Maligned for having the wrong hair color, Craig does more than show how Bond gained his 00 status. As a brutal, violent, and callous British agent, he participates in a construction site chase, one of the most adrenaline-flush sequences ever, as the mysterious Mr. White sets in motion the crash course between Bond and the bloody-eyed Mr. Le Chiffre. As M bashes Bond with "blunt instrument" references, Bond questions if she wants him to be half-monk, half-hit man. Bond meets Le Chiffre head-on in a deadly game of poker in Montenegro, with the help of financial agent Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) and the latest version of Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright). The literally heart-stopping scene as well as his brutal torture at the hands of Le Chiffre lead Bond to profess love to Vesper, saying "you do what I do for too long and there won't be a soul left to salvage. I'm leaving with what little I have left." This Bond resignation is aborted by his betrayal and salvation at the hands of Vesper, leading to the kidnapping of Mr. White&ellips; By far the darkest Bond ever, the gritty realism of the acting and plot are beyond compare to any of the others.

And finally, we examine Bond movie number twenty-three, Quantum of Solace starring Daniel Craig and debuting soon in theaters everywhere. Battling an ecological terrorist and a new SPECTRE-like organization, Bond's obvious impetus at the end of Casino Royale and in the trailer is revenge. Bond really did discover love, and actually seemed content for a few onscreen moments in the reboot of the franchise, before his love was brutally murdered/committed suicide. Now, though, that love is twisted to hate, and his anger looks to burn like a white-hot heat.

Bond did not seem to actually develop much in the Connery, Moore, or Brosnan versions, and the new version may be more reflective of the times than the man himself. Are people interested in a "blunt instrument" that works for the government and does not ask any questions? Or is there more of a need for a skilled instrument with a soul, wounded, tortured and bleeding, who makes decisions that bring the corrupted power structures of the world down?

Bond does not kill for pleasure or without reflecting over the death he inflicts or indirectly causes when an innocent life is shed. Bond does not sleep with women indiscriminately, as he did in previous films, bedding only Vesper on screen, and intentionally turning a would-be pawn away. Bond does question authority, more so with Brosnan, and certainly with Craig, clashing repeatedly with M, and not out of carelessness.

What we'll find in Quantum of Solace remains to be seen, but I believe we are watching the development of a man, forty-something years after his creation. What Bond chooses over the course of the next few films will determine the course of his soul, and with writer Paul Haggis at the helm, it is sure to be tortured and real. Bond's reboot sets us at the point when we see where Bond makes choices that will define him forever, asking age-old questions: Who am I? What matters? What is the point of my existence?

At the end of the day, I think Bond has honor, purpose and country to support. Like many, he bears arms so that others can live in peace, and chooses violence so that others might avoid it. Bond will be determined by his actions, as will we. What matters to you? What is your point for living? Who will you become?

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