Fantastic movie, but where are the bond essentials

Rating: 8/10 (10 December 2006)

What a fantastic movie. Have to agree that bond is back in modern times. Daniel Craig was terrific. Definitely a different take on a typical bond movie. Darker and far more real. Almost reminds me of the Bourne movies. The performances were far more "dramatic" than typical Bond films.
But, that's why I can't give this movie a 10. The movie, standing alone, is amazing. The chase scene through the construction site was incredible. And the car scene where he avoids the girl... wow. But is this Bond or a Bond film? I'm not sure I can 100% that it is. Where's the swagger of Bond? Where's Q and the gadgets? Where's the hot modified car? So much of what makes Bond Bond is all the surrounding details. Turning the Bond movie into such a serious, realistic flick, to me, is not what Bond is. A Bond movie should be a full on action movie with undertones of humor and nonchalant demonstrations of super human skills that make the movie teeter on the believable while fully engrossing the viewer in all that is Bond.
This movie does not deliver that experience. It attempts to push into the psyche of a professional assassin... into a man that is far too human on the screen to be Bond. Bond is a fantastical character... almost super human... and one that should stay, on screen, not quite a complete person. I'm just not sure how I feel about this departure.
Sorry, have to say it again... WHERE IS Q?!?! Regardless... this is an amazing movie and will be going into my DVD collection, but a Bond movie... well... I'm 50/50 on that.