3. Supporting Players
In addition to having some of the best direction, scoring and cinematography of the entire Bond series, it also boasts what is easily the most accomplished, talented cast of any entry to date. Various Oscar nominees and winners round out the pack, and while there's no denying the brilliant casting of series mainstays like Craig and Dench, even the relatively small roles are extremely well-cast; Ralph Fiennes as stuffed shirt G-man Mallory is a hoot, Albert Finney appears in act three as Bond's old mentor, and the Bond girls - Berenice Marlohe and Naomi Harris - if taking a back seat to Dench this time around, are more convincing than many of the recent ones. Heck, even tiny roles, such as a committee member investigating M's troubled past, is played by Helen McRory. Particular praise has to go to Ben Whishaw, though, taking the difficult mantle of portraying a young Q, and absolutely running away with it.