Skyfall

I saw my first James Bond movie in 1962. Every Saturday I would go to the Village Theatre in Coronado for the matinee, never having any idea what was showing. I would just go, get my Flicks and a Coke, and sit down. I saw a lot of turkeys, as you can imagine, but I also saw some gems like Wizard of Oz ("What?! A black and white movie?!) and Dr. No.

Skyfall is as good as those early Bond films, if not better. And better than the first two Craig Bond films, if I may. Casino Royale was awfully good, showing us a young, untried Bond killing his first spy. Quantum of Solace was as much a mystery as the title. Skyfall, although its title is a mystery, is a perfect gem, and the meaning of the title is eventually revealed.

Our Bond is self-assured in this third version, although he still has his issues. He apparently has an orphan issue, as this movie reveals, and it's through his relationship with M (played stunningly by Judi Dench) that we learn about this. M has a few issues, too, and it's great fun to get a tease of her history with MI6.

Javier Bardem is our laughing hero this time, and although he's quite colorful (and rather persistent), he's kind of a retread of so many other villains in, if not Bond history, comic book history. In fact, think Joker Light and you'll be there.

I highly recommend Skyfall. It's not only entertaining, it will stay with you days if not weeks later. Thumb's up.