For weeks, perhaps even months, I had been going on about how I hadn't seen any good action movies in a really long time... After seeing the latest Daniel Craig lead of Bond, SKYFALL, I can no longer say that.

Daniel Craig. Skyfall. Dir. Sam Mendez. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Columbia Pictures. 2012. Movie Poster.

Skyfall glazes over a series of various and often reoccurring themes. In the film, not only will the audience see a nearly 'falling hero' tragedy but also a background theme reflecting the notion that sometimes, it's nice to do things the old fashioned way. Another thing we see taking place is the relationship between M and 007, as well as a short look into both of their pasts.

With the explosive expansion of technology and technological advances in society, this is a common theme that has been addressed in several films recently. And Skyfall conveys the message by both embracing the technological advances while also exposing its darker side. The detrimental sides (for lack of better expression) of technology is depicted through a rogue agent, cleverly and brilliantly portrayed by the very versatile Javier Bardem. Soon after we meet Bardem's character, we see him bring up the Jason-Bourne-esque thought that reminds us of the famous "look at what they make you do" quote. Yet another theme that is not unlikely to see in such action films where a character is putting their life and everything they have on the line for their often self-sacrificing job.

Daniel Craig. Skyfall. Dir. Sam Mendez. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Columbia Pictures. 2012. Film Still.

SKYFALL is amazing. Within the first ten minutes, I'm sure audience members will find themselves saying something along lines of "I've never seen that in an action film before", a major issue audiences find with films, especially action. But with Skyfall, not only were the choreographic fight sequences fresh and engaging but the cinematography was also something new and symbolic. I don't recall ever seeing the artistic use of silhouette in an action film but the use of this now-cinematographic effect was beautiful as it relates to another underlying motif expressed within the film: "shadows." I will say the use of the term "Skyfall" reminds me of the proto-influential, Orson Wells' classic cult, Citizen Kane (1941) and the prominence of "Rosebud."