So I saw 'Quantum of Solace'

After Casino Royale (2006) made Bond --the character and the movies-- less cartoonish and more gritty, along comes Quantum of Solace to undo things.

I was sitting there in the movie theatre taking in Quantum and it was scene after scene of mindless action and then BOOM! BOOM! EXPLOSION! EXPLOSION! and then *nodded off and awakened startlingly* a scene of Bond (Daniel Craig) pointing a gun at a bewildered couple standing in a doorway and then *nodded off and awakened startlingly* a scene of Bond conversing with M (does she ever smile?) and then *nodded off but immediately awakened startlingly as…* the credits rolled.

(Running time: 106 minutes)

So I saw 'Eagle Eye'

It's a Tom Clancy's with a science-fiction twist. There's no comic relief (!) and no breather as the action is non-stop. The action, though, isn't there for the sake of blowing things up or having high-speed car chases; it serves to drive the story forward.

Shia LaBeouf carries the movie with natural ease it seems and his (adventurous, backpacking to Indonesia, Bali ;)) Jerry Shaw character is cool and poignant and shares a degree of chemistry with Michelle Monaghan's 'Female'. Billy Bob Thornton is stern as the sceptical, no-nonsense, old-school FBI agent.

My wish, however, is for the movie to be taken a step or two further to realize its full potential.

(Running time: 118 minutes)