
On to the film itself. I was a big fan of Casino Royale which sits at #1 on my personal list of favorite Bond movies. This one picks up the storyline of Vesper Lynd's death in the previous movie and how Bond goes on a rogue tirade to avenge her death. The plot is not as intricate as Casino Royale but Daniel Craig still plays Bond well and gives the character an edgy quality not seen in previous incarnations. Craig now seems to be on par with Sean Connery as the best Bond actor to-date. The rest of the cast is merely serviceable with the exception of Judi Dench as "M" who commands the attention of the audience whenever she is on screen. There are some good chase scenes in this film that feature both automotive and nautical methods of transportation as well as some brutally real hand-to-hand combat. The Bond girl is played by Olga Kurylenko, whose beauty stands up to the "Bond Girl" pedigree. She has a few ass-kicking scenes of her own as well. The villianous piece of this movie is not very imposing. The Quantum organization didn't really give off the feel of an ominous threat to humanity.
Overall I would give this film a 3.5 out of 5. The effects and pacing are pretty well-done but the plot just isn't as engrossing as what we saw in Casino Royale.
It falls within the top half of Bond films but it feels like more of a letdown since it followed Royale. I'm hoping the next Bond (due in 2011) puts the Vesper plot aside and focuses on a new more-worthy villian to go head-to-head with Craig, who has a chance to be the best Bond ever if he gets the right material to work with. Since Harry Potter is winding down, I submit one Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) as a pefect choice to be the next Bond villian.
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