The Garden Spot of Bolivia

Rating: 6/10 (15 November 2008)

Greetings again from the darkness. After "Casino Royale", the re-birth of the Bond franchise, I have been extremely anxious for the first Bond sequel. Now after seeing it, I can only hope that the next installment will bring an entirely new approach than what director Marc Forster has delivered. This is little more than an all-out action movie with some moments of meandering tossed in. Of course, the wrapping is pure Bond ... car chase, fights, babes, tuxedos, multiple locations, etc. But the let down is immense.
On the bright side, Daniel Craig proves again that his casting was terrific. Next time, he just needs more to work with. I believe Judi Dench as M has more lines of dialogue than D Craig. In a normal film, that would not be unusual ... she is a terrific actress. But this is James Bond - where are the quips and double entendres? Mathieu Amalric was truly amazing in "The Diving Bell and Butterfly". Here he proves to be among the weakest of all Bond villains. What a waste. What happened to world domination? Now the prize is the water supply in Bolivia? Why Bolivia? Didn't they learn anything from Butch and Sundance? Olga Kurylenko (a famous model) and Gemma Atherton are our Bond girls. The stunning Kurylenko is so miscast that I laughed on more than a couple of occasions. At least Ms. Atherton has a real Bond girl name ... Strawberry Fields (though we only hear her referred to as "Fields").
Supporting cast is strong with return performances by Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini and Jesper Christensen (Mr White). Also of note is Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter Oona Chaplin, who has a brief role as a receptionist. There is also a nice tribute to "Goldfinger" with a shot of Fields on the bed.
Director Forster is building a remarkable resume with the likes of "Monster's Ball", "Finding Neverland", "Stranger Than Fiction" and "Kite Runner". What he doesn't have is a feel for action. The close-ups and rapid fire editing are just atrocious. See the Bourne movies or the two most recent Batman films for much better action. And where is the stunning SCENERY? Parts of "Casino Royale" were right out of a travel guide. This film is bleak in each of the many locations.
Two last things: is there a POINT to the opening car chase scene?; and why (in movies) do so few people every actually get shot with automatic weaponry, but Clint Eastwood can put out a cigarette from 50 yds with a 357 magnum? The film grades out low as an action film and even lower as a Bond film. The class of Craig and Dench prevent it from being a major flop but here's hoping the next installment is turned over to someone with an appreciation of what the Bond series has meant.