Bond's Back

Rating: 10/10 (15 September 2012)

So after 4 years Bond is finally back in action and what better way to reboot the franchise than to start the story off with Fleming's original novel of the same name. This entry sees Bond play in a high stakes poker game to stop Le Chiffre from organising terrorism in a bid to control the world's stock market. From each stunning location we get a sense that time is of the essence. When Bond journeys through Madagascar to stop a bomb maker (who can free run) we feel that Bond has trouble keeping him in his sights and that is spectacular to watch as the greenery is definite eye candy and glorious to behold.
First off though, Daniel Craig is a ruthless and exhilarating Bond and whilst he may not be as cool as Pierce Brosnan or as humorous as Roger Moore, one thing for sure he has brought his own interpretation to the much loved character of 007, and boy is it welcome!
Each action element just adds to the adrenaline and tension of the scene. From the fight on the stairs to the collapse of a house in Venice; the stunts vary adding to the pure excitement of each scene and Daniel Craig's on screen confidence makes it all the better to behold.
As for the musical score, this has to be David Arnold's greatest score to date with the bond theme appearing only at the last scene of the entire movie, making all Bond fans shout with delight. However the greatest piece is Miami International which is surprisingly incredible to listen to and is guaranteed to keep you entertained even if it does last over ten minutes!
Also the acting is believable, even from the leading lady played by Eva Green, she handles the role superbly well. Making the character of Vesper Lynd the most complex of the entire series, Bond doesn't even go to bed with her until the last half an hour of the film! What's more is that she doesn't immediately succumb to Bond's advances and at first she seems wary. She is not as eager to see Bond as he is to see her.
Verdict: This is well and truly the best entry to a much beloved franchise, that has got back to the basics after much CGI tinkering in Die Another Day (it has the worst use of CGI ever for a Bond movie) and it feels realistic and gritty in its approach. The director (Martin Campbell) has done us proud. It's only a shame he wasn't able to direct Quantum of Solace which lacked an interesting plot and decent characterisation. All we can hope for is that Skyfall (released October 26th) can come back and make Bond fans forget about the mishaps of QoS.
10/10