History Awesome / Skyfall

* Eve. One of the most formidable {{Action Girl}}s in the Bond franchise - undoubtedly a BadassDriver, and also a CombatPragmatist (she introduced that metal suitcase to at least one mook) and handy in a firefight. Pity she gives it all up to be a SassySecretary... but she is THE SassySecretary, Moneypenny, the first Bond girl. The original and the best.

** Bond's entrance on the train. He tears a hole in the roof of a carriage with a digger, LEAPS THROUGH THE HOLE WHILE THE TRAIN'S STILL IN MOTION... and casually stops to readjust his cufflinks. Win. Even better is the fact that wasn't CGI, nor was it a stuntman. That was really Creator/DanielCraig and that was a real train! And it wasn't even scripted! (the cufflink adjustment, that is).
** Bond and Patrice's vicious hand-to-hand fight on the roof of the train. It's a pity that it gets cut short by M's poor decision and Eve's mistake.

%%* Bond's takedown of Silva's men after Silva kills Severine.

* Eve. One of the most formidable [[ActionGirl Action Girls]] in the Bond franchise - undoubtedly a BadassDriver, and also a CombatPragmatist (she introduced that metal suitcase to at least one mook) and handy in a firefight. Pity she gives it all up to be a SassySecretary... but she is THE SassySecretary, Moneypenny, the first Bond girl. The original and the best.

** Three words. [[BraveScot "Welcome to Scotland!"]] What makes it awesome? Said Scotsman is just a groundskeeper and game hunter for Bond's family. Yet he manages to take on {{Mook}}s armed with the latest weapons and tactics with nothing more than his old hunting shotgun ''and survive''!

-->'''M:''' Just one more thing to say. My late husband was a great lover of poetry. And um...I suppose some of it sunk in, despite my best intentions. And here today I remember this. I think, from Tennyson:
-->We are not now that strength which in [[GloryDays old days]]
-->Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
-->One equal temper of heroic hearts,
-->[[DentedIron Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will]]
-->[[{{Determinator}} To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.]]
-->''[As she says the last word, Silva and his men walk in, disguised as police officers. They raise their pistols and shoot the guards, and a shootout ensues]''

** Bond chasing Patrice on motorcycles across the rooves of Instanbul is an instant classic stunt for the franchise.

** Bond's entrance on the train. He tears a hole in the roof of a carriage with a digger, LEAPS THROUGH THE HOLE WHILE THE TRAIN'S STILL IN MOTION...and casually stops to readjust his cufflinks. Win. Even better is the fact that wasn't CGI, nor was it a stuntman. That was really Creator/DanielCraig and that was a real train! And it wasn't even scripted! (the cufflink adjustment, that is).

* Bond captures Silva: "[[WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys The latest thing from Q branch]] – it's called a radio!" Particularly beautiful as it comes after Bond has endured many jibes about his age, "old-fashioned" methods and supposed obsolescence. The victory with the radio shows that, as a character comments later in the movie, "sometimes the old ways are the best".

** Three words. [[BraveScot "Welcome to Scotland!"]] What makes it awesome? Said Scotsman is just a groundskeeper and game hunter for Bond's family. Yet he manages to take on {{Mooks}} armed with the latest weapons and tactics with nothing more than his old hunting shotgun ''and survive''!

--> '''M:''' To hell with dignity. I'll leave when the job is done.

!!Meta

* ''Skyfall'' is the first (and to this day, only) Bond film to break a billion dollar at the worldwide box office (unadjusted). It is also the highest grossing film of Creator/SonyPictures, until the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse film ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome''. As of 2020 it is the highest grossing film of Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer.
* The Oscar-nominated cinematography by the legendary Roger Deakins. Just about every shot in the film is a gobsmacking beauty, notably the opening chase scene, the fight with Patrice silhouetted against a neon billboard, and the scenes with Skyfall in fiery ruins.
* The film's critical acclaim undeniably added to its box office glory, [[AndYouThoughtItWouldFail smashing much doomsaying]] that was caused by the divisiveness of ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' and the long production gap (4 years). 2012 was the [[MilestoneCelebration 50th anniversary]] of the movie franchise (''Film/DrNo'' came out in 1962), and ''Skyfall'' didn't disappoint on such an important milestone.
* The title song by Music/{{Adele}} wound up being the very first James Bond theme to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Its popularity ever since is on par with Music/ShirleyBassey's medleys.
* The 2012 UsefulNotes/OlympicGames brought a lot of worldwide attention to UsefulNotes/{{London}} and britishness in general, and greatly helped promoting the film (also resonating with M's speech and London's prominence in the film). James Bond was part of said celebration of britishness, of course. Creator/DannyBoyle directed [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AS-dCdYZbo&t=41s a short film]] for the occasion, in which Bond (Creator/DanielCraig) escorted none other than [[UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen Queen Elizabeth II]] herself to the games' opening ceremony. They[[note]]well, their stunt doubles[[/note]] even ''jumped'' from a helicopter right into the Olympic Stadium with [[PatrioticFervor Union Jack parachutes]] remniniscent of ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe'''s opening.