Pretty Good

Rating: 8/10 (20 November 2006)

Firstly I must say that this film has been greatly over-hyped. But having said that it is very entertaining. The plot is highly unlikely and very far fetched but then which Bond film isn't? The difference here is the lazy charm and cold violence of 007. We must not forget that Bond is an assassin (you don't get a licence to kill for nothing) and lately he has been reduced to a a swarve, middle aged commando. Craig makes him something human, direct and brutal. He is slightly cold but not without a humorous streak - usually at his own expense. Very hard to judge him as a new Bond - because he is so unlike any previous Bond. But the fight scenes, chases and general pace keep up the interest. It's a good escape for 2 hours. It would actually be an interesting exercise to re-visit the original books and re-make them as Fleming wrote them. With today's technology we could even set them in the fifties and sixties - now that would be a challenge! - and Craig is probably the man to carry it off,