By Jackson Santy ’13
THE ROUNDUP

“Skyfall”—Starring: Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem

9.5 out of 10

Mr. Bond has in fact returned, and what a return he has made.

After 50 years of brilliant franchise productions from Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton and those three other guys that nobody remembers, newest James Bond actor Daniel Craig has made his mark.

With apologies to all the Connery aficionados out there, it’s safe to say that the newest addition to the franchise, “Skyfall,” has secured a place as the best Bond to date.

MI6 is under siege as a new villain (Javier Bardem), more diabolical than Goldfinger and Dr. No combined, arises.

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

The combination of Craig’s elegant yet testosterone fueled performance and the vision of renowned director Sam Mendes (“American Beauty” and “Jarhead”) result in perfection.

The excitement I held while sitting in the theatre during previews was overwhelming; the combination of my favorite director (Mendes) with my favorite movie franchise of all time seemed too perfect.

However unsurpassable my standards might have seemed, two and a half hours later they were reached.

Mendes did something that is almost impossible in the action genre—he perfectly blended plot, drama, effects and action.

Directing an action film is very similar to being a chemist.

A chemist must be very precise in his measurements and distribution of different ingredients to make his concoction.

Add too little of something nothing will happen in the chemical reaction.

Too much and you’re dealing with a massive combustion and a mess afterwards.

If a director adds too many explosions and scrimps other elements like dialogue and plot line, then you have something that of a Michael Bay production such as the “Transformers” trilogy: lots of flash and fire, but no creative value whatsoever.

Mendes, Craig and the film’s team of writers and special effects crew surge the Bond franchise back with this riveting action thriller that also boasts smart and snappy dialogue with no plot holes.

“Skyfall” is a brilliant work of art, successfully achieving that chemical balance so many directors strive for.

The film earns 9.5 out of 10 for its beautiful orchestration of actions, dialogue, plotline and high quality acting.

“Skyfall” was a near miss for a perfect 10 out of 10, noting that I have only given three movies 10 out of 10 in my movie going history (“The Lion King,” “Schindler’s List” and Mendes’ claim to fame “American Beauty.”)

There is no doubt that this newest franchise addition will be remembered as one of the best Bonds ever and may even snag a few nominations come award season.