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James Bond has definitely come of age. With Daniel Craig, he’s no longer the smarmy, foxy-eyed playboy who smiles in every circumstance, and under the baton of a great director like Mendes, he has finally become human, vulnerable, emotional and with a biting past of his own. Skyfall differs from the classic Bond even more markedly than the sober Casino Royale, and while it has all the necessary ingredients that we can't imagine without after half a century in Her Majesty's service, it draws the audience into a completely new one, darker and more atmospheric dimension of the Bond universe, where the hilarious antics of tanks or mad plans to destroy the world are superseded by the subtlety of its bad guys, the intimacy of 007's relationship with his associates, and the overwhelming aura of fatality and even fear for the characters. Skyfall is a beautifully shot and extremely smart spy drama that reinterprets in a unique way the established values of its famous brand in favour of cinematic innovation and unprecedented quality. Stylish adrenaline-fuelled action, the ultimate thrilling sequence on the London Underground, the excellent Daniel Craig and the delightfully nasty Javier Bardem. Mendes and Bond on the top of their form. 90%

Very satisfied. Spectre may be a step backwards from the more sophisticated and distinctive Skyfall, but on the other hand it’s a magnificent bridge between the classic Bond universe and the modern agent with a license to kill, but most importantly to keep alive. Mendes approaches the narrative methodically and variably, at times with murderous action fervour and cold-bloodedness, and then with detachment and dry wit, just like the character of the hero he creates. The seemingly banal scene of 007's torture takes on new values as it functions as a reference to the traditions and laws of the genre, while at the same time succeeding in making the viewer empathise with Bond and his pain. It's a pity that the obligation to adhere at least partly to established genre tropes leads the script to an overly extensive and inconsistently presented criminal motif, but otherwise, as a James Bond film, it cannot be faulted from the position of a modern viewer. The film throughout wisely alternates audiovisually thrilling action sequences, which this time often resemble nostalgic classics (plane in the snow), with atmospheric narration and the development of a relationship with a fateful and narratively significant Bond girl. It's really rare to see such a cleverly structured, yet seemingly simple and effective spy film these days. 80%

Twists and turns like in Czech politics, a mangled penis and Rachel Leigh Cook's bouncing breasts. No one paid much attention to the logic, but the above, together with the endearing naivety with which this sort of story is put together, doesn't allow me to go below an average 3*. The sex scene in the graveyard is awesome.

A very suggestive and unpleasant film, which probably cannot be faulted too much within the director's vision. There were moments when I was bored, and overall, 127 Hours didn't blow me away, but at least for the final act, for James Franco and for the very original and bold execution I can't go below 4*...

Fantastic production design and performances in a boilerplate story where all the star cameos serve the sole purpose of making the viewer understand that racism is just evil and that even the people in question loudly disagree with it. The only load-bearing characters thus become the suffering Ejiofor and the awful master Fassbender, whose attempt at a more hearty psychology is obvious but sadly unsuccessful, holding the emotional raft on mere innate empathetic values – had he broken out of the "just plain evil" box and played a more original game with the downtrodden, the impact would have been many times stronger. Still, it's undoubtedly a polished piece of filmmaking that reflects the ugly spirit of a racist time very faithfully and authentically – but we certainly expected more from McQueen.

Brilliant! Terry Gilliam is known for his original and specific work, and with 12 Monkeys he brings it to absolute perfection. It's not every day that a film is so imaginatively and brilliantly directed from start to finish, and that the imagery and, above all, the plot are so varied and sophisticated that you can't help but pop the DVD back into the player and immerse yourself in the cinematic poetry with even greater intensity. It’s is not a groundbreaking work like Kubrick's Odyssey and its nowadays routine visuals won’t lift viewers from their seats, but thanks to its literally timeless story, the great performances and the endless imagination of one film crew, it’s definitely one of the gems of world filmography.

Michael Bay is a commercial filmmaker with a great grasp of basic genre scales and practices, but he cannot naturalise all the events, including the action sequences, and give them a fatal, physically painful feel. 13 Hours is a prototype of a good action flick, but it desperately lacks any innovative impulse that would elevate it to the category of excellent – the protagonist is presented using the most profane clichés and his only motivation is traditionally to return to his wife and small daughters, while the other players in the story are nothing but passer-bys, hard to tell from one another thanks to identical physical parameters in the action turmoil. The basic plot is plumped up by the annoying figure of the irrational boss, who only acts expediently to further escalate the situation, and finally the action itself doesn't make you completely surrender to it and forget everything else. We can praise the fast pace, thanks to which the runtime doesn't feel excessive, and the opening documentary passage and the related depiction of Benghazi as a real hell on earth, where killing is the order of the day. It's a more sincere and effective film than the disparate Pearl Harbor, but still too contrived and lacking in intensity, a stale looser compared to Black Hawk Down. 60%

A slightly above average whodunit that badly wants to be psychologically sophisticated, but in the end, with all its drastic twists and turns, is as unbelievable as an angry Andrew Garfield. The actors are very good and convincing, the pace is pleasant, and the twists and turns themselves are surprising, but delivered rather poorly and blandly, which is mainly related to the emotional detachment of Marvans inspector Čadek, who serves as an informational intermediary between the fable and the storyline. The potential was certainly higher.

A bit of a naive ghost story, the kind of which there have been many. And even though John Cusack is playing for dear life and all that fear is palpable, my adrenaline level didn't rise an inch during his growing madness. Besides, the filmmakers didn't know where to go and resorted to more and more obvious twists and turns, almost crossing the boundary of kitsch several times. On the other hand, they came up with a very interesting ending, which was certainly not very shocking, but it surprised me. A decent 3* for the effort, the actors and the decent atmosphere.

I don't understand why I let this film slip through my fingers for so long. It’s an amazing experience, the likes of which you just don't see. Ridley is an incredibly complex and perfectionist filmmaker able to caress you with literally every shot and can present even a seemingly boring and verbose passage in a spectacular and captivating way. Here he is greatly assisted by the great Depardieu, who was perfect for the role of Columbus, and also by Vangelis at the peak of his career, who spits out one beautiful musical motif after another. The slow pace suits Ridley and he knows how to work with it perfectly, the beautiful setting and the production design are pleasing to the eye of every viewer, and the big theme of the clash of ideas with a completely different world adds to the monumentality and epicness of the film as a whole. Two and a half hours is a pretty brutal runtime, but I enjoyed it as much as any other director (and composer) could have with this story. 85%