Bland. James Bland.

Its about time the wife and I got an evening free to go to the movies. We got our chance on Saturday - we got a babysitter for the evening (God bless grandparents!) and had our first "date" in several months.

We went to a great restaurant for dinner - the Kona Grill. I had some delicious Crunchy Crab and Philadelphia rolls - I love sushi. Also had a tasty glass of Italian wine.

Hey, we don't get out often, I might as well treat myself!

Off to the movie theater afterwards - I was very excited to see the new Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. I've always been a big fan of the Bond films, and I REALLY enjoyed CASINO ROYALE. I totally agreed with the direction the producers took with that film - a more realistic (less "cartoony") Bond, with an emphasis on plot and espionage. Also, the last couple of Brosnan years, they started using CGI for stunts, and I think the vast appeal of Bond movies is the real-life stunt work. (If I ever see Bond CGI wind-surf a glacial tidal wave again, I will probably vomit.)

So, my review of QOS is this - it was a very average film, and I started to feel that the "old" Bond was starting to creep in. I guess old habits die hard.

I still think Craig is a great Bond. He has a harder edge than Brosnan and Moore, and probably Connery. But I think the plot of the film was pretty thin, and I think we were back to "gimmicky" plot devices. (A hide-out made of fuel cells - perfect for explosions...almost too perfect.) And the "super-villain" hoarding water underground? YAWN. And finally - one particular action sequence was over-the-top. Guys swinging on ropes and reaching for guns on a construction platform? I thought this was supposed to be a more "realistic" Bond? Let's keep to the basics, people!

Anyway, I know we'll see Craig again in a Bond movie - so my dream is for them to do a remake of Dr. No. I think there would be a great way to redo the film in a new, realistic way that fits more in what was started with CASINO ROYALE.