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SKYFALLMovie Reviews
Action thriller about James Bond's efforts to track down and destroy a threat to MI6, no matter how personal the cost. Cast:Daniel Craig, Helen McCrory, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Bérénice Marlohe, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Judi Dench, Tonia Sotiropoulou, Albert Finney, Ola Rapace, Rory Kinnear, Nichola Fynn, Santi Scinelli, Nicholas WoodesonDirector:Sam MendesRelease Date:November 8, 2012DVD Release:March 19, 2013From:MGMRating:PG-13Length:2 hr. 23 min.
Skyfall played to sensational reviews. • Ann Hornaday wrote in the Washington Post, "...sleek, crisp, classy... Thanks to Sam Mendes and the crackerjack team he has assembled, James Bond proves once again that he can survive anything..." • And Josep Parera wrote in La Opinion, "...simplemente magistral." More Reviews Below...
Alynda Wheat, People: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...establishes Daniel Craig as the only man who can rival Sean Connery as lord of the spies.... honors the Bond tradition and makes the spy feel totally relevant..."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 207 words, 11/08/12
Richard Corliss, Time: OUTSTANDING "...a necessary, rather than mandatory, addition to the year's popular culture.... has the life, grandeur and gravity of a satisfying, stand-alone entertainment..."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,476 words, 11/09/12
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...simultaneously thrilling and meaty... easily one of the best entries ever in the 50-year, 23-film series, led once again by an actor who's the best Bond yet..."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 840 words, 11/07/12
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a thrilling addition to the James Bond movie canon... stars the totally captivating cool cucumber Daniel Craig as Agent 007... both an elegy and a mission statement."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 505 words, 11/02/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING(cg) "As superb as the special effects can be, it's the cast that renders it irresistible.... Consistently high-caliber... the ideal way to celebrate the 50-year mark."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 558 words, 11/09/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "I don't know what I expected in Bond No. 23, but certainly not an experience this invigorating.... This is a brand-new Bond with love and respect for the old Bond."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 645 words, 11/09/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...easily the best Craig Bond picture.... rendered with incredible cinematic sumptuousness by Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 947 words, 11/05/12
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: OUTSTANDING(cg) " 'Skyfall' can take its place alongside 'From Russia with Love,' 'Goldfinger,' and 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' as the best Bond can offer."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,043 words, 11/06/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "Mr. Mendes gets Bond just right... Whether he is deploying an explosion or a delectable detail, he retains a crucially human scale and intimacy..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 991 words, 11/08/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Sam Mendes, the first Oscar winner to helm a 007 flick, adds elegance and intelligence. Slugfests are staged like dramas, and personal confrontations crackle."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 533 words, 10/23/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "Mendes has given us a thrilling new chapter in a franchise that by all rights should have been gasping for air -- which really makes him the hero of this saga."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 906 words, 11/07/12
Kyle Smith, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "007 is showing his wrinkles, and in this utterly routine effort, we're actually expected to cheer each chord we've heard so many times..."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 11/07/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a terrific entertainment most of the way... The action's often stunning... There are some swell character re-castings and updatings..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 797 words, 11/07/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Meet the new Bond, same as the old Bond.... It's cool, suave and stylish, but it's so busy recapturing the past that it has trouble moving forward."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 317 words, 11/07/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...unusually funny, literate, worked-out... The first three quarters are thrilling, but by the time we get to the climax, the filmmakers have run out of invention..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 265 words, 11/05/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "I don't know what I expected in Bond No. 23, but certainly not an experience this invigorating.... This is a brand-new Bond with love and respect for the old Bond."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 645 words, 11/09/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...successfully blends the old and the new of Bond mythology... It could make you fall for James Bond all over again, or discover him at the moment of his vital rebirth."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 710 words, 11/08/12
James Adams, Toronto Globe & Mail: OUTSTANDING(cg) "There are a lot of smarts here.... may be the single most important Bond since the mania began.... there's a compelling woundedness and soulfulness to Daniel Craig."(See all of James Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 561 words, 10/26/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "If 'Casino Royale' rebooted the Bond franchise and 'Quantum of Solace' tried too hard to undo that reboot, 'Skyfall' finds a very comfortable equilibrium.... This one's great."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 391 words, 11/08/12
KEY CITIES (13 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...sleek, crisp, classy... Thanks to Sam Mendes and the crackerjack team he has assembled, James Bond proves once again that he can survive anything..."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 718 words, 11/09/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the most cultured Bond film to come along in some time. It's also the first of the three Craig endeavors to seriously (and wittily) acknowledge its pedigree."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 688 words, 11/09/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...delivers breakneck action without sacrificing sharp intelligence.... a taut action thriller with a mature sophistication rare in popcorn blockbusters..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 635 words, 11/08/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The great success is that while the movie obviously has a great fondness for the past, it's not trapped there. It also anticipates Bond's future... so do we."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 575 words, 11/08/12
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...does every single thing these movies have to do, and there's little Sam Mendes can do to enliven the familiarity... Here we go again."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,515 words, 11/07/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "...goes back to the old rules.... one man out to get M. Another, determined to protect her. And two hours or so of cat and mouse."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 557 words, 11/07/12
Soren Andersen, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Bond is back, and he's bad. And that's good... when it's hitting on all cylinders, which is most of the time, it's a very impressive addition to the Bond canon."(See all of Soren Andersen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 566 words, 11/07/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...winds up going where no Bond movie has gone before yet remains rooted in 007's legacy... makes you hope James Bond sticks around 50 more years."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 525 words, 11/08/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...great heroes are often enhanced by the villains they face, and such is the situation here. To really work, Bond needs great bad guys. Silva is bad at its best."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 537 words, 11/08/12
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Daniel Craig's Bond finally feels like he's come into his own, a strong balance of old and new but a rugged, clever character all his own.... a perfectly executed movie..."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 743 words, 10/13/12
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a sly commentary on the urgency of the future and the inescapability of the past; and it's a rip-snorting good time, with action equal to the series' best."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 358 words, 11/08/12
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a smart reassessment of the franchise even as it reinvigorates it... Craig brings a sort of complicating cruelty and vulnerability to the series."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 924 words, 11/07/12
Alison Willmore, Movieline: EXCELLENT(cg) "They've made him fun again.... Bond is literally reborn.... he gets fewer silly gadgets these days, but he does have his awesomely fly car and a customized gun."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 843 words, 11/07/12
John Semley, Slant: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a remarkable high water mark for the series: at once solemn and deeply funny, sexy and sad, self-conscious without all the rib-bruising elbowing."(See all of John Semley's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,015 words, 10/23/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "If 'Casino Royale' rebooted the Bond franchise and 'Quantum of Solace' tried too hard to undo that reboot, 'Skyfall' finds a very comfortable equilibrium.... This one's great."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 391 words, 11/08/12
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: EXCELLENT(cg) "Mendes raises the emotional stakes sky-high.... a perfectly satisfying slam-bang espionage thriller that emphatically renews James Bond's license to kill."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 11/07/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The action gave me delicious chills; the rest of it is even more thrillingly witty and classy.... It is a wild ride that has only just begun by the time it's over."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,252 words, 10/25/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (7 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...goes beyond thrilling into chilling and enthralling... it keeps us caring, intensely, for a hero who, by any rational measure, is a vestige of a vanished era."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 600 words, 11/09/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "Mr. Mendes gets Bond just right... Whether he is deploying an explosion or a delectable detail, he retains a crucially human scale and intimacy..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 991 words, 11/08/12
David Denby, New Yorker: GOOD "...a gloomy, dark action thriller, and almost completely without the cynical playfulness that drew us to the series in the first place.... Daniel Craig is amusingly single-minded."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 778 words, 11/05/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "Mendes has given us a thrilling new chapter in a franchise that by all rights should have been gasping for air -- which really makes him the hero of this saga."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 906 words, 11/07/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: EXCELLENT "...rich, impressive, overstuffed and rather chilly... Craig presents an earthier, more physical 007... it is moody, thrilling and for the most part beautifully made..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,458 words, 11/08/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: OUTSTANDING "...smart, savvy.... radically breaks from the Bond formula while still remaining true to its essential beats... audiences can no longer anticipate each twist in advance."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 982 words, 10/13/12
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: OUTSTANDING "Dramatically gripping while still brandishing a droll undercurrent of humor... beautifully made... will certainly be embraced as one of the best Bonds by loyal fans..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,334 words, 10/13/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "Mendes has given us a thrilling new chapter in a franchise that by all rights should have been gasping for air -- which really makes him the hero of this saga."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 906 words, 11/07/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...terrific... an intelligent film that delivers the goods in every department: story, characterization, performances, and, of course, technical production values."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,258 words, 10/13/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "Mr. Mendes gets Bond just right... Whether he is deploying an explosion or a delectable detail, he retains a crucially human scale and intimacy..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 991 words, 11/08/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...goes beyond thrilling into chilling and enthralling... it keeps us caring, intensely, for a hero who, by any rational measure, is a vestige of a vanished era."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 600 words, 11/09/12
15.5 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Skyfall's reviews are separated by an average 15.5 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Skyfall (52 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Skyfall's reviews cover 100.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 37,232 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 716 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 35.3 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Skyfall's reviews on average broke 35.3 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Skyfall's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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