Magic!

Rating: 9/10 (7 November 2008)

Well as Marc Forster has frequently been quoted as saying: following Casino Royale was always going to be a tall order. A lot of people seem to have struggled with the idea of the story continuing on any and every level, from the quality of the film, to the development (or lack thereof) of Bond's character.
For me, this film was all about the psychology of the situation: that Bond has been viewed as a cold-blooded, ruthless killer only serves the aftermath of Vesper's death. The "inconsolable rage" drives him far and deep into his grief and in a darker vein than Casino Royale, it paves the way for Bond's traditional character: the serial one-night-stander trying to forget, the pithy humour masking his torment, the violence that outlets his rage, masking as duty to Queen and Country. And just for the record, if you doubt the development of Bond's character, consider both his return for the girl, whom he doesn't sleep with, his frustration at the death of Fields, and most importantly the moment of touching intimacy that he shares with Mathis.
For me, this film was never going to be about equalling Casino Royale and always about making the continuation of the story realistic and believable. In that regard I found little to fault here, from the opening chase sequence to the maturity of Bond's actions in the conclusion.
In all honesty my only gripe was the title song. If anything it was worse than the unbearable, tinny "Die Another Day" by Madonna: the only decent bit of melody was the guitar riff that only features twice within the song itself. Something better next time, please!