A new and glorious beginning

Rating: 9/10 (14 March 2007)

I'm not ready to say this is the best ever Bond movie. I need to see this and GOLDFINGER again.
This is thoroughly satisfying though, and I hope future ones will take up from here. As a matter of fact, I could even go with remakes of the original Fleming novels taken in succession.
I was immediately hooked by the black-and-white film noir preamble. And then the titles...all I can say is W O W ! After that, the balance between wild and surprisingly realistic action scenes and non-action scenes were just right...and I'm with the reviewer who says that the poker game was as riveting as any of the action scenes..really, more so.
I would've given this a 10 rather than 9 if it weren't for the way much of the last half hour drug and had me saying "C'mon, lets get on with it." However, I can appreciate why that sequence was done and made as long as it was.
And the conclusion with the last line of the movie followed by, at last, loved and familiar theme music that had me sitting through the credits just to hear it.
I'm one of those who eventually gave up on the Bond movies but this one has me back and back to stay if they keep it up as they did in this.
An absolute must-see that I recommend even to those who don't consider themselves James Bond fans.