Skyfall (2012)

James Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Director:

Sam Mendes

Writers:

Neal Purvis, Robert Wade

Stars:

Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris

Won 2 Oscars. Another 64 wins & 121 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Craig	...	James Bond
Judi Dench	...	M
Javier Bardem	...	Silva
Ralph Fiennes	...	Gareth Mallory
Naomie Harris	...	Eve
Bérénice Marlohe	...	Severine (as Bérénice Lim Marlohe)
Albert Finney	...	Kincade
Ben Whishaw	...	Q
Rory Kinnear	...	Tanner
Ola Rapace	...	Patrice
Helen McCrory	...	Clair Dowar MP
Nicholas Woodeson	...	Doctor Hall
Bill Buckhurst	...	Ronson
Elize du Toit	...	Vanessa (M's Assistant)
Ian Bonar	...	MI6 Technician

Storyline

When James Bond's (Daniel Craig's) latest assignment goes gravely wrong and Agents around the world are exposed, MI6 is attacked, forcing (M Dame Judi Dench) to relocate the agency. These events cause her authority and position to be challenged by Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), the new Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee. With MI6 now compromised from both inside and out, M is left with one ally she can trust: Bond. 007 takes to the shadows, aided only by field agent, Miss Eve Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), following a trail to the mysterious Tiago Rodriguez, a.k.a. Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), whose lethal and hidden motives have yet to reveal themselves.

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Plot Keywords:

007 | cleavage | premarital sex | terrorist cell | sex in shower | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense violent sequences throughout, some sexuality, language and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

20th Century Fox [United States] MGM [United States]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Turkish Shanghainese Portuguese Japanese

Release Date:

9 November 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Skyfall

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$88,364,714, 11 November 2012

Gross USA:

$304,360,277

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,108,561,013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eon Productions, B23

Technical Specs

Runtime:

143 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS Sonics-DDP Dolby Surround 7.1 Dolby Atmos IMAX 6-Track 12-Track Digital Sound

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

With the announcement in 2019 that No Time to Die (2020) will be filming scenes in Matera, Italy, this becomes the only Daniel Craig James Bond movie not to have any scenes set or shot in Italy.

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Goofs

In the museum, Bond is sitting down and Q sits next to him. Note part of Bond's coat goes over the edge of the seat. Where in the next shot, that part of the coat over the edge is now back on the seat.

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Quotes

[first lines]
James Bond: [Speaking on a blue tooth device] Ronson's down. He needs a medical evac.
M: Where is it? Is it there?
James Bond: Hard drives gone.
M: You sure?
James Bond: It's gone. Give me a minute.
M: They must have it! Get after them!
James Bond: I'm stabilizing Ronson.
M: We don't have the time!
James Bond: I have to stop the bleeding!
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Bond's traditional shot towards the camera, seen through the barrel of a gun, is placed at the end of this, film rather than the beginning. After the blood stops dripping, the James Bond 50th Anniversary logo appears with the words "James Bond will return," below it.

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Alternate Versions

For its UK network premiere on ITV, the scene where Bond removes a bullet from his chest is slightly cut due to being broadcast before the watershed at 9pm.

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Connections

Referenced in Welshy Reviews: Casino Royale: Part 2 (2012)

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Soundtracks

She's Mine
Written by Thomas Newman

User Reviews

Back on the Bond Bandwagon

As a lifelong James Bond enthusiast who has been extremely disappointed with the franchise's latest efforts (with the exception of Casino Royale), I was extremely pleased with this film. It strayed away from the storyline of the previous two films and I couldn't have been happier after the mediocrity of Quantum of Solace. This film has all the constituents from the Bond films that have preceded it. Big explosions, ridiculous stunts that not a single person in the history of humanity can survive, and let's not forget to mention the beautiful women that would make both genders stop and stare. So what does Skyfall have that the other Bond films don't? For the first time, we get a glimpse into our mysterious hero's dark past. Where he came from and what made him the person he is today.

Although I've always been the one to say that Sean Connery is the greatest Bond ever, I can now confess that Daniel Craig now holds that honor. Sean plays the comedic, smooth, and witty Bond to perfection while Daniel plays the mysterious, dark, and lonesome secret agent flawlessly. I will always choose a darker portrayal over a comedic one because it takes a certain mindset to depict someone of that nature. One of my favorite scenes is where Bond is sitting in a bar drinking alone. I don't care who you are or what your background is, if you are drinking by yourself in a bar, then you have issues that are haunting you. Whether you can admit it or not, you are in a dark place and that is exactly where this Daniel Craig portrayed Bond is. And I love it.

Aside from Daniel Craig, you have a cast that includes some of the finest actors that have ever graced the big screen. Javier Bardem plays a blood thirsty ex-MI6 agent out for revenge. His performance is equally as creepy and twisted as his portrayal of Anton Chigurh in "No Country for Old Men" and it is an Oscar worthy performance in my opinion. Judi Dench reprises her role as M and Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney give important and memorable roles which I won't go further into detail about. Also two prominent figures from James bond history find their way back into the story line. Sam Mendes shows why he was the right choice to direct a film of this magnitude and along with the contribution of Oscar Nominee John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade come up with a memorable narrative after the disappointment of their last collaborating effort, Quantum of Solace.

I look forward to what the future has in store for everyone's favorite spy. If Skyfall is a sign of things to come, then I will remain incredibly optimistic about the future.