After a lengthy absence Bond is back with a vengeance!

Rating: 10/10 (15 December 2012)

After I first watched this film I felt it was a very good Bond film, but I was unsure just where to place it in the three Daniel Craig Bond films. Initially, I was disappointed by the fact the organization set up in the previous two films was not mentioned or used. However, the more I thought about this Bond film, the more apparent it became that this was indeed Craig's finest Bond movie yet. This is due to the increased screen time of M played once again by Judi Dench and this film basically revolves around her character as it is a bit of a farewell film for her. Sure, the organization was not used this time, but after Dr. No and From Russia with Love Spetre was given a film off for Goldfinger. So I can see them once again having James Bond face off against this mysterious group again in the next film. So basically this Bond movie was great with great action which is usually a given and an emotionally charged ending that was not expected.
The film has Bond trying to chase down a man who has vital information in his possession. Suffice to say, this Bond movie has one heck of a chase right from the get go. Unfortunately, Bond is nearly killed right from the get go as well as he is hit by friendly fire. He later turns up, but not before the information he failed to retrieve is used to attack MI6 headquarters. Someone has a grudge against M, and James Bond is on the case to track them down. He has to go to the Orient where he discovers a former 00 agent is the cause for the turmoil, this man is not what he appears to be as he is cold and calculating to the extreme. Bond soon uses M as bait as he takes her to his old family home, "Skyfall". There he will face off against this madman hellbent on revenge against M.
If I were to have a complaint about this one, it is the villain. He is good, but they do not develop him quite enough. He needs more screen time as Javier Bardem does a good job with the relatively small amount of screen time this villain receives. However, that is about the only complaint I can muster against this film. I loved how they brought back two staple characters from the movies prior to the Daniel Craig films, and while Judi Dench will be missed, I like her replacement. To me, it almost felt like the Sean Connery days as they were ending this one...and that is a good thing as Connery is my favorite Bond. Granted, Craig is close to tying him at this point.
This film was amazing. At first I did not realize how good it was, but it sticks with you long after it is over unlike so many other films that just vanish from your brain a couple of hours after viewing. It was also good how Judi Dench's M had such a major role...I loved the scene with them in the classic Bond car. It is a shame it took so long for them to get Bond back on the big screen, but I am happy to report that the film was everything one expects from a James Bond film and a bit more. Hopefully, we will not have to wait four years for the next installment, and perhaps the organization set up in Quantum returns.