Skyfall

James Bond is back. 

And in the 50^th year of the series, we get one of the best 007 films to date. Some Bond films have weighed style over substance, but the better films, Thunderball, Goldfinger, Goldeneye, Casino Royale—and this glorious one, have both.

Director Sam Mendes, obviously schooled in the Christopher Nolan School of Rebirthing Heroes, does a bang up job of delivering thrills to old and new fans and raising the bar on what to expect from a 007 movie in 2012.

It doesn’t hurt that Mendes has Daniel Craig, in full possession of the role, alongside Judi Dench (M) and pitted against an exceptional Javier Bardem (Silva) as the latest Bond villain. And did I mention the Ashton Martin yet? My vote for Best Supporting Actor.

Simply put: It’s what you like about Bond, shaken slightly. And a near perfect film. Trimming the back section a bit would have taken it to A+.

Award potential: If there was ever a time to nominate a Bond movie for one of the possible ten Best Pictures, it would be Bond’s 50^th year. And since enough studios own this film, there’s a reasonable chance.

In a long shot for Best Supporting Actor, Javier Bardem’s villian is every bit as good as Heath Ledger’s celebrated Joker and a nice nod to the anniversary. One thing for sure, you can expect to hear Adele’s haunting Skyfall piece as Best Original Song on Oscar night.

The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks.