A Bond movie! Where??

Rating: 4/10 (23 June 2007)

Considering the fact that many so called "hardcore 007 fans" are praising this is not only puzzling but somewhat frightening.
I must admit I can't even remotely be called a hardcore 007 fan, but I have enjoyed a few viewings of all Bond movies. The entertainment value, and charisma of some actors (James Bond is Scottish in my opinion and always will be) portraying it are simply brilliant. Throw in the over the top villains and witty humour and we got the spy movie formula that withstood the test of time. Decades of it!
Why completely destroy and try to reinvent a winning formula? After the first thirty minutes of the film it was clear this was no James Bond movie. Where did the witty remarks go? Where did the entertaining action go? As this is meant to be a prequel, how is it even slightly believable that the character "James Bond" here played by an emotionless, expressionless, humourless, heap of muscles played by Daniel Craig could ever become what we all witnessed with the likes of Roger Moore and Sean Connery? Who will be the next Bond? Dolph Lundgren?
As an action/thriller this film could stand on it's own and be called mediocre if not even above average. But slapping the "007" in it is not only an obvious attempt to cash in on the brand, and putting no effort into it, but it also should have put the fans of the series in an uprising.
I don't know whose at fault here for slaughtering the notion of James Bond, the script writers, the director/producers, or the actor. But my guess is, it was a mix of everyone.
Imagine the new Indiana Jones movie being played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, throwing out all the fantasy, and make it about an archaeological dig being examined, the whole movie... That's what happened to this franchise.