Michael Smith (MGMboy)

"Casino Royale" shines first in a very tight and brilliantly adult screenplay. This is by far the most interesting and complex of thrillers in a very long time. All the rather tired old comic strip aspects of previous Bond films have been swept away from outlandish plots to the old fashioned double entendre that used to pop on the screen like cartoon bubbles. This Bond is witty but with a finer more modern approach. He is truly sophisticated but with some rough edges that catch and tear at the ear with both humor and intelligence. Fine direction by Martin Campbell pushes the action, the actors and ultimately the audience to new heights of action and romance. He shows us in the most jaw dropping way that to kill someone is not easy; it is a messy hard and dirty job. And you can get bloody in the process. Bravo for putting the grit back into Bond. Then there is the cast, a stunning array of international talent and indeed some of the finest actors around today shine and sparkle forever like diamonds in this film. Eva Green as Vesper Lind is by far the best "Bond Girl" to date. She is an actress of great range and talent that brings Vesper to heart stopping life. Her talent combined with great writing and direction has amalgamated in this film to create what may be the only fully rounded and human "Bond Girl" ever seen. Mads Mikkelsen is astonishingly good as the villain Le Chiffre is a real delight to watch. This is no "Dr. Evil" but a cold desperate criminal who when cornered is liable to go nuts on you. Here Judi Dench is given her most complex "M" to date and carries if off with her very special gifts as an actress. She as always is a delight. And in this film you learn a few things about "M" that might surprise you. Then there is Daniel Craig who makes his debut as Bond. And boy's roll out the red carpet and put up the velvet ropes. This performance will bring him to the forefront of movie stars who are also exceptional actors. This is a man who can act, and yet never let you catch him at it. A talent that ranks with the top fine actors today such as Russell Crowe, He inhabits this very rough and dangerous Bond at the birth of the character and gives us a hot, hard, thug who though the course of the film is transformed by human design and circumstance into "Bond, James Bond". He is simply breathtaking to watch. The film has a brain and also tips it's hat to great thrillers of the past especially "North By Northwest" as exemplified by the very sexy and delightful train scene where Bond and Vesper meet for the first time. But the most surprising aspect of "Casino Royale" is how human it is and how heartbreakingly romantic it can be amid the very dirty business of international espionage. this spcial two disc blue-ray edition is stunning to behold with a perfect picture and window shattering sound. The extras are simply grand as well. This movie at last brings magic back to the movies and heart to the Bond franchise.

Some reviewers and fans of the Bond films have complained that this film is a lesser effort in the series and pales in comparison to "Casino Royale". They have missed something important in their assessment of the film. When Dominic Green says to Bond that he and Camille Montez have something in common, that they are both "Damaged goods" he has clearly put before the audience the crux of the film that is "Quantum of Solace". The film picks up only minutes after the end of "Casino Royale" and we are presented with a very damaged and changed James Bond. As revealed in the first film by Vesper Lynd's assessment of him upon their first meeting on the train, James Bond is a man who came up from humble beginnings and was given a privileged education but never allowed to forget his low origins. This has made him a very guarded loner with a chip on his shoulder, a perfect candidate for recruitment by MI6. In his words to her later on in the film, Vesper has "stripped me of my armor." But by the end of that film he is a man scarred by the death of his love, the armor is back on never to be penetrated again. He is now becoming the Bond of legend and a man bent on revenge. So in "Quantum" there is no reason for the old fashioned quips or much humor in this man. Yet if you pay attention the character of James Bond as played by the incomparable Daniel Craig he lets us see that there are cracks in the armor. Something of a human heart still exists in him. This is played out in the scene after the plane crash where Camille asks him about his past. Craig shows it in his eyes in the most marvelous example of his layered and subtle acting style. Craig builds and molds a deeper, darker more complex Bond than we have ever seen before, a character more true to the books than in previous incarnations of Bond. The action in the film is superlative and stylish. The opening car chase is indeed a nail biter only surpassed by the Sienna chase moments later. This too is then topped by the DC10 aerial battle towards the end of the film. The stunts are breathtaking and propel the film at top notch speed. But perhaps the most stunning and original sequence is the gun fight in the restaurant at the Opera house. This is played without sound effect as the score of "Tosca" commands the ear and heightens the emotion of the scene. This is inspired and brilliant film making taking in account all aspects of editing, cinematography, score, and acting. And since I mentioned music I cannot leave out the incredible delicious score by David Arnold who has infused his Bond scores with the much need taste of John Barry. He captures the glorious Barry sound and builds brilliantly upon it. All the principle players give superlative performances. Judi Dench command attention as she always has as "M". Giancarlo Giannini redeems himself and is truly touching as Mathis. Mathieu Amalic is appropriately slithery and devious as the villain Green. As Agent Fields, Miss Gemma Arterton brings a light and fun light to the film. Finally in the role of Camille Olga Kurylenko holds her own opposite Daniel Craig. This is no mean feat and she is wonderful, athletic and touching in the film. In the end Bond does find a quantum of solace and ends the film in a telling way. A small gesture that lets us know he is now moving on but not without a tinge of sadness. This beautiful sad ending is a refreshing and moving way to end a Bond film. "Quantum of Solace" is a fast paced film that demands attention to the small details and respect for superlative performances by all involved from the director Marc Forster to the entire cast and crew. The sound as well is astonding and puts you right in the middle of the action. As for the extras there are plenty. The best being a featurette entitled "Bond On Location". Also presented dubbed in French, Spanish and Portuguese, and subtitled thus and in sever Asian languages including Chinese. This is a must have for any Bond fan.