James Bond is back in his newest film, “Skyfall.” After “Quantum of Solace” left many viewers disappointed, “Skyfall” exceeds far beyond expectations, and may be one of the best Bond movies ever.

The film stars Daniel Craig as a more down to Earth, vulnerable Bond in the most emotional installment of the series to date. Bond must face off against ex-MI6 agent, the British version of the C.I.A., and cyber terrorist Raoul Silva, portrayed flawlessly by Javier Bardem. Silva is out to destroy MI6, and kill Bond’s boss M (Judi Dench). This all is occurring while M is coming under fire from her superiors for her organization’s failures.

Bond is pushed to his limits like never before, both physically and mentally, in what is perhaps the best Bond flick of all time. Why is the movie so good? It breaks away from the past, while still remaining a Bond movie at heart.

A great example of this would be Bond’s gadgets. Bond always had high tech gadgets in his past movies, but recently the gizmos and techno toys given to Bond became increasingly silly. “Skyfall” strikes a perfect balance, Bond has his cool gadgets (watch the movie to find out), but they aren’t outlandish.

The film’s characters are excellently written and portrayed. The villain is diabolical, yet believable and three dimensional. All other characters are realistic, and even Bond is more human than ever. The movie also provides lots of comic relief for the audience, which is much needed since this is one of the darker Bond films in the franchise. Craig is no longer the dull Bond he was in “Quantum of Solace,” he is now a human and not an emotionless killer.

“Skyfall” may be the best Bond movie ever, and certainly in the top three. While it is hard to let go of the glamorous classics, this movie offers something new. “Skyfall” is a must-see for classic Bond lovers and new fans alike.

Rating: 4(out of 5)