Z/Web

This is definitely a different Bond. My feelings are mixed: there are things I liked and things I didn’t. Daniel Craig is fine, and I like the “reboot” of the Bond franchise, but Craig’s grittier Bond isn’t carried through all the way leaving us with a fractured, mixed-bag Bond that is quite like the old Bonds yet isn’t new enough to be his own. I was also somewhat disappointed with the rather ordinary plot; while there are some action scenes, they feel inserted rather than part of the story, and much of the talky scenes go on way too long to the point of ponderousness. Craig is also given exhorbitant highlight scenes (him coming up dripping wet out of the water, etc.) which feel like silly Baywatch style slow-mo. There are a few sparkling moments: the super-human acrobatics on the cranes at the construction site, the delightful repartie Bond shares with his female love interest, and some of the poker scenes. But too much feels too ordinary; I wanted either the glamour and pizzaz of the splashier Bonds, or gritty realism. Instead I got this awkward mix. Note that this isn’t Craig’s fault and we can’t judge his Bond on this one script; I’d give him one more shot and see what he can do with the role. I suspect that the series will only get better (new Bonds are always a slightly awkward fit at first, Pierce Brosnan being the exception). All that said, this is definitely worth seeing. People have different tastes and you need to judge for yourself. I should also add that there wasn’t enough of the Bond theme music. Why was that? That great theme totally sets the tone and gets you in the mood. Without it the film just didn’t feel like a 077 movie.