SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED...
Yep, JAMES BOND's Back In Town...

First of all, I'm not any kind of movie-reviewer. Second, if I tried to review the movie completely, I'd probably end up giving away the ending. Well, in the end, James Bond survives another action-packed adventure, but you probably knew that already. The action in this movie is so F-A-S-T, it's hard to absorb everything upon viewing it all for the first time. So, when I go to the Theater to see a James Bond movie (something I usually Only do for a James Bond Movie), I'm hoping that I'm managing to Make Sense Out Of It All, knowing that everything's happened so fast that I'm bound to miss a few things.

Within the first 45 minutes of the show, I counted three of Bond's patented vehicle-chase scenes...and there was lotsa punchin', kickin', fightin', runnin' and jumpin'...although I've read some reviews that said this wasn't the best James Bond film ever, I wasn't disappointed. From an Action Standpoint, it was thrilling, but then again, most Bond movies are wonderfully choreographed, action-filled flicks that always keep me on the edge of my seat.

Daniel Craig, the "newest" James Bond (this is his 2nd Bond film in 2 years), is a more feisty, blood-and-guts, less glamorous sort of Bond; perfect with every hair in place Bond, as was Pierce Brosnan, and he doesn't play the character with a lot of humor (as did Roger Moore), and he's not as suave as Sean Connery, but Craig seems to portray a more emotional, maybe a bit more fallible, anger-driven James Bond. I don't have a favorite Bond Actor; I'm more a fan of the James Bond character than any one actor who's portrayed Bond. In this film, the Bond character threw me one surprise; he actually let one of his avowed enemies live; so maybe this Bond character is also becoming a bit more reflective, if not actually merciful. Judy Densch, who plays Bond's boss, "M", returns once again with her unique degree of tough sentimentality. I'm getting to like her character more and more. In a grudging sort-of-way, Bond and "M" seem to need each other, and that's nice.

It's my impression that the last two James Bond films with Daniel Craig are more hard-core, raw, fiery and physical, and if anything, the action is faster-than-ever; I found myself physically reacting to the action in the show. It's almost a little-bit scary, but at the same time, it's exhilirating, and watching this Bond film left me in a state of sensory-overloaded euphoric hyperdrive; there's so much happening, so fast. But, as with any Bond film, the viewer also gets to go 'round the world; every Bond film features glorious filming locations, and this newest flick is no exception.

The only drawback in the film for me is also what makes it so good; there is SO MUCH going on. It seems like, in movie-making, the trick these days is supplying tons and tons of action, to satisfy all the techno-junkies who thrive on modern-day video games and other computerized forms of digital animation with stupefyingly fast-paced action, and still let the Actor bring some individuality to the role he's portraying. Sometimes I do feel as if movies in general, and Bond films in particular, are faster, more brutal, tougher, more blood-and-guts than before, in an effort to keep pace with today's ever-more-sophisticated viewing public. But at the same time, this Bond film is loads of fun; definitely worth plunking yer hard-earned dollars down for.
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Of course, there probably is no truth to the rumor that I actually live vicariously through James Bond; he always gets the pretty girl, if not several...doggone it anyway...