Good, Just Good

Rating: 7/10 (8 December 2012)

This installment does not make the impact that Casino Royale did, but it does better than Quantum. On the upside, the stunts are lovely, the scenery, too. Then the clichés take over, and struggle against an almost too ardent attempt to humanize these characters, to give them depth and dimension. Why? Even Severine, the disposable.woman in this film, is held in bondage to the villain by fear, we are told, as though this longstanding device needs explanation. Layers of insulating mystery are removed from M as her unquestioned power and backstory are examined and revealed. And the central mystery that seemingly brings us back to the theater each time, Bond's own backstory, is laid out in far too specific detail and comicbook psychological rationalization. I had no idea Bond had once resided in Wayne Manor, EC, nor that Alfred was still the caretaker there. Did Fleming really write any of that? Finally, we see that what drives the film is not really internal story logic, but a convergence of seemingly smart career moves, and really, an abandonment of innovation. The film drives inexorably toward an integration with the Connery era films. Smart recasting is done before our eyes - good for you, Lord Voldemort, Lady Calypso! Nothing pays the bills like a serial. But with the Bond backstory so well documented, will Bond intrigue us enough to justify a fourth film? Will Craig be up for another, or will Bond have to have facial reconstruction?