Photo By Karen Ballard

Eric Bana (left) and Geoffrey Rush star in Steven Spielberg's Munich, a story set in the aftermath of the 1972 Olympic Games.

The childlike thrills of his recent War of the Worlds remake are over, and director Steven Spielberg's reputation as the creator of movie roller coasters remains rock solid. If audiences crave something adult and challenging from the world's most famous moviemaker, it's a good chance Spielberg feels the same way. No filmmaker can be frivolous all the time, no matter how skilled he is at family entertainments. E.T. , Jaws and the Indiana Jones movies are Spielberg's calling cards, but he wants to be taken seriously as an artist. Munich, a solemn espionage thriller with clear political messages about the cost of violence and retaliation, is the result of that artistic desire.

Archival footage by ABC announcer Jim McKay sets up the dark tale. Munich is about the Israeli government's mission to find and kill the Palestinians responsible for the kidnapping and assassination of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and it's as skilled and visually rich as any of Spielberg's popcorn movies. (Every facet of the film is top-notch thanks to cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, production designer Rick Carter and composer John Williams.)

What sets it apart is its emotional weight and intimate drama. Knee-jerk liberalism and heavy-handed sentimentality squashed past Spielberg efforts at adult drama: Amistad, Schindler's List and Empire of the Sun. But Munich is more substantial than any Spielberg film except The Color Purple. The key is that Hollywood's most influential filmmaker has made a movie that's practically sentiment free.

Avner (Eric Bana) is a young father and member of Mossad, the Israeli secret police, chosen to lead Israeli assassins secretly sent to Europe to hunt down and kill the terrorists, members of a Palestinian group called Black September. Ephraim (Geoffrey Rush) is the Mossad leader who reports to Prime Minister Golda Meir (Lynn Cohen) and administers the covert mission labeled "Operation Wrath of God."

Steve (Daniel Craig) is a member of Avner's team, a trigger-happy assassin willing to do anything for Israel. Hans (Hanns Zschler) might be the most sober member of the team, a veteran document forger. Robert (Matthieu Kassovitz) is a Belgian toy maker turned explosives expert. Carl (Ciaran Hinds), a quiet, fatherly type with a fedora and pipe, cleans up and confirms every kill.

Munich is gripping, frightening and powerful because Spielberg and screenwriters Tony Kushner (Angels in America) and Eric Roth (The Insider) emphasize espionage tensions over sociopolitical advocacy. Spielberg calls the film a "prayer for peace," but that's just publicity rhetoric.

He's made a razor-sharp espionage thriller. Better yet, Spielberg opens the minds of the Israeli assassins and the Palestinian Black September terrorists. With Munich, Spielberg excites us with murderous spy games and then shows us the cost of killing.

Some have lambasted the film for its sympathy to the Palestinian cause, the fact that Spielberg, Kushner and Roth do not portray the terrorists as simple movie villains. But it's worth noting that Spielberg does not include the 1973 killing of a Moroccan waiter in Norway who was mistaken for a Black September leader for the sake of keeping the storytelling quick. He cuts slack for both sides.

Munich has sweaty tension because of its balanced portrayals of good and bad and the gray areas they occupy. Love of country and family keeps the Israeli assassins dedicated to their dangerous cause. The Black September terrorists share a similar passion for their Palestine homeland. Both sides shed blood for their cause.

The book Vengeance by Canadian journalist George Jonas, about the hunt for members of Black September, is the source for Munich. But the film is less political than recent dramas Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck. Any comment on U.S. politics and its response to terrorism today is left beneath the surface. Munich is an espionage thriller first, closer in spirit to a John LeCarré novel.

Bana looks intense with deep-set brown eyes, thick, dark hair and a piercing gaze that sees for miles. He's equal parts handsome and serious as Avner, the source of the film's suspense, a tireless soldier who sacrifices much to serve his country. Bana has proven himself to be the best thing in flawed films like The Hulk and Troy. With Munich, he shines in the spotlight he deserves.

Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer (Nina's Tragedies) is warm and pretty as Daphna, Avner's young wife and the heart of the movie. She's the best example of what Avner gives up for duty to his country.

By film's end, the shootings, elaborate booby traps and explosions lead to self-doubt by the Israeli assassins and concern that the Palestinian fight for their own homeland might be impossible to stop. Munich is rich and complex enough to generate various responses. Some will take issue with the film's treatment of Middle East politics. Others will connect the film with current debate about the U.S. Patriot Act and our own battle with terrorism.

What Spielberg does differently in Munich is to downplay his trademark wholesomeness. The killings of the Israeli athletes during a botched airport rescue occur in grainy flashbacks and vivid nightmares. But the retaliatory bomb blasts by Avner and his men shake one's senses because these characters are believable and alive.

Jaws and E.T. remain Spielberg's standout films. He's best at children's fantasies and action thrill rides. But Munich reminds audiences that, when he chooses, he can tackle a sensitive subject, generate adult tension and make a political comment. Grade: B+