The first Bond movie without Bond scenes

Rating: 3/10 (22 February 2011)

1. This Daniel Craig Bond was said to be more human. When his girl friend seeks revenge he gives her a breathing lesson for the moment of the kill. The Roger Moore Bond gave his revenge seeking girlfriend (in FOR YOUR EYES ONLY) the tip to dig TWO graves (so better not take revenge). What solution is more human? But Mr. Craig himself is okay as a more serious Bond.
2. The only gorgeous location is a water reservoir under the desert. Later Bond SAYS it must be destroyed (so the water is available for the people again). That is like saying in LIVE AND LET DIE "I will walk across some crocodiles to escape." or "I will use a car that can transform into a submarine." in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME or "I will catch a plane while free-falling." in GOLDENEYE and then not showing it. Cubby Broccoli will turn in his grave facing a Bond movie without ending. Just some talking to a guy in a room without showing it. What was the film about? Some crime group and Bond killing some of them?! Perhaps it will become a trilogy?! It was usually great to identify with Bond with his never-give-up attitude, finding a way using wit, a cool oneliner or a surprising technical innovation. But I can't identify with a killer on a childish revenge mission. No romance and no humor. If this was a Steven Segal movie no one would say they were hunting in "Bond" territory.
3. The car chase in the beginning may be stylized editing and entertaining but you don't see much of the location. Most of the action in this movie could have been filmed anywhere because you do not get a feeling for a real location, except for the Palio horse race. The movie looks like $30m instead of the reported $200m as if they wanted to hide something using fast editing. You need the making-of to be impressed, the film doesn't deliver. Even the real Craig jumping onto balconies in Italy is only visible in the making-of. In the movie it's so fast it could be any stuntman.
4. Mathis was the traitor in CASINO ROYALE, suddenly in this footnote-movie to CASINO ROYALE he is a friend. So who cares for anything the filmmakers present to you, it may be changed...
5. There are no major images that linger in your mind like in every other Bond movie. And the "stunts"? Well, some hopping with a motor bike onto a little boat, some tangling with rope, some jumping out of planes that looks very artificial compared to MOONRAKER...
6. The Bond movies were the leaders of the entertainment movie with style, class and images you haven't seen before. Even CASINO ROYALE had that quality. Now it follows some over the top "modern" fast look that is old fashioned already.