I think they'll have to get to some of the Bond movies at some point, but I think personally you have to tackle Casino Royale before you look at Skyfall. In my opinion it's the more interesting one to look at anyway, as they went from arguably the worst movie in the series (Die Another Day) straight to not only the best movie in the series, but one of the best blockbusters of that decade.
Casino Royale I think is in many ways the textbook grade A example of how to construct and build momentum within an action sequence. And of course, it also manages the crazy balancing act of completely rejecting most of what the series was known for, while still capturing the "vibe" of classic bond. It's funny how it came out around the same time as Batman Begins, and Nolan went on to get so much credit for how he re-invented that character, while Martin Campbell doesn't seem to have gotten nearly as much praise, despite making (in my opinion) a far superior film.
Skyfall succeeds on the strength of it's cinematography, set-pieces, and a really unique choice of a Bond movie climax, but some of the story beats, and the villain in particular, just don't work.
Last edited by bullet3 (2013-11-24 00:27:08)