Yet I feel over-analysis can impair on the enjoyment of the whole affair. No film ever was shot to withstand the amount of critical eye we invest now on a regular basis. Take whatever example, even the best films can be shot into a pathetic shoestring affair, half-hearted and clumsy. All it takes is a miserable mood and a pointed pen.
This is exactly right. Actually, everything Dustin has said in this thread is exactly right. AMC Hornet is also right. My personal opinion is that I can't understand who would think the film is overrated. In terms of a movie, especially when compared to other Bond films, the film is miles ahead. Overrated compared to what?
Citizen Kane? It's probably the best Bond film, although it's not my favorite (because my idea of Bond is supercool and the classic Bond elements, which
Thunderball delivers).
I've never analyzed the film's pacing, but I think it's absolutely necessary to establish the new Bond. And as I'm a fan of
Thunderball, you'll note that I don't give a damn about pacing via plot when it comes to Bond films. As long as I'm entertained with beauty, action, or fun, unlike in long stretches of
The Living Daylights, I don't mind the length. Given that Bond films only come out once every few years, I enjoy as much time as I can spend in Bond's world. Like the many things Bond enjoys in his films, I consider them a luxury, and I'll luxuriate accordingly.
Eva Green's Vesper will probably never be my favorite Bond girl, but she is perfect for the part. Her un-Bond girl-ness is what does it. Some of you say you don't buy the love story - I don't either, but isn't that part of it? She doesn't love him, and he loves her because she represents everything he's about to give up by leading the life of a 00. She contrasts perfectly with Solange, who is exactly what you expect in a Bond girl. I see Bond's infatuation with her the same way I view a 14 year old's puppy love crush - more the product of idealizing all of one's romantic feelings into a person rather than true love. At the end of the movie, only as she commits suicide, can we say that Bond truly knows her, and thus, truly loves her.