Oh... my... god... Thank you for this new and reinvented Bond!

Rating: 10/10 (11 April 2007)

If you've seen any, better yet, all of the Bond movies, then you know what to expect when you go to see another installment of the franchise - the wise-cracking one-liners, the always perfect hair, the gadgets that border on the ridiculous, larger than life villains and their evil world domination plans, disposable bond-girls, "shaken, not stirred" and of course, the spectacular finish, where everything explodes and collapses.
Yeah. Go expect that. And be blown away. For I certainly was. Honestly, this is not just the best Bond movie I've ever seen (and yes, I've seen them all), this in my opinion is one of the best action movies I've ever seen period. And a very, very welcomed reinvention of the whole saga.
So what's different? For starters now we have a short and blonde Bond, since that is what Daniel Craig certainly is. An abomination you say? That's what I thought as well, until I saw the movie that is. In light of Craig's performance though it becomes apparent that Bond doesn't need to be tall, dark and "handsome" at all. Craig takes the caricature of what Bond had become and gives it a completely new, revitalized substance.
I do remember when Pierce Brosnan used to talk about making Bond more human. Unfortunately he never got around to it (though no doubt a decision of the producers rather than his). The Bond of Craig however is as human as he is tough (and believe me, he is plenty tough). Unlike previous Bonds, who mostly only cruised through even the most dangerous of situations without breaking much of a sweat, Craig sweats, bleeds and hesitates like anyone would. Yet he is still heads and tails above all the pretty-boy Bonds of the past or as the character played by Eva Green so aptly put it: "Even if all that's left of you is your smile and your little finger, you'd still be more of a man than anyone I've ever met".
Which brings us to the female lead of Eva Green, who is anything but another disposable bond-girl. Smart, witty, tough yet frail and in my opinion the one of the most beautiful beautiful girls ever featured in a Bond movie, both her presence and her dialogues with Bond are some of the highlights of the movie.
The story will keep you guessing and assumes you actually have a few functional brain-cells, the main villain is wonderfully sinister but not over the top where he become laughable, the suspense is played out perfectly and the action is exactly what you'd expect from a true Bond movie and not another "action comedy".
In conclusion, whereas previous Bond movies were increasingly becoming forgettable "action" comedies, which kept moving through the compulsory scenes of the comic-relief Q and his gadgets, the cardboard Bond and his impeccable hair, the bumbling Moneypenny and her futile flirting, the improbable final action with explosions and collapsing (well actually you still get that, but it's not what you expect) and all the other clichés we've seen to the point of total boredom, this new Bond is a raw, gritty and tough action movie with a perfect blend of suspense and yes, human emotions, added to the mix. It is a human Bond - and as such, a very welcome one.
So all I can do is thank the producers, writers, director and cast for this completely reinvented Bond - a very welcomed update for the 21st century of this great franchise.