25 Best Reviewed Franchise Films Of The 21st Century (According To Metacritic)

17. Skyfall (81)

War For The Planet Of The Apes Cornelius
Columbia Pictures

If Casino Royale proved that 007 could thrive in the twenty-first century, then Daniel Craig's third - and best - outing showed that James Bond as a franchise didn't need to jettison all of its defining traits to succeed either, reinventing its old formula with brilliant results and to wild reviews.

After several films in the relative shadows, Judi Dench's spymaster M finally got the chance to shine on centre stage, while incoming director Sam Mendes brought an unexpected gravitas and heft to proceedings, delivering both heady spectacle and rich emotion in surprising spades.

Contributor

Something of a culture vulture, Mr Steel can historically be found in three places; the local cinema, the local stadium or the local chip shop. He is an avowed fan of franchise films, amateur cricket and power-chords.