva’s is killed. In London Silva pursues M while Bond pursues Silva, thereafter the big shoot-out in the highlands takes place, involving the original Bond DB5.

A View: Directed by Sam Mendes and photographed by Roger Deakins this film was lined up for Oscar nominations, and it won some. It also won Best Picture at the BAFTAs, and had a worldwide gross of over a billion dollars.  I enjoyed nearly all of it. There was gunfire but it was restrained until we got to the climax and in an effort to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the franchise they managed to shoe-horn in the original Aston Martin DB5. There are plot holes, but nevertheless a lot of fun, and worth a view even for money, if you enjoyed any of the others Bonds.

Additional Info: The project was delayed when MGM was bankrupted. Although no-one is specific about the chain of events, one assumes it filed for Chapter 11.