Great finish to Casino Royale

Rating: 5/10 (31 October 2008)

Went to see this first thing yesterday. After the film finished I was a little confused as to whether I liked the film. I think this was due to the fact that the film was extremely fast on the action, meaning there was probably at most 5 minute intervals between each action sequence.
Another thing that bugged me was that watching Daniel Craig I didn't feel like I was watching James Bond. Then after thinking about it, this and CASINO ROYALE was a break away from the traditional James Bond, and it was a breath of fresh air. Don't get me wrong, one day I would love to see a classic James Bond back, but in this period I'm liking Mr Craig's portrayal.
Considering where James Bond was left in CASINO ROYALE, Mr Craig plays the part perfectly here, this is a man who until recently got his 00 status, so he's still rough around the edges, and he's a man desperately seeking revenge. So for that I understand his lack of humor on James Bond's part.
This is a film I think I'll need to see again to appreciate it a bit more, because like I said the film moves along so fast that you actually miss out on a few things. Now the gun barrel sequence, it was a shock when it didn't appear at the beginning, but keeping in mind this is a direct sequel to CASINO ROYALE, it was understandable, I consider this it's second act, therefore it didn't need to be at the beginning of the movie as it picks up minutes after the events of CASINO ROYALE.
There are bad things about the movie, namely the villain, he's not a strong enough villain for a James Bond film. I also didn't like the new look of M16 HQ. The credit sequence I did like, including the title song. Judi Dench as M was as fantastic as ever. In all her six Bond appearances, she has never let her role down. The action set pieces are fast and exciting.
Though the running time was short for a Bond film at only 105 minutes the film never felt short in any way.
In summing up the movie, it closes off the events of CASINO ROYALE very well, and makes a very good addition to the Bond franchise.
7.5/10