Almost nonstop action . . . and little else.

Rating: 5/10 (16 November 2008)

Action rules all else -- plot, dialog, character development and all the other strengths that made Casino Royale (and, for that matter, From Russia With Love over 40 years ago) so enjoyable and satisfying. After choosing Marc Forster for his great strengths in telling a story, he had almost no story to tell. Forster's substantial ability to draw the audience in emotionally (as in Monster's Ball and Finding Neverland) was totally untapped here. What could have been a great extension on building a character that we are truly emotionally invested in became an exercise in explosions, jerky motion filming, and absurd situations. Quite a disappointment.