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Even after 50 years, James Bond still has it.

Daniel Craig reprises the iconic role as the world's favorite super-spy in "Skyfall", the 23rd 007 film overall and 3rd to star Craig. The plot follows a decrepit Bond as he has to track down a villainous cyberterrorist, who is targeting MI6.

Right off the bat, this film gets rolling. The opening teaser is arguably the best in the series, with Bond and MI6 operative Eve (Naomie Harris) chasing an assassin (Ola Rapace) through Istanbul by car, motorcycle, and train. Battling the assassin on top of a train, Bond is accidentally shot by Eve, and presumed dead. After M (Judi Dench) finds that MI6 is under attack, the need for Bond is greater than ever.

Sam Mendes directs his action sequences surprisingly well. Mendes has a great way of making every shot, even if it is a boring, long shot of nothing, beautiful and engaging. Part of this goes to cinematographer Roger Deakins, for every single shot if sharp, clear, and beautiful. Bravo to these guys. Great job.

Of course, Daniel Craig kills it as Bond. He just seems to be getting better and better as 007. Javier Bardem is a true monster as the devilish villain Silva, who is rather frightening and disturbingly diabolical. The "Bond girls", Naomie Harris and Berenice Lim Marlohe, are both good, but are rather underused. I understand why they weren't in the movie for a very long period of time, but I can't help but ask for a little bit more screen time for the Bond girls! Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw are both standouts in there supporting roles, with the latter making Q relevant again. Oh, and not to forget Judi Dench, giving her best performance as M since "GoldenEye." She's awesome.

The story, albeit very linear, is actually refreshingly simple after the headache-inducing complexity of "Quantum of Solace". The script does have its imperfections at times, including a third act that has been heavily criticized. I, personally, loved the third act. Yes, it is a bit flimsy, but the action and intensity overshadow the logic. (NOTE: All you die-hard Bond fans out there, be looking for all the subtle references to other adventures in this. Its full of easter eggs)

THE VERDICT "Skyfall" is a memorable and action-packed film. It is most definitely the best film of 2012 since "TDKR". Filled with snappy dialogue, a great story, and a lead performance that you're likely not to forget, "Skyfall" is the best Bond ever.

"The Bourne Legacy" is prequel/sequel/spin-off/reboot of the Bourne Series. Yes, I know; there aren't many pre-se-reboot-spinoffs out there.

In "Legacy", Jason Bourne is sidelined for Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), another spy in the Bourne universe. Though, Cross is a product of "Outcome", a program that gave the agent pills called "chems" that improved their intelligence and physique. Yet, in Langley, Eric Byer (Edward Norton), an operations director, decides to "cut the program", which is spy language for "kill everyone involved". Cross teams up with scientist Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) as they head to the Phillipines to get the chems, while every operative with a finger and a gun is on their trail.

"The Bourne Legacy" has garnered very mixed reviews; some really like it, some really hate it, some are in-betweeners. I am one who really liked it. Comparing "Legacy" to the originals, more specifically "Ultimatum", is like comparing "Batman Returns" to "The Dark Knight". A good movie to a fantastic one.

If "Legacy" was a regular spy movie with no connection to Bourne, it would definitely be in higher regard. But, as it has the "Bourne" name associated with it, certain things were expected: 1. Insane non-stop action. 2. Insane non-stop action. 3. More action.

"Legacy" is extremely dialogue driven. About 3/4 of this movie is dialogue. And the dialogue is very technical, and very scientific, and it flies way over some people's heads. The previous Bourne films were not filled with this technical jargon.

The performances, though, are very good. Renner and Weisz are absolutely perfect in their roles. Renner perfectly captures the manhunting super agent with ease. He's a natural action hero, and one of my favorite actors. Though Edward Norton is devilishly underused. His character merely sits behind a screen and barks orders.

The Verdict: When you go into "Legacy", don't expect insane non-stop action. Yes, when the action happens, it is really awesome. But this is a dialogue-driven spy movie with lots of high-vocabulary dialogue. I really enjoy dialogue-driven films, and this film does entertain. A-

"The Dark Knight Rises" is a truly amazing film that pushes the boundaries of superhero movies in general. Director Christopher Nolan has once again constructed a film with great acting, a brilliantly concocted plot, and a memorable finale.

Following the events of 2008's "The Dark Knight", "TDKR" picks up 8 years later. Batman is public enemy #1, and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is a recluse. Haunted by the memories of his past, Bruce confines himself to the aging halls of Wayne Manor. He springs back into action to stop a sinister plot by the nefarious Bane (Tom Hardy).

The acting in the film is spot on. Bale gives a tremendous performance as the tormented Bruce Wayne. In the supporting cast, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are also (as per usual) very good. Tom Hardy gives an extraordinary performance as Bane, and shows so much emotion by only using his eyes. Phenomenal. Though, the best performance may go to Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the optimistic police detective, John Blake. JGL captures the optimism and determination that once fueled both the Batman and Jim Gordon.

Now myself, being a huge Batman fan, found the Nolan did a great job incorporating different Batman mythos, like "The Dark Knight Returns," which chronicled Bruce Wayne returning to his role of the Batman. Also, the game "Batman: Arkham City" can be seen in some aspects of the story.

The finale of the film is as brilliant as it could be. I won't give anything away, but Nolan perfectly wraps up the series like a master.

The verdict: "TDKR" is a masterfully made film by my favorite director, Chris Nolan. Yes, it is my favorite movie ever, because of its thrilling story, gritty action, and top-notch acting. A+