Skyfall (2012)

Is it just me, or is Daniel Craig just a little bit more handsome in each film he does? I'm glad that Sony got over their issues got this movie to us. I think of the three Craig Bond films, this is the most accessible to Bond fans (I mean pre-Craig Bond). Not only was Skyfall packed with allusions to the classic Bond films, but stylistically it was more like them then Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. In no small part this is due to the way Bond is being portrayed. In the first two films, he's shown to be a stonecold killer who is the best of the best. In Skyfall, he's a little off his game for most of the film but more than makes up for it by his patriotism. Bond does what he does, because he's doing the right thing, and he knows it's the right thing because M tells him to do it. He trusts her completely, not only because she is a substitute for his mother, but because he believes she has the welfare of Great Britain at heart.
Ralph Fiennes and Naomi Harris were nice additions to the cast, especially since they were replaying recurring characters. Speaking of which, where as the first two Craig films had the feeling that  they were "the" Bond story, where Skyfall very clearly sets up more adventures at the end.
I think this was the best acted Bond film yet. And numbers two and three are the first two starring Craig. Part of that is due to the fact that this movie takes itself seriously, but I think a larger part is due to the fine actors: Dame Judi Dench, the aforementioned Fiennes and Harris, Daniel Craig of course and the wonderful portrayal of the villain Silva, played by Javier Bardon.
I would remiss if I didn't mention the Oscar winning theme song, written and sung by Adelle. I'm biased because I am a fan of Adelle but I think this is one of the better, say top three at least, James Bond theme songs. I am excited that she got recognized for her work.

Skyfall on IMDb

Miami Vice (2006) Unrated Director's Cut

I'm not sure what I expected out of this movie. I knew it was set in modern day Miami, not the 1980s Miami of the television series. What about that show was it's signature? I mean not counting all of the 80s stuff. Take out the clothes and the music and you're left with a cop who lives on a boat with his alligator and his partner who is slightly more responsible and in a relationship. You have a bunch of hard as nails detectives and undercover cops who back up Crockett and Tubbs even if they don't always agree with them or even know the reason why.
You update Crockett and go from hipster to mustaches guy? What the hell was up with Colin Farrell's hair? He has this 70s porn star facial hair thing going on and longish hair that is usually blown back of slicked back and looks like a mullet. Tubbs as portrayed by Jamie Foxx was cool though.
Farrell's hair is really my only complaint about this film. Well, that and it wasn't Miami Vice. It was a better than average action film set in Miami about a couple of undercover cops who start out to bust a narcotics ring and end up taking down an International drug lord's lieutenant who is also a killer.
Gong Li as Isabella and Naomi Harris as Trudy Joplin were great as the two female love interests. They were as tough as their male counterparts, though they didn't get to shoot anybody.
I'm not sure why this was the Director's Cut. Typically when a director does a cut, they are putting back scenes that the censors and/or producers have taken out. The film was rated R, and I didn't see anything in this film that would have changed that, in fact it was noticeable how out of their way they went to not show any nudity. Maybe the director took out some of that? The movie did feel long, though and I'm guessing that the scenes of Sunny and Isabella in Cuba were added in. They add quite a bit to Crockett's character though, so I don't really mind.
This was not a bad film at all, but would it have killed them to put in at least a couple of seconds of the Axel F theme?