SKYFALL NEEDS NO SAFETY NET

James Bond is back in his 23rd official outing and it may be one of the best franchise films in recent memory.  Now that MGM/UA has left their long standing financial worries behind, new life has been injected into the series.  Daniel Craig's first outing, in Casino Royale, was a good start to launch the actor into the role, but Quantum of Solace slowed the pace down a bit.  However, Skyfall is as big and bombastic as it gets with great performances from the all-star cast.  Craig is accompanied again by Dame Judi Dench as "M" and they are joined by the likes of Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes with Albert Finney along for good measure.  Other familiar characters resurface as well as Bond gets back to the globe spanning adventure he's known for.

While the plot may be a bit thin (hey, this is 007 not Shakespeare) there are some great story elements and several nods to franchise history since this is the 50th anniversary, after all.  Also, I have to point out that they've actually managed to give Bond back his sense of humor.  Craig's portrayal has been so serious until now.  He has a few of the trademark one-liners and some amusing back-and-forth dialogue with the villain and other characters.

With a running time of 2 hrs and 23 minutes, they are able to weave some good character development around the action and they finally, FINALLY give Judi Dench more screen time.  Why they have neglected to give the Academy Award winning actress so little to do or say until now is beyond me.  Overall, this is a great addition to the franchise that is now supposed to be back on track with bi-annual installments, and Daniel Craig is reportedly signed on for 2 more.  Hopefully, they will continue to weigh quality over quantity.

James Bond will return...and nobody does it better.