Daniel Craig's third outing as James Bond in Skyfall has been lauded, as has the film itself, by fans and critics alike. But perhaps the unsung hero in the Bond film, is, ironically, the villain. "We've always said, any Bond film is only as good as the villain," explained producer Barbara Broccoli.

Javier Bardem's version of the Bond Villain - the 23rd of its kind in cinematic form - is excellent. He's gone from tear-jerking (and we mean tear-jerking) roles in Biutiful, to silent killer in No Country For Old Men, and the alchemy of the two: enigmatic and heartfelt, are facets of his performance in Skyfall that have lead to people calling him the best Bond Villain ever. "The guy is really, really confident about himself in a weird way. He definitely thinks he's the most beautiful man in the world," Bardem tells USA Today. "You have to work on two different levels," he adds. "One is to make him as real as possible. And the other is to fly a little bit higher than the rest of the characters. You are allowed to do that. Because that is what people are expecting to see when you play a Bond villain, especially since the films are turning 50 years."

America get their IMAX taste of Bond tomorrow (Nov 8th), with the general release happening the day after.