Bond In A Huff

Rating: 7/10 (27 March 2009)

What's bad about this film: there's a fair bit of crazy camera work - OK, a little madness is fun, but too much and we haven't a cat in hell's chance of knowing what's going on. More product placement. Gemma Alderton. And Bond is in a mood. What's good about this film: everything else. I mean that. Some of the best action sequences you'll ever see in Bond; the post-credits chase, the boat chase, the opera house. It's clever, sophisticated, without getting too much bogged down in technical details. Craig is a relentless force, intense. He can switch from quietly charming to bulldog fury in the blink of an eye and doesn't pull any punches. Matthieu Amalric is wonderfully slimy as Dominic Greene, and his end is understated but ultimately very satisfying. This is certainly as stylish as Bond has ever looked, from the slick editing to opening credits. (OK, not the best song, but the animation is fantastic.) My only other jibe at this movie is that when the opening credits to appear, they have a faltering, unsure and delayed start, prompted by an inconsequential line. When there is such a defining gunshot only five minutes after the credits, it makes you wonder why they didn't just do it then. Anyway. All in all, a cracking addition to the franchise, Bond is definitely here again. Hopefully he will have a little more fun next time.