One of the Better Daniel Craig Outings!!

Rating: 8/10 (10 April 2013)

Daniel Craig is a different kind of Bond, and I think he was getting some mixed reviews because viewers were comparing him to other Bonds rather than this film.
This film is continuing the origins of Bond, why he thinks the way he does – he's a tougher, more somber Bond who at the beginning of the film with an exciting chase scene through Istanbul, gets shot off a train – and survives! (Hey, it's Hollywood, that's fine.) I liked this film. The action was fun but not over the top. The scenery was very nice – the Shanghai boat scene was lavish. The moody shadow & light show as an assassin gets his rifle loaded up and takes aim. (But why did Bond let the guy take a shot and kill his target? That's never explained).
The Bond girls were tragic, intensely interesting and Bond's empathy for them was palpable.
Enjoyed the back & forth with Moneypenny, as she shaves him closely. Later they discuss how it's easier to get dressed with an "extra pair of hands." Cute.
Yay, we get a "shaken not stirred" scene at a Shanghai bar, as Bond is watched closely by a gang of toughs about to kill him. We get a view of the Connery sports car, the Ashton Martin.
Bottom Line: The film made fun of itself at several points, but true Bond fans would get the Easter eggs, and new viewers would be fascinated with the "origin story" of our favorite MI6 spy, out in the Scottish Highlands ("Skyfall"). "M" is basically our co-star. Bond is serious, has a lot of depth, and Daniel Craig plays him well. Good film.
Cast: Daniel Craig - James Bond Judi Dench - M Javier Bardem - Silva Ralph Fiennes - Gareth Mallory Naomie Harris - Eve Bérénice Marlohe - Severine Albert Finney - Kincade