Superman from the seventies is a classic blockbuster film which I probably watched a hundred times as a child. Everyone’s favorite illegal alien is a superhero with awesome powers, that he must learn to use responsibly while discovering their limitations.

The movie is broken into three main parts. The first takes place on the planet Krypton with Jor-El (Marlon Brando), Superman’s father, doling out punishment to General Zod, establishing a theme of justice.

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Casino Royale is a complete “reboot” of the Bond franchise, featuring a grittier, more serious take on the beloved super spy, not unlike Batman Begins. The jury is still out whether Daniel Craig as Bond or this film will stand the test of time, but at the very least, it’s easily the best Bond film since GoldenEye.

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Rounding the corner, ths is second to last James Bond film I need to watch (the last being the new Casino Royale) on my quest to see all the Bond movies.

I was expecting to dislike this film after seeing License to Kill. But here, after a long string of progressively worse Roger Moore films, it’s surprisingly good - a stunning mesh of the Roger Moore and the Sean Connery films. It seems with every new Bond actor, the producers take a fresh look at the Bond franchise put forth their full efforts.

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This one was very entertaining. Pierce Brosnan isn’t my favorite Bond (in Tomorrow Never Dies I found him tedious) but in GoldenEye he displays a charming, youthful energy. If one smashed Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and George Lazenby together, you’d get Brosnan (note my intentional omission of Timothy Dalton).

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The Spy Who Loved Me is easily the best Roger Moore Bond outing. It evokes From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, and Thunderball - my favorite of the Sean Connery Bond adventures, but adds new elements that keep things varied, entertaining, and in a few spots, surpasses the earlier Bonds.

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Admittedly I haven’t seen too many movies in the theater this year, but this is the best film I saw in 2006. This is the type of movie where I forgot I was in a theater, as I was so caught up with the story, the characters, and how it will all work out. The film is engrossing despite a minimalist approach: Will Smith and his son, 90% of the time. It’s a testament to true acting skill that Smith not only carries this movie, but does it while running with big metal boxes.

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You know Goldfinger is awesome even before loading it in the DVD player - it’s a pop culture landmark and a high point for the James Bond franchise. Even the title speaks “Bond” - much more so than a meandering one like The World Is Not Enough. There’s a professional (almost dare I say - golden) sheen to the whole affair, from Sean Connery’s comfort as the British spy to the heavy-set, slightly warped villans. Add as additional layers a brassy score, some cute ladies, and some inventive yet confident direction - and this film oozes class.

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I think I’ve just seen one of the best, if not the best, Bond film. Suddenly I “get” what Bond is about, and why so much time spent (and so many movies made) trying to replicate the suspenseful experience that is Thunderball.

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I’m not a big James Bond fan but still find the movies reasonably entertaining. There’s enough of a mix between the standard Bond cliches (spy gadgets, car chases, nefarious evil-doers, hot babes) and unpredictable plot twists.

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