I had the opportunity to see the new Bond flick, Skyfall, this week, and while the movie itself is wonderful, it was the title music that struck a chord with me early on. The folks behind the Bond flicks have always done elaborate opening title sequences featuring music from some of the biggest names around. I remember a quote from Paul McCartney saying something like, “Being asked to do the music for a Bond film means you’ve arrived.” This from a former Beatle.

The music in those opening sequences haven’t always resonated with me. In fact, there’s been quite a few that have fallen flat. I believe Shirley Bassey set the tone for Bond when she recorded Goldfinger, and every band or singer since, has been held, at least in my mind, up to that for comparison. Adele’s soulful rendition of Skyfall harkens back to Bassey’s Goldfinger in a way few others have been able to manage, and has prompted me to do a top ten list of my favorites.

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MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: James Bond returns in a visually lush and emotionally involving adventure that benefits from a strong script and one of the best casts the series has seen in its 50-year history.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Outstanding cast, specifically Daniel Craig and Judi Dench in the forefront as James Bond and M, respectively, with Javier Bardem as the truly insane Silva; kinetic opening sequence; exceptional screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan; Sam Mendes balancing action and character nearly seamlessly; Roger Deakins’s outstanding cinematography.
CONS: Thomas Newman’s serviceable but unmemorable score; occasional plot contrivances that allow events to become too convenient; underuse of Bérénice Marlohe; odd elements that may disturb the series’ continuity for some.
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