007 Heaven

Rating: 7/10 (30 September 2008)

Daniel Craig dons the famous Tux as a new grittier "Bond" in this spectacular and intense 007 outing.
No doubt there was a fair amount of eyebrow raising ("Roger Moore-style" obviously) when the blonde Daniel Craig was chosen as the latest incarnation of the super-cool British spy, but I'm more than happy to report that he carries the role off with steely aplomb, managing to bring a colder, more mercenary feel to the somewhat cartoonish elements of previous actors (Sean Connery withstanding).
The sets are spectacular, the chases and fights exciting and brutal, the women wonderfully sexy (Eva Green especially), and the poker game finale both tense and engrossing (if statistically highly unlikely due to the odds of dealt cards being millions to one, but never mind that). Critics doubted that you could make Bond relevant for the 21st century but director Martin Campbell (who also oversaw "Goldeneye") has managed it with panache. He might not care how his Martini is fixed but Bond is back  take a hard look.