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Skyfall

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It's his sled! Skyfall is his sled! Well, sort of.

I'm here to tell you: size matters. If you have a chance to see this on Imax, do not imagine for a moment that the extra $3 or whatever will not be worth it. It's worth it!

But this would still be a pretty remarkable film even on the moderately big screen. Is it sacrilege to talk about theme in a Bond film? All of the Daniel Craig generation have emphasized Bond's vulnerability, the flip side of which is that he's not superhuman; he's a very human being doing things requiring the will to reach into the super, a very different thing. And that theme is present here again (along with the trope of extreme sadism that has characterized at least two of the villains--my scrotum still aches when I contemplate that scene in Casino Royale), but what this film (is it sacrilege to call a Bond movie a "film"?) is really about is time--time lost, time wasted, time regretted, and, in various ways, the past recaptured, if repurposed.

The usual gritty Bondean and M-ean performances from Craig and Judi Dench, a deliciously wicked turn from Javier Bardem (is there a better sicko in the movies today? and do you expect to see a better seduction attempt this year than that between his Silva and Bond?), and not nearly enough of Naomie Harris (she of 28 Days Later), but a clear indication that she'll be around in the future of the franchise. And don't believe reports that director Sam Mendes has drained all the humor; it's just English humor.

Trailers

• The Hobbit: Long Subtitle--Yes, I've already mentioned this when I saw the standard 2D trailer and again when I saw the 3D, but Imax raises the stakes even farther: I'll be seeing it big & deep if I can.
• Jurassic Park--Yes, it returns, in Imax 3D; yes, I think that sounds like a fine idea.
• Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters--They're grown up & sexy (Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton) & maybe a tad too close.