Skyfall
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Action
Street Date: February 12, 2013
Available On: DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo

The Film: James Bond (Daniel Craig) is forced to make difficult decisions that take him from one side of the globe to his childhood home as a mysterious villain with a personal vendetta for M (Judi Dench) threatens to raze MI6 to the ground.

The Extras: Multiple behind-the-scenes featurettes, Commentaries by director Sam Mendes and the film’s Producers and Production Designers as well as footage from the film’s premier.

Recommendation: “Skyfall” is unquestionably one of the finest James Bond films (I prefer “Casino Royale”). The first half of the film is flawless mix of exotic locations captured with gorgeous cinematography and the fast paced action you’d expect from a modern Bond film. The film’s second half isn’t nearly as pretty to look at and the plot gets a bit weighted down by an abundance of politics and character dynamics that are set in place to give the franchise somewhere new to go in its next installment, but water down “Skyfall” in the process. It’s a minor quibble though as audiences are treated to a peak into Bond’s early years (tastefully done without a single flashback).
The Blu-ray release is fittingly bombastic and beautiful. The scenes set in Asia are deliciously stunning as they explode with color and detail. London’s underground, nor Skyfall, prove to be as visually robust, but detail remains consistent as the scenery becomes less inviting.

-Ryan Michael Painter

(Copyright 2013 Sinclair Broadcast Group)