James Bond 007: From Russia With Love

A quirky and engaging ride through the 60s Bond classic.

Any moviephile will tell you that James Bond has changed a lot. Preferences range from the suave androgyny of Roger Moore to Pierce Brosnan's squinting smoothie, but for some, none can match the self-assured Sean Connery original.

Blast from the Past
Taking a sharp turn away from the self-conscious modernity of the last few Bond games, From Russia With Love recreates the rich, earthy intrigue of one of the most fun films in the series. The Cold War is in full swing, the Soviets possess an encryption machine known as a Lektor, and Bond must recover it. Some minor liberties are taken with the plot, as you might expect, but the heart and soul are there, and the game does an admirable job of putting you in Bond's shoes. The notion of "Bond focus," which lets you use the spy's trademark ingenuity to dispatch terrorists in creative ways, is a wonderful boon: shoot the rocket supply hanging on a thug's back, or the armor that hangs on his buddy. It sounds simple, but this mechanic, along with signature gadgets like the Q-Copter and sonic cufflinks, and the variety of mission styles, keeps the game from degenerating into a generic shooting gallery. On the other hand, each level's touted "Bond moment" is usually decidedly underwhelming: swinging through a window into an Octopus goon, or blowing up a car, seems a bit pedestrian after the frenetic gun battles.

Not Constantinople
Though every level strives to capture the spirit of the film's lush art direction--from the game's opening sequence in and above London, to disarming bombs in the grand halls of Station T in Istanbul--there are too many plain vanilla textures for the visual presentation to reach stellar heights. The frame-rate occasionally drops, sometimes inexplicably, but the characters all look pretty good, and the explosions are convincing.

Your ears are in for the bigger treat, as the splashy film score is right on the money, even as it morphs and adjusts on the fly to on-screen action, and the sound effects maintain a subtly campy feel while still packing a punch. Strangely, the only real aural flaw lies in Connery's vocals. While his presence lends a weight and authenticity that might otherwise be absent, he also sounds his age much of the time, which can be jarring emitting from his decades younger on-screen counterpart.

There are predictable missteps--the driving sequences are awkward and twitchy, and the camera doesn't always behave itself--but on the whole, From Russia With Love is a convincing and enjoyable ride on the sixties Bond rollercoaster.

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