Best Bond ever

Rating: 9/10 (20 November 2006)

Initially I had been teased into thinking that Clive Owen was up for the vacant role of Bond. He seemed perfect for the part so I was a little disappointed when I discovered it had gone to Daniel Craig. In the event Mr Craig was stunning. His acting ability won me round completely into believing him to be the best Bond ever; and let us face it great acting is not what we have come to expect of a Bond movie. And he more than looks the part, unlike some of the earlier Bonds. The opening free-running sequence amongst the cranes is genuinely terrifying, particularly for anyone with a smidgen of acrophobia. He kills brutally, he loves passionately. He exudes an air of vulnerability which makes the character so much more real. He falls in love; he fights, he runs like the wind, he gets poisoned and is forced to self-administer both emetics and defibrillators. We see him totally stripped of his clothes and dignity and whipped with a heavy duty knotted rope. We watch as he is transformed into a detached arid killing machine during the course of this very long film (2 hours 30 minutes). One hopes however that he retains some of his more human feelings that were on display for us in this Bond outing for the next instalment; and that like this film it is almost gadget free. I watched this on Sunday morning and have to say it was a great way to start the day. It is a must see for anyone who likes action films not just die-hard Bond aficionados.