I still like QoS, it's rough for sure, and I do wonder how much of this was down to the wrtier's strike, but to me it felt more like a Bond film than Cr. Fields was a proper Bond girl, the bad guy had a ludicrous--if beleiveable--plan, and it works as a very good second half of the story to Casino Royale. It also doesn't outstay it's welcome like CR!
People moan about the lack of music and humour, yet strangeley this didn't bother people in CR? Actually the Bond theme is probably played more in QoS than it was in CR. And Craig is funny, he's just not Roger Moore/Brosnan funny, he works with a very dry sardonic wit- "Well I missed." or when he dumps Camile in the busboy's hand. Trust me, Craig couldn't pull off a 'and they say Christmas only comes once a year.' anymore than Dalton could the Moore lines he was occasionally given. That doesn't mean either man isn't funny in his way.
And if people think this is the first time the Bond producers have riffed on things that are popular they really need to do their homework, Bond hasn't led the way since the 60s. From Moore (and possiblty even later Connery) onwards Bond has adapted to fit the time (Moonraker coming out 2 years after Star Wars being the best example of this, but Licence to Kill's US style violent action film is another coming after the Lethal Weapons et al.
I do hope the next film is more of a classic Bond, I also hope they spend a bit more time polishing it. And please get a decent villain! Green was better than Le Chiffre but neither has been especially good.
Just rewatched the (decidedly not overated) Goldeneye the other day and damn it's still good, and oh for a Sean Bean/Famke/Boris style combo of baddies!
Expect the internet to bitch about Bond 23 being too funny/too outlandish/not realistic enough...