Best Bond since Connery

Rating: 8/10 (7 December 2006)

Remember all the tabloid controversy surrounding Daniel Craig's appointment as 007? Many considered Clive Owen a superior option (Why? because he wore a tux in Mike Hodges Croupier!) and that Craig's blondness somehow counted against him. The good news is that Craig will now be holding a wry smile over that craggy face as, in this reviewers humble opinion, he is the best Bond since Connery.
The once familiar franchise of girls, global domination obsessed villains and gadgets has been reborn. Taking the gritty, character based ethos of the Bourne films as its blueprint this prequel shows the origins of Bond on his first mission, providing a glimpse into the psychology of the man.
A character study although still with the requisite adrenaline pumping action scenes, cracking stunt work and espionage foibles we have come to expect, this is a Bond film like never seen before. Previous 007 outings have taken the same well weathered plot outline and run with it. In this instance you are left hooked until the final reel unsure of what is to be the outcome lost, like Bond, in a growing web of intrigue.
Craig harks back to Ian Fleming's notion of Bond as ruthless killer, brilliantly set up in a simple, brutal pre credits sequence. He may have Connery's cruel charm but has certainly put in the hours for the part in terms of physique to give a more convincing rendition that would surely have satisfied the author.
Bond's infamous one liners are used sparingly and Craig makes them work. His characterisation operates on the basis of a man who keeps his cards close to his chest (no pun intended!), with an undercurrent of emotional repression which is gradually released as the film develops, a real, three dimensional character.
Best bit? An unusual choice maybe but check out the dialogue between Bond and Vesper (a stunning Eva Green) during a train journey as both attempt to work the other out and the sexual tension rises throughout classic battle of the sexes wordplay.
Highly recommended, particularly compared to most formulaic action fare, this has brains and balls. The screenwriters and producers have breathed new life into a franchise that looked to be unalterable. Bond is back and is now no longer the camp, innuendo ridden ham we have come to expect but cool, classy, brutal and, most importantly, has an element of depth and gravitas.