One of the best Bond films ever.

Rating: 10/10 (20 November 2008)

As a self-admitting Bond fanatic, and having seen every Bond, including the Lazenby and original Casino Royale, I may be partial. But all Walther-induced affection aside, I found this installment to be one of the best of the series, period. It is ironic that a story Flemming didn't write became a film that captured so brilliantly his James Bond. There has been a lot of "not good enough" and "too rough" cries from people with no appreciation for a Bond film as anything other than an action movie. This is a spy film. This installment carries the wonderfully the qualities of deception, egotism, seduction, cold-blooded murder, cynical humor, and brutal violence that encompass the core of the novel Character perhaps better than any of the other Bond films. While this is notably a departure from laser gun fights in space and whatever the Hell "The World Is Not Enough" was, that should be embraced by true Bond fans. "Quantum of Solace" not only lets us know what we can expect from Craig as a true-grit James Bond, it delivers a death-blow to the original "Casino Royale" from the '60s, and any Bond film that wandered too far from the path. This film is a righteous reclaiming of Bond's throne as a ruthless, genius, debonair, audacious, depressed, alcoholic, egotistical and down right bad-ass super-spy. Remember, Bond is the most dangerous weapon in Her Majesty's arsenal, not just some playboy with a Shaguar. Connery's Bond from Dr. No with his "You've had your six, now I'll have mine." can only give a cold wink in approval; bringing this brilliant 007 piece right back to its roots, in a blaze of glory.