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Here's a look at this week's new movie. James Bond is back!

Skyfall
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Albert Finney, Javier Bardem, Ben Whishaw, Naomi Harris, and Ralph Fiennes
Synopsis: James Bond has been part of the cinematic landscape for 50 years. During that time, a number of actors have put their stamp on the role as the films have adapted to meet the times. Daniel Craig — once thought to be an unlikely choice for Bond — first inhabited the role in 2006 with “Casino Royale.” It was a Bond film like no other, and was hailed by critics and fans as a masterpiece. Some even went so far as to say it was one of the best films of the first decade of the Twenty First Century. The 2008 follow-up, “Quantum of Solace,” was a sturdy action film that lacked the depth of Craig’s first outing as Bond. Due in part to production that began during the writers’ strike, “Quantum” failed to match the level of sophistication of Craig’s first stint as Bond. Then financing woes took their toll on MGM, the studio that releases the Bond films, leading to a large layoff. Four years later, Craig is back for his third outing as Bond in “Skyfall,” a film that returns to the quality and depth of story telling that marked Craig’s first Bond outing. What I have most enjoyed with the Craig Bond films is the way that the stories have included a bit more on what makes Bond tick. “Casino Royale,” in addition to being an excellent film, offered a sort of origin story for Bond. “Quantum of Solace,” due to the production challenges, really went away from that in depth dissection of the central hero. With “Skyfall” the series returns to the idea of considering Bond as a man, including offering information about his backstory. In addition to beefing up the history on Bond, the film really focuses on Bond’s relationship with M, allowing Dench to shine in a way that hasn’t happened in a lot of Bond films. When you couple that with superb action sequences, a more nuanced story, and a great villain in Bardem, you get the recipe for a winning Bond film. Director Sam Mendes was an inspired choice to helm “Skyfall.” Having created fascinating character portraits in the past in films like “American Beauty” and “Road to Perdition” he was able to make the most of the story elements of the film. Of course, most Bond fans want to see lavish action sequences, cool gadgets, and the unstoppable force that is James Bond. “Skyfall” has all that too, which is what makes it one of the better films in the franchise. After 23 films spanning 50 years, there’s not a lot of new territory to cover in terms of what’s been seen in Bond films. Still, this film does a great job of contrasting modern information gathering challenges with classic techniques. It marries the ideas of a changing of the guard with the still present need for human intelligence gathering. It also seeks to explore a bit of the history of James Bond the man, providing an interesting context for why someone would choose the life of a spy. And all that work in developing a complex plot comes alongside the traditional action sequences, the cool cars and gadgets, and a Bond villain that presents a three-dimensional challenge. Bardem is a great choice to play the villain role, with his subtle exchanges with Bond and M providing as much punch as the lavish gun battles and chases they engage in. Ultimately it’s the performers and performances that help any film rise above, and “Skyfall” has three good ones at the center. Bardem is strong as the villain, Dench shines in an expanded role as M, and Craig continues to showcase why he was an inspired choice to play Bond. Perhaps what “Skyfall” does best is pave the way for another 50 years of Bond films by resetting the stage for Bond’s next act.
Rating: PG-13 for intense violent sequences throughout, some sexuality, language and smoking.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:

Nov. 16 — "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2," "Lincoln"

Nov. 21 — "The Silver Linings Playbook," "Red Dawn," "Rise Of The Guardians," "Hitchcock," "Life of Pi"

Nov. 30 — "Killing Them Softly"