15 Best Action Movies Of The Last 10 Years

At once a celebration of the Bond franchise’s rich history and something completely different for 007, Skyfall proved to be the biggest commercial and among the greatest critical successes in the series’ history. With a tight plot, great pacing, and of course the usual plethora of breathless action sequences, Skyfall may just have reset the benchmark for the besuited spy.

Daniel Craig’s USP was to inject more humanity into James Bond, and he certainly does so here, acting his age as a spy whose best days are behind him. He’s tasked with tracking down a former MI6 colleague who has descended into a life of crime.

As portrayed by the great Javier Bardem, Raoul Silva is a great Bond baddie, presented as an alternate universe Bond - two damaged men trained and possibly let down by the government. Silva’s vendetta against M makes this one of 007’s most personal assignments yet, and draws a series-best performance from Judi Dench.

Skyfall’s success comes from its variety, from far flung chase scenes to London underground action and even a tense standoff in the Highlands. It proved just how much life remains in the venerable franchise.