Even as someone who grew up on bank holiday viewings of the series, it's sometimes hard to get truly enthusiastic about the release of a new Bond movie. We'll always go and see a new 007 adventure, but the longevity of the series, and the relatively formulaic nature of it, means that it's something we've come to take for granted, not least because for every great installment like a "Goldeneye" or a "Casino Royale," there's a "Die Another Day" or "Quantum Of Solace" right behind it to kill the mood.
But as "Skyfall," the 23rd official entry into the series, and the first in four years, comes closer, we're finding ourselves champing at the bit to see it. The hiring of the cast and crew — Sam Mendes directing, Roger Deakins shooting the film, new additions to the cast including Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw — made it look like a good proposition on paper, and every piece of footage released so far made it seem like we might be looking at a film that even tops Daniel Craig's first film in the role in its combination of big-scale action and genuine drama. Hell, even Adele's theme song is the best in years for the series.
Our expectations haven't been lowered by the first clip from the film, which was unveiled on Yahoo overnight, as part of the 'Bond Day' celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of 007 on screen. It's a brief bit of footage — 30 seconds or so — taken from the Turkey-set opening sequence of the film, as Bond and Harris' Eve pursue Ola Rapace's no-goodnik on a train. 007 not being known for his subtlety,does so by cutting the end of a train off with a digger.
Again, it's very brief, but the action's well shot and spectacular, and there's a couple of moments of humanity (Bond wavering a little just before he jumps, that cufflink-adjusting button from the trailer) that suggests it might not just be superheroic spectacle. Anyway, further evidence than fans of the franchise might be in for something special when the film hits on November 9th. Watch the clip below.