One of Spielberg's best

Rating: 9/10 (17 January 2014)

A reminder that Spielberg can make strong, mature films for adult viewers when he knuckles down to it, in comparison to the usually sentimental and twee offerings he makes for kiddie audiences. MUNICH is an often gripping world-hopping thriller that outdoes the likes of Ridley Scott's SPY GAME in terms of international espionage.
It helps that the central narrative is strong and ever-moving: a team of assassins are set up by the Israeli government to kill the Palestinian terrorists responsible for the murder of Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics. Violent death, condemnation and retribution are the central themes here, dealt with a more subtle approach than you might have expected.
Spielberg's cinematography is impressive, as it avoids flashiness and super-fast editing to instead provide an old-fashioned, '70s-style piece of tense filmmaking. The script is strong and the cast stronger; Eric Bana gives a reminder of why he was once leading man material back in the day, Daniel Craig shines in a supporting role, Ciaran Hind is splendid, as ever, and Mathieu Amalric steals all of his scenes. MUNICH is a great film and clearly one of the director's best.