Bond.  James Bond.

Fifty years a classic, indeed.  What do you need to know about Skyfall?  The set-up should be pretty familiar, but the film is uncommonly good. I’ve enjoyed it more than any Bond picture since Casino Royale (2006) and more than a great many before that.

The story is clear, the dialogue crisp, the gadgets updated and understated, the pacing keeps moving at a good clip, and the performances are good.

(I do think Daniel Craig, bless his heart, needs suits that fit a little better – pants not quite so short and jackets not so snug across the shoulders.  Maybe it’s just me.)

One thing of note:  I particularly love the final act of the film set in Scotland.  While I was thoroughly engaged in the big confrontation, I marveled at a few situational and visual allusions to other films that may have been intentional or merely happy coincidences.

See if you agree – Straw Dogs, Apocalypse Now, and Gone With The Wind.  Okay, maybe the last one is a stretch, but there was the burning of Atlanta that popped into my mind at one point.

Terrific fun.  Makes me yearn to get back to the UK.