“You’ll be holding your breath for the first 15 minutes of Quantum of Solace — the action is that gripping,” writes critic Marshall Fine. “And you’ll be out of breath by the end – the film is that compelling.

“Casino Royale hinted at it, but this new James Bond film is the one that truly announces: Here’s the Bond for the 21st century. The Bourne films pointed the way but Quantum of Solace, directed by Marc Forster, will be the template for the adult spy thriller in the new millennium.

“It’s got a plot that engages without being gimmicky, action that thrills and a serious emotional palate that leaves little room for the kind of jokey badinage that Pierce Brosnan and his predecessors had to put up with.”

I’ve had to wait and wait and wait, but the Big Encounter happens tomorrow evening at the AMC Lincoln Square.