Where to begin? I had my doubts going into this movie after seeing so many good reviews that only served to hype up the film in my mind. I was thankfully proven wrong.
Aston Martin? Check. Excellently choreographed action sequences? Check. Two gorgeous Bond girls to complement Bond? Check. Memorable score? Check. Catchy ending? Check. And memorable villain? Definite check. The best thing this film has going for it is how it injects the classic Bond film feel into various parts of the film from beginning to end.
A brief synopsis of the plot: An important list of all the Mi6 agents has fallen into the wrong hands, and it's up to 007 and M to try and retrieve this list before too many agents are knocked off, one by one. Add to it, the return of a former agent gone mad, played so wildly wacky by Javier Bardem, this film carries much in the department of emotion and tension. Does the plot sound familiar to previous action genre films? It should, but it makes no difference due to the excellent execution by the film's director, Sam Mendes and all those involved with this project. The Cinematography provided by Roger Deakins is dazzling to the eyes, particular during the scenes shot in Shanghai. Speaking of Shanghai, there's one action scene in particular, where it's a maze of lights in a highrise above Shanghai, as Bond moves in for the kill that really hits the spot for this movie, in my opinion. It's not campy Roger Moore Bond, it's spot on Ian Fleming, trained agent in the field ready to do damage Bond. That's the way these films should have been made a long time ago, and thankfully, between the last two entries with Daniel Craig, the two more serious Timothy Dalton entries, and obviously Sean Connery's contributions, this series finally has a nice catalog of mature, spy thrillers.
Having said that, it's also noticeable throughout the film that there was an earnest effort to lighten things up a little more from the previous film. By lighten up, I just mean show more of what fans came to expect in past Bond films. For starters, the character of Q has returned, the original 1960's Aston Martin even makes an appearance, and lastly, I won't spoil the other example of classic Bond being fused into this picture. This entry had a nice balance between serious, and very subtle moments of tongue and cheek humor. Even better, there's one scene in particular, where Bond is chatting it up with the character named Severine, and as she's smoking her longer cigarette (very similar to the kind smoked in Dr. No) in this Chinese gambling club, you can't help but feel it was a 60s Bond moment placed perfectly in the framework of this modern day version of a James Bond film. It simply works, and if you're a true fan of Bond, I'm not sure how you can't appreciate everything about the scene, from the acting, the flirting, the lighting, and the overall mood. It should also be noted, the one major critique about this film is that the two leading ladies have no chemistry on screen with Daniel Craig. Well, that couldn't be farther from the truth, it's all in the eye contact the three of them share, and it's perfect, simply perfect.
The reviews you've read are true, this Bond film shines in all the right places, and the ending in particular should make you really excited for the next entry. Here's to hoping there's not another 4 year gap between Bond films! Nuff said
