Undeniably the best action film of 2008. Bond is back with a vengeance.

Rating: 6/10 (24 October 2008)

With the betrayal and death of his lover Vesper Lynd, a grief and enraged James Bond flees from both his allies and enemies in order to uncover and destroy the mysterious group known as Quantum, the group responsible for Vesper's betrayal and currently trying to stage a coup in Bolivia in order to control the country's water supply.
In short, James Bond is out for revenge, and is certainly bringing an ass-kicking with him.
Whereas Craig's intriguing debut in the excellent Casino Royale stunned audiences and critics alike; in this outing, he is a lean, mean, killing machine, with a charming yet brash, flawed personality and on a quest for vengeance. Still a novice 00-agent, Craig shows he has the chops, both in acting and physical terms, to bring Ian Fleming's most cherished character to a whole new level. His rage, his fury, it's all there in his eyes, and possibly, in his fists and legs as well. No, really. Here he runs, kicks, punches, runs and kicks some more, flips... you name it, he'll do it. Kudos to Craig, who is close to toppling Connery as the best Bond. Gone are the unrealistic days of Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore.
Also on the fast-rising scene is Ukrainian Bond girl Olga Kurylenko as Russian-Bolivian agent Camille. She also has a grudge against Quantum's chief. Kurylenko is admittedly gorgeous and spunky in her role and proves that she is also capable of some action on her own as demonstrated in some scenes in the movie. She could very well be the next Sharon Stone. Not too far behind is Mathieu Almaric, who is deliciously creepy and menacing as the villain, Dominic Greene. Here he personifies the hidden agenda of mass corporations today and he pulls it off with such conviction you'll almost fall for his words. He is one of the best things in the film. Gemma Arterton is delectable as the other Bond girl, charming agent Fields. Rounding off the supporting cast is returning actors Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, and the ever-reliable Dame Judi Dench as M.
Cinematographer Dennis Gassner's work is reminiscent of Ken Adam's lavish settings of the 60's era Bond films, with exotic locales such as Panama (doubling for Haiti and Bolivia), Italy, and the Atacama Desert in Chile, being used in all their glory and in a grandeur fashion, the latter metaphorically showing Bond's rigid emotions (as explained by the director). Not only that, it also has moments of pure grittiness and bleakness. Accompanying the cinematography is David Arnold's fast paced yet classical orchestral score, which is grand and exciting at times. The theme song by Alicia Keys and Jack White, however, is the low point of the film as it is too "rock-like", and not suitable as a Bond song.
However, much praise to the script and the direction. The story is the driving force of the film, and while admittedly the action upstages the actors, the story still shows and there is quite a lot to indulge in. The direction is where it gets his highest merit. Marc Forster, having directed arty-films like "Monster's Ball" and "The Kite Runner", shows off his knack and flair in his fluid and solid direction of the film and makes the film his own. It's a complete 180 turnaround than what Forster has ever done before, and he proves that he is a guy capable of directing action films. He should be on the front-list for Bourne 4. The movie is chock full of kinetic action sequences that engages the viewer and it has them all, fights, gunfights, car chases, even a boat chase and a plane chase is thrown into the chaos for our enjoyment. This film is pure rock-em', sock-em, no-holds-barred action. The CGI (God was merciful on that) is not overused, with hordes of genuine and painful stunts galore, and it is a good sign that old-school action movies are back with dominating force at the movies.
In short, it is a great film and addition to the Bond saga (while still close behind Casino Royale), with its intense, explosive nonstop action, dark, moody atmosphere and dramatic performances. It will have a position in my Top 10 James Bond films. If you like action, do yourself a favor and see this movie. Daniel Craig proves that James Bond 007 is back, with a vengeance.
Overall value: 7.4/10
Delton