Stunning

Rating: 9/10 (2 November 2012)

And so Bond 23 arrives, in which our hero tries to retrieve a missing record of compromised agents in order to save M's political skin.
That's it as far as synopsis is concerned. The trailer gives you an idea, but there is so much more in this film than you expect, and I don't want to spoil the finding out of it, particularly the last third, for which I was completely unprepared (including the significance of the film's title).
So let me talk in terms not specific to the story, other than to say that the story is firmly rooted in the real world, with no Spectre/Smersh-type goings on. We have an up-to-date story of espionage and revenge which is utterly credible.
And we have some terrific action pieces, spread throughout the film, some of which are unlike anything ever seen in a Bond film.
And we have excellent performances from the whole cast, with Daniel Craig, Judi Dench and Javier Bardem turning in the three best performances ever in Bond films.
And I came out of the cinema aware that, for the first time in a Bond film, what I had seen on the screen was art. This was not simply action sequences and travelogues: this was a conscious effort to put together eye-catching, beautifully composed, images, with every element of shape, colour, light and shade considered for maximum visual impact and narrative complementation.
This may not be the best Bond ever (although, if not, it comes damn close) but it is without question the best Film in the Bond series.