The first trailer for upcoming James Bond movie Skyfall was released this morning.

Set for release in UK cinemas on 26th October, the film is directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty) and stars Daniel Craig in the role of 007 for a third time.

Here CultBox‘s writers share their first impressions of 007’s 50th anniversary outing…

David Lewis says: “Despite portrayals by an Aussie and an Irishman, James Bond’s innate Britishness was never more than a call to his Savile Row tailor away – until Daniel Craig took over and things got personal, a vendetta for Vesper superseding duty to Queen and Country.

“However, this teaser implies Skyfall will seek to redress the balance. Union Jack-covered coffins, a variety of London views and a derailed Tube train smashing through a wall hint at a rediscovery of the character’s British roots (although a scene of a bristly Bond being debriefed in a cell suggests his current incarnation’s capacity for going off-message hasn’t been completely reined in).

“The immediately iconic shot of 007, M and an Aston Martin staring down a misty Scottish glen has an authentic air of Albion that Madonna would give her entire collection of disco leotards to attain.”

Rob Smedley says: “Let’s do some more word association: Locations… exotic. Action… thrilling. Craig… magnetic. Skyfall‘s teaser takes a heady measure of Bond’s tailored ‘Queen & Country’ patriotism, and then runs an exploding Tube train into it.

“Like the first sip of a long-awaited Martini, it’s a teaser that’s invigorating yet thrillingly familiar. From a glorious palette of strikingly-shot locations (yes, somehow even a dreich Scottish valley looks sexy) come the reassuring usual flavours: girls, guns, Union flags, explosions and a classic Aston Martin DB5. It’s a cocktail we’ve indulged in 22 times before, but we never tire of the taste. No sign of Ben Whishaw’s Q yet, but we need something to keep us salivating for the main trailer.

“Craig’s Bond is still the gritty, muscular force majeure in a tux, though for all his strength it seems once again he’s a man haunted by more than his tailor’s bill. What is Skyfall? All we know is that we want to find out. One more word association: Skyfall… now. Please.”

Ian McArdell says: “The word association scene is intriguing. Might it suggest we have Bond as a rogue agent once again? More importantly, I wonder if we’re looking at a story set either in part or wholly in flashback – perhaps recalling a mission gone wrong, or badly, with a high loss of life. That shot of eight Union flag draped coffins is pretty evocative.

“It’s great to see London prominent, with Bond running down the middle of Whitehall away from Parliament Square. A bomb at a state occasion?

“Probably the most exciting thing here is what is not shown. There is no real hint of the enemy to come, just the title word. It could be anything, but whatever Bond has had to do to stop it obviously haunts him. Has M finally asked too much of her blunt instrument?”

> Order the James Bond 50th anniversary Blu-ray boxset on Amazon, containing all 22 films.

What do you think of the trailer? Let us know below…