Paul Anderson on steroids... but I like

Rating: 7/10 (4 December 2008)

Not all is right with this new Bond film. It has some very severe flaws and some great pluses. Fortunately the latter outdo the former. So maybe I'll list them as pros and cons:
PROS: This Bond has the right feel to him. Very much inspired by the Casino Royale restart Craig David is the best Bond since the early days of the unforgettable Sean Connery. He feels right and acts accordingly. Part gentlemen, part ruthless killer, part idealist, part cynic... Big applause for Craig.
The scripts are much better than most Bond movies, including the early ones, which one must admit were a bit fairy-tale'ish with over the top conspiracies. This time the script got it right with a believable villain and intriguing organisation, that can pull the Bond franchise into a new era (I'm actually interested in seeing the downfall of Quantum). The intriguing storyline is definitely part of the reason that Bond has once again become fashionable.
I also liked that the story doesn't insult our intelligence. Not everything is said straight up and force-fed to you like to a little baby. You have to connect the threads and use your imagination at times. There are a lot of unanswered questions, but this makes it so much more believable. Its not like in real life everything is like in most Hollywood movies with villains meticulously setting out their motives and their goals...
Worth mentioning is the great villain played by the 'despicable' Mathieu Amalric (I just loved hating his character). Best film villain I've seen for years (with the exception of the Joker).
Other pros are the great supporting cast, capable storytelling and some interesting ideas. Also losing the Bond gadgets really hits the spot. Worth mentioning is the memorable Bond song opening credits which almost put us back in time and was strongly influenced by the first Bond movies - not only the music but also the background graphics. Great.
CONS: The action... The action sequences are just terrible.
It almost feels as if Paul Anderson is back after his 'Alien vs Predator' debacle and on steroids. The car scene as well as i.e. the first chase sequence is terribly shot and editing is even worse (red cards for Matt Chesse and Richard Pearson - be ashamed... be very ashamed). I guess some people think that shaky camera-work and quick shots cause an adrenaline rush. Me and my girl almost fell to sleep. After the first chase scene I starting thinking of leaving the cinema. I stuck in the seat only because the sequence was followed by the great opening credits scene. Then unfortunately straight away we get another snooze attack chase. If you live past this the film gets better, so hold on and wait.
Thankfully action sequences were quite often, but most were short and some were even very innovative and memorable (i.e. Bond attacking the black guy on the bike).
Also there were a couple of over the top scenes, that forced us to suspend belief and almost provoked laughter. The worst was the whole airplane sequence with the most stupid parachute jump in living cinema memory. No wait... An even more idiotic sequence was filmed during the tenure of the poor Pierce Brosnan.
The action is a big step back in comparison with Casino Royale. TERRIBLE! ABSOLUTELY DISASTROUS!
Thankfully there is a lot more than action in the new Bond movie, hence a well deserved 7/10.