“Skyfall” is the breath of fresh air the James Bond series needs after the dismal “Quantum of Solace.” But the movie’s originality lies not in its plot – Bond is up to his old tricks – but in the nuanced execution.
It begins with a sleek intro set to Karen O.’s cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.” Black oil slicks down a woman’s body. She begins kissing a man, oil envelopes the two of them and they burst into flames. A bird flaps its flaming wings. Insects crawl out of her mouth. As the final chords rage, things burn and smolder. If you’ve read the books, it’s metaphorical, but more importantly, it’s stylish, edgy, inventive–everything you want to see in an adaptation of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by David Fincher.