SKYFALL
Thrilling, emotional Bond adventure with strong Christian themes—for adults only.
Should You Watch It?
SKYFALL is one of the most thrilling and satisfying James Bond movies, with Daniel Craig and Judi Dench giving their best performances in the series, according to this review. Its second half deepens the personal conflict and delivers an unusually emotional impact, especially for long-time Bond fans.
The film also has strong patriotic and redemptive themes. References to past sins, resurrection, a priest’s hole, and a church contribute to a moral and Christian dimension. But the movie’s sexual content remains its biggest problem: two implied sexual encounters, flirting, passionate kisses, homosexual innuendo, and foul language accompany the violence.
If you are an adult able to weigh those concerns, SKYFALL is worth seeing; it is not appropriate for children or young teenagers.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESJames Bond tries to recover a list naming undercover NATO agents in terrorist groups around the world. After a serious wound and a dangerous fall, Bond goes into hiding.
He returns when a former British spy launches a revenge campaign against M, Bond’s female boss, and threatens to sell five undercover-agent names each week. Bond must recover from his injuries, protect M, and stop the villain before the conflict becomes even more personal.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means SKYFALL is an outstanding Bond film. The review praises its thrilling action, superb script and direction, excellent production, and especially strong performances from Daniel Craig and Judi Dench. Javier Bardem’s villain is described as creepy and effective.
The movie’s emotional power is a particular strength. Its deepened Bond-and-M relationship, patriotic themes, and affectionate homage to the Aston Martin and GOLDFINGER give the film unusual dramatic weight. The ending delivers a strong emotional impact, making SKYFALL one of the most compelling and satisfying Bond movies.
The Worldview
SKYFALL presents a strong but marred moral worldview. It exalts patriotic duty, personal commitment, service, loyalty, and the willingness to protect others at great personal risk. Bond’s return to duty and his commitment to M give the story a strong moral center.
The film also includes redemptive and Christian elements. It refers to past sins, calls Bond’s return “resurrection,” places Bond and M in a “priest’s hole,” and includes a major scene in a church. These elements are balanced against the Bond series’ typical heterosexual pagan hedonism, implied sexual immorality, and a scene involving homosexual innuendo. The villain’s violent revenge is rebuked, though the film also includes some lying.
The story’s patriotic viewpoint is strong, but it includes an implied criticism of the moral compromises made when the British government gave Hong Kong back to Communist Party leadership in China. Its moral strengths are significant, but its sexual content and other negative elements decisively mar the whole.
The film’s language of sin, redemption, and resurrection points toward humanity’s need for more than self-recovery: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong but marred moral worldview overall with very strong patriotic viewpoint and messages as James Bond battles a revenge-minded villain selling names of NATO undercover agents in terrorist groups to the highest bidder, including terrorists, and with some overt Christian and strong redemptive content, but also with some of the typical heterosexual pagan hedonism that’s usually displayed in the Bond movies, plus an implied criticism of the moral compromises the British government made when it gave back Hong Kong to the tyrannical Communist Party leadership in China and some homosexual elements in one scene when effeminate villain taunts James Bond in a homosexual way and Bond turns the tables by making a joke about it; 14 obscenities, two strong profanities, five light profanities, plus one possible “f” word during intense moment that was hard to hear for certain; strong action violence with a little blood includes chase scenes, gunfights, villain shoots woman in head from a distance but graphic effects aren’t shown, hero shot in upper shoulder, but he musters through it, hero shot again and plunges into fast-flowing river and starts sinking, hero plays dangerous drinking game with a menacing scorpion on his hand with the drink in it, villains shot with machine guns, people wounded with gunshots, a stabbing, subway car plunges through one floor and into a large basement underground, hero starts to dig shrapnel out of his scarred wound but camera moves away as he finishes doing that, explosions, villain shows he has a prosthetic in his mouth that leaves his face deformed when he removes it, and he blames James Bond’s boss for the injury, and giant lizard drags a man into its hidden lair to be eaten; two scenes of implied fornication, two passionate kissing scenes includes one in a shower above the chest and one while hero is lifting woman up in his arms next to a bed, some light sexual repartee or flirting, and one scene includes effeminate villain taunting a tied up James Bond in a homosexual way by talking intimately and lightly touching Bond’s neck; upper male nudity, female cleavage, and implied female nudity in shower; alcohol use; brief smoking but no drugs; and, villain’s revenge becomes violent but it’s rebuked, some lying.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Bond’s loyalty and service are tested by painful circumstances. What does faithful service look like when obedience costs us personally?
John 15:13 · Philippians 2:3–4The film refers to past sins and resurrection. What is the difference between merely starting over and receiving true redemption?
1 John 1:9 · 2 Corinthians 5:17The villain pursues revenge, but the movie rebukes his violence. Why does Scripture warn us not to repay evil for evil?
Romans 12:19–21SKYFALL presents patriotism as a serious duty. How can love for one’s country be honored without replacing loyalty to God?
Matthew 22:21 · Acts 5:29The Final Word
SKYFALL is beautifully made, emotionally powerful, patriotic, and unusually redemptive for a Bond film. Its sexual content, profanity, and violence still make it unsuitable for children and young teenagers. For discerning adults, it is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For a safer family choice, see.
