Quantum of Solace

Craig continues to prove that his brooding, physical, broken take on Bond works wonders, even though he lacks a bit of the dashing sophistication so effortless in predecessor Pierce Brosnan. This Bond bleeds real blood, shows off a body full of scars, and feels deeply about Vesper's death. That doesn't mean he won't casually jump into bed with red-headed MI6 beauty Strawberry Fields (Gemma Arterton). But Craig's 007 isn't so much an unattached ladykiller as he is a tortured man willing to kill without much of a second thought. Some of his best scenes are opposite Kurylenko, whose Camille is also looking to settle a personal score with the Bolivian general negotiating with Greene. They're both angry and searching for the kind of closure that only a gun can bring.

Like all decent films in the 007 canon, Quantum of Solace has a heavy dose of explosive action, several humorous one-liners, and lots of horsepower -- although sadly, the signature Aston Martin gets trashed in the first car chase. There's even a cheesy opening credit sequence featuring Jack White and Alicia Keys' entry in the Bond flick theme song playlist, "Another Way to Die." But stock Bond elements aside, Craig's James seethes in a way that none of the earlier Bonds did, and after a while, it's actually a downer. Let's hope the next installment tones down the fury just a tad. Some of us prefer our Bonds the opposite of a martini -- stirred but not shaken.