Schreiber and Craig make a well-matched pair of bulls. Schreiber's volatility is a nice foil to the taciturn intelligence that makes Craig such a great Bond.

Zwick's limitations as an action director seem linked to a troubled conscience: he seems conscious of a need to entertain, but worried that his audience will take too much pleasure in the spectacle of vengeance.

As a piece of historical redress, a great service has been done in bringing this narrative to the screen.

Zwick is ardently devoted to entertainment value, even if it means sacrificing the dignity of his otherwise stimulating story.