somniloquence

Hah, yeah, I guess I didn't say much about that. In a word, loved. I would have liked some of the poker stuff to be shorter and maybe cut the chases down a bit, but overall, I loved it, especially because Bond was both a relentless, nearly thug-like being who just wouldn't quit because that was his job, but also because he was tender and vulnerable at times. Even though he was smiling, you could tell that Vesper had wounded him in their first encounter with her analysis of his character.

And I loved his relationship with M. They were just fantastic together (and I can see why people want Bond/M fic! I certainly would never have said that about Brosnan's Bond) and I loved that little twinkle in Dench's eye when she was reassessing what she thought of him, and how flirty he was with her at times. They both have each other's numbers.

And of course, this was filled with consequences. Even that chase in the beginning -- Bond keeps falling, hurting himself, he pushes and pushes, not unlike the Terminator -- he just won't stop until he gets what he wants. He knows he's a "blunt instrument" but he also has a self awareness that he's meant for something more.

Maybe most of all, I loved that he wasn't a super smoothie, above it all with the lame wisecracks and such. When he makes jokes to Vesper, it's like he's laughing at his own leering playboy quality, and when he laughs at Le Chiffre as he's being tortured, he is not being super smooth -- he's nearly hysterical and suffering and that's the only way he can keep going and endure. God, I loved that he suffers, because I was so tired of the perfection of this character beyond human ability.

I even loved that for once, the villian wasn't this "take over the world" guy and that he's undone by his own actions, not by Bond.

But the best thing? No talking killers. No one is left in a room tied up with sharks at their feet, or dangling from a rope over a pit, or whatever. People just walk up and shoot you, or torture you without a lot of fanfare, or stick a live body in front of your car, or drug your drink. God, that made me SO HAPPY. I hate talkng killers, and Bond movies have been the absolute worst about that (ref. Austin Powers), and there was just none of that to be found.