Good Acting/Action doesn't beat weak direction/writing

Rating: 6/10 (2 January 2009)

There was lots of potential with this film but little of it panned out. Daniel Craig is looking like the best bond ever but his performance (and Judi Dench's as M) is wasted in this film without a solid narrative. The cuts in the chase scenes are fast, close, and prone to leave the viewer a bit disoriented. Unfortunately, the story as a whole jumps around the same way. In the chase scenes, it's fine to keep things ambiguous and confusing. But, for the film as a whole, not good.
Marc Forster did a fantastic job directing Finding Neverland. Regrettably, none of the heart and warmth he got out of that film is on display here. Most of the pieces were assembled for a decent film but they did not come together.