Near perfection...

Rating: 9/10 (20 November 2006)

I must admit, I was one of those die-hard Bond fanatics that believed that the franchise was slowly going out of business after Pierce Brosnan was not/had not re-signed following Die Another Day. When I learned that Daniel Craig was proclaimed the new Bond, I was very skeptical about the actors ability to step into the big shoes left behind by Brosnan, Moore and Connery. Well, as the saying goes "If the shoes fit, wear'em". For Craig, and without exaggeration, those shoes were not big enough.
One could categorize this film as one of the best Bond films of all time. All the elements are there; the cars, the locations, the girl (and what a girl),the villain, the action, the suspense and the intrigue. But what differentiates this movie from all others is Daniel Craig. He brings a completely different perspective to Bond, one we are not accustomed to seeing. This Bond is blunt, tough, gadget-free and much less predictable than the earlier Bonds. He carries the film with flair, ease and conviction. Of course, the rest of the cast deserves special mention. Judy Dench comes through with another notable performance and what to say about Eva Green; a pure delight, both from a visual and acting perspective. She brings depth and sophistication to her character without breaching the essence of the "Bond Girl" we all look forwards to seeing.
If you are a Bond connoisseur, you can only appreciate the positive effects this film will have on the future of the franchise. After Die Another Day, we all wondered where the series would go next. In this regard, if you are a newcomer to the franchise, you have joined the club at a very exciting time. If you decide to check-out this film, don't wait until it comes out on video. You want to see this in theaters as the big screen and the big sound will make this Bond experience even more remarkable; and you know a film is remarkable when the audience claps at the end of the film. This was a first for me...for a Bond film that is.
9 out of 10. Lets leave the producers some place for improvement for the next Bond.