The Daily Stream: Celebrate Skyfall's 10th Anniversary By Watching Bond At Its Finest
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Skyfall."
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix, Prime Video
The Pitch: The "James Bond" series got a shot of life when Daniel Craig took over and "Casino Royale" hit theaters in 2006, making 007 cool again in the eyes of the masses. But what happens when you hit a speed bump like 2008's "Quantum of Solace?" What happens when the series has to step back and reassess direction before risking irrelevance again? What happens when mainstream, blockbuster cinema begins trending dark and gritty in the wake of massive hits like "The Dark Knight?" You get "Skyfall," arguably one of the greatest and most crowd-pleasing blockbusters to come along in the last 20 years, and easily one of the greatest "Bond" movies to ever grace the silver screen. Period.
Today, this very day, the movie celebrates its 10th anniversary, having hit theaters in North America on November 9, 2012. Yes, it was released earlier in the U.K. but as I am an American, I am here to celebrate the American way. In any event, there is no better moment to sit in remembrance of the glory that is "Skyfall" than on its 10th anniversary. I worry some of you may have forgotten just how good this movie truly is.
Why it's essential viewing
Director Sam Mendes is a man largely associated with prestigious cinema (especially up to 2012), having helmed movies such as "American Beauty" and "Road to Perdition," the latter of which also starred Daniel Craig. He didn't, at first glance, seem like an obvious choice to direct such a set-piece-heavy, pound-for-pound blast of a spy thriller, but he sure as f*** did. Mendes was aided in no small part by an A-list crew top to bottom, perhaps none more important than cinematographer Roger Deakins, who makes "Skyfall" quite possibly the best-looking "Bond" film ever. Everything came together just so.
What we end up with is a blockbuster that looks better than most blockbusters have any right to, with central performances that are better than most franchise films dare dream of having, and better looking action than most studios can hope to achieve no matter how much money they spend. It is, from the second Bond walks down that hallway in the cold open to the final moments we spend with him standing in M's office, the reason so many of us go to the movies.
One of the greatest mainstream blockbusters of all time
It is not as though I am original in thinking that "Skyfall" is a great movie. It remains the highest-grossing movie in the history of "James Bond" on the big screen, meaning audiences who hardly cared about the series before (or perhaps not in some time) were compelled to turn up for this one. It demanded our collective attention, and rightfully so. It's easy to forget what a gift this film is for those who haven't seen this movie dozens of times like I have. How thrilling the cold open is. How amazing that title sequence set to Adele's kickass song is. How perfect and satisfying the grand finale at Bond's childhood home is. How unhinged Javier Bardem is as Silva.
This is also the very last time we get to see Judi Dench's M (in the flesh anyway) and she gives it her all. In many ways, M is kind of the Bond girl of this movie as we don't have a proper Bond girl who makes it through much of the movie. It's just one way that Mendes and Co. played with the formula while honoring 007 in truly glorious fashion. What better movie to watch on any day than one of the greatest mainstream blockbusters of all time? Honestly.