Bond becomes who is always was

Rating: 10/10 (16 November 2006)

I think it is good for a movie franchise that is struggling to re-invent itself: see Batman Begins. Pierce Brosnan's Bonds were decent; they started out with two good films and then ended with Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist and an invisible car on ice. Wonderful.
Bond is back to what he was intended to be: a blunt weapon. No gimmicks, no gadgets. Just a quick wit, a handgun, a beautiful woman, and some down-to-earth brutality.
This film shows us who Bond actually is, and why he is what he is in all the other Bond films. Sound confusing? Bond is not polished. It takes effort to eliminate his targets. He doesn't do so and then wipe the sweat off his brow; instead, he bleeds as he tries his best to simply silence them. There isn't just one punch and fall down the stairs and be on your merry way. No, this time, Bond struggles because he simply is too rough around the edges. He's careless, but passionate. Reckless, but in charge.
By the end of the film, you finally see why Bond is who he is in all the other films. You understand why he has his "armor." You understand how he became so efficient. You know why he won't "settle down." You begin to see the demons that can haunt him over the years.
And in the midst of all of it, you finally believe that this man is more than just a man. He's IS James Bond.