Bond takes a de-tour...

Rating: 5/10 (5 October 2007)

Sorry, to me this wasn't a Bond film. The only thing this film had to do with the Bond series is the name James Bond.
It's not the lack of gadgets or the missing Q...it was just the lack of a certain atmosphere.
While it was an interesting take on Bond, it almost seemed like it was more of a knock-off type spy movie. You could have changed the names of the characters and this film would have tanked.
I never felt comfortable with Craig playing Bond; he seemed too rough around the edges and too human...yes I know, that's realistic but we don't go see Bond films to see realism. And yes, the novels portray a scarred tough Bond but then again Ian Fleming worked with the earlier films to give us the on-screen Bond that we all know.
Bond villains are generally supposed to be tough, in control...the villain here seemed weak and incapable. He was a middle-man; someone hardly worth Bond's time or at least worth an entire film if you know what I mean.
Overall, it was slightly entertaining; get it on netflix or something to pass a few hours...but this isn't a Bond film I'd watch again as I do other Bond films. As the film really seemed to drag in some parts, especially during the casino scenes.
This is not the right direction for Bond films...sorry, it just misses the mark.