Not as Good as Expected

Rating: 6/10 (16 November 2012)

I still enjoyed it, and it is worth watching, but for me it felt quite contrived. Bond comes out of a building and a car picks him up just as the baddie passes down the street (when he should have been long gone). I felt both of the Bond girls were weak, especially the French actress. Why Bond has to go back to his old house I don't know, and Scotland didn't work at all for me.
I think Casino Royale is a better movie because it concentrates on the action and story itself, rather than forcing elements of Bond's past onto us, and trying to establish some 'drama' between M and Bond.
Bardem is a good villain and he has some nice lines. Again though, tying him into his MI6 past and his previous relationship with M doesn't work for me.
The first half of the movie is very good with great action sequences. The second half I think fell apart, for example, how does Silva get out of his secure cell?
Probably worth a 7 once I lower my expectations. Better than Quantum of Solace, for sure.