Bond is Back.

I was shaken... and a bit stirred by the new Bond film.

A dark, brooding, arrogant to the point of reckless James was the focus of this film and it worked. Overall, the film was really good and gritty. However, it was also a tad long (felt like it dragged in places) and the plot was a little convoluted.

Things I liked: the use of black and white at the beginning. The opening credits (without naked ladies bouncing in sillouette). The urban running chase sequence. The use of the omnipresent Texas Hold'em poker instead of Baccarat. The dueling dynamic between Bond and the Bond girl. the vulnerability of Bond. The use of a semi-naked and a fully naked Bond and some of the homosexual overtones. The use of a 1964 Aston Martin and a new Aston Martin. The violence of the fight scenes.

Things I didn't like: the plot that seemed to have three bad guys and three endings. The really LONG poker sequences. The love story that I never quite bought into. The one bit of 'gagetry' that once again seemed just too coincidental.

Things I wished for: the Chris Cornell Bond theme to be just a little better than it was. Its ok, but it is missing a little something- like a really good hook. Gold Finger had a great hook. so did Live and Let Die. Several other bond film themes do as well. I especially like it when they incorporate big orchestra sounds or snippets of the traditional bond music. This one tried, but just didn't quite make it work.

With all that said, I highly recommend it. The Bond franchise has thankfully finally moved away from supremely 'over the top' cartoonish capers, and has rediscovered a more realistic, more believable Bond.