James who?

The latest James Bond saga is the best I've seen in quite some time--certainly the best of the Pierce Brosnan entries. The espionage plot, while not completely believable, isn't too over the top, and the same could be said for the exciting action sequences. There's also an interesting subtext involving the maliablility of identity. Bond starts out as a secret agent (of course), but then becomes a prisoner of war, then is rescued but fired by his boss at MI5, then redeems himself and becomes an agent again. One of his female colleagues turns out to be not at all what she appears to be--not just once but twice. The villain undergoes the most extreme transformation of all, virtually becoming a different person--or is he? The screenwriter seems to have had a little bit more on his mind this time than escapist daring-do and the usual 007 cliches, which is refreshing. A-