This is a real boys film with three chase scenes in differing modes of transport a car, a boat and a plane. All three scenes are filled with dizzying crazy action where you can’t follow what is going on but you know that Bond somehow has the upper hand despite the obvious disadvantages he has. Still, there is something for everyone in this film and even though it is at least half an hour shorter than its predecessor won’t leave you wanting too much more. (I did note that Casino Royale was actually half an hour too long so maybe this was a smart move by the director.)
As a follow-up to Casino Royale where Bond has just lost his one true love, Vesper Lynd, this is supposed to be a vendetta movie. However the revenge aspect is hidden behind all the mini-tasks that Daniel Craig has to deal with on the way to tracking down those responsible for Verper’s death. Bond seems cold and detached as he goes about his day in a mechanical and brutal fashion. You don’t sense the lingering anger that simmers below the surface and perhaps for those who haven’t seen Casino Royale will leave them confused as to his motivation.
The movie starts not too far from where Casino Royale finished – with Bond on the run having kidnapped one of the people in the senior management, so to speak, of the organisation responsible for her death and also it turns out potentially responsible for potentially world destruction.
There is just something about Daniel’s Craig’s Bond which is so .. primal and raw. These are the only words that really do his Bond justice. All the physical scenes in this movie are absolutely brutal and often you will see Bond on the run (either chasing or being chased) and hurting and yet he remains stoic, brooding, strong and keeps up the good fight oozing extreme testosterone the whole way. If there is one thing negative I can say about Daniel Craig’s Bond is that he could certainly give Keira Knightly a run for her money in the pursed-lips stakes!
My problem with the movie is that apart from the actual action sequences there is no real sense of suspense or drama. Things just seem to happen and just seem to work out. Still, great camera work and some beautiful scenery including the beautiful Bond girls specifically Olga Kurylenko! 🙂