James Bond (Daniel Craig) is back for the 22nd time in this dark, gritty and deadly serious espionage drama. It is not the famous 007 that Baby Boomers remember or grew up admiring. He has turned into a Jason Bourne clone that fits the profile of a new generation of movie watchers.

It is no coincidence that a large part of the crew headed by second-unit director/stunt coordinator Dan Bradley previously worked on the "Bourne" trilogy starring Matt Damon.

Marc Forster ("Monster’s Ball," "The Kite Runner" and "Finding Neverland") directs this disappointing sequel to "Casino Royale" (2006). It is the shortest in time (106 minutes) and the weakest entry in the official EON Productions-based franchise.

The movie has a lot of window dressing with very little substance. It is a series of action set pieces strung together by a paper-thin plot.

Bond sets out on a wild goose chase around the globe seeking revenge against a mysterious organization (Quantum of the title). This personal vendetta is against the forces of evil that were responsible for the blackmailing and ultimate betrayal of Vesper Lynd, Bond’s love interest from the previous film.

Bond does battle with enemy agents on land, sea and air. Everyone dies who comes in contact with this rule-breaking ruffian who has seemingly gone rogue and can’t even be trusted by his superior, M (Dame Judi Dench).

Bond piles up bruises and cuts in chase sequences that yield adrenaline rushes for the viewer. You get weary from all the cliffhanger escapes.

There are no gadgets or the sarcastic brand of tongue-in-cheek humor with witty one-liners that fans of this series have come to expect.

Memorable characters like Q the armorer, who headed up the research and development division of the British secret service and Miss Moneypenny the secretary are left out.

The background music is so loud that it drowns out the sparse dialogue.

Bond’s ability to seduce the ladies is also missing in action. He shares only one lousy kiss with his stunningly beautiful co-star, Olga Kurylenko, a former Ukrainian model who trained with a dialect coach to fake a Spanish accent.

The other Bond girl, played by Gemma Arterton, a delicious-looking strawberry blonde, gets only a few minutes of screen time with a lingering shot of her naked back which was used in the teaser trailer.

The movie’s major strengths are the elaborate set pieces, the daring stunt work and the gorgeous scenery from exotic locales.

In his second outing in the role, Craig shows off his athleticism and chiseled physique. Women will swoon over his short hair, blue eyes and clean-cut appearance. He talks fast and mumbles his lines. He has turned Bond into an unlikable thug who uses brute force to wipe out anyone who gets in his way.

Frenchman Mathieu Amalric ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly") plays Dominic Greene, a manipulative, ambitious and environmentally concerned tycoon. He has no distinguishing marks like so many prior villains and gives a performance that is instantly forgettable.

Other returning cast members are Jeffrey Wright as CIA operative Felix Leiter and Italian actor Giancarlo Giannini as MI6 field agent Mathis.

The movie has no shortage of blood, hand-to-hand combat, gunplay and pyrotechnic explosions.

There is extensive product placement throughout the movie. You may have more fun trying to identify the various brand names on display than immersing yourself in the convoluted and ridiculous story, which revolves around the world’s most precious natural resource of water.

Let’s hope the next movie due out in 2010 rescues Ian Fleming’s fictional character from falling deeper into the abyss.

Review By:
Keith Cohen, "The Movie Guy"