The film started off really well, the whole train sequence was classic Bond, and exciting. It set the tone for what promised to be an engaging film. There were plenty of classic Bond film elements too that Quantum of Solace had been lacking. And very nice cinematography, highlighted especially in the skyscraper sniper scene and the fire glow in the moors near the end.
One issue I had with the film was the idea they kept pushing that Bond is old, burnt out, a relic from a by-gone era - yet the whole point of Casino Royale was that Bond just became a 00 agent, they went after a younger actor because they were starting a new continuity, starting afresh. I'd need to see it again probably because I can't remember why this was even needed. Small issue though, not hard to ignore.
What did spoil the film for me was that it started with a bang, then just got slower and slower; and I felt nothing was really at stake. After proving how dangerous the villain could be, it seemed his only real goal was to kill two people - M, and himself. The rest of the world was fine. Bond just became a body guard for his employer, someone we've never really be made to care for, which is fair enough for Bond's character, but boring. And I've never had the impression that Bond really cared that much about his boss either, especially not to the point of crying over her dead body. What with the villain's imagined relationship with her and Bond's whole childhood thing they just pushed the whole "mother" thing way too far. I like M and I like Judi Dench as M, but not enough for this. I didn't find myself caring enough for this old woman's survival for the climax of the film. I left the cinema feeling very disappointed.
However they've got a new M with less personal history with Bond, Moneypenny (though isn't going from a field agent to a secretary a big demotion?) and Q (and all played by good actors) so hopefully the next film will be a return to form. That's three films in a row now involving with Bond's emotions and relationships, they can't keep doing that in every film or it's just going to lose all impact and degrade the character and make the films hard to enjoy. Showing that side of him work in Casino Royale, especially since he's still early in his career, but it got a bit tiring with that running through Quantum of Solace.
So in summary, good start, enjoyed about 2/3 of it, just thought it was too personal for Bond and with the only thing at stake being a character we've not been allowed to care for, the film just didn't grip me. But I'm hopeful for the future.
Can we do spoiler tags on here? Not sure how.
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