From the very beginning, we're gently nudged towards the idea that the inspiration to Ian Fleming for James Bond was... Fleming himself. As fictional as that may be, and there are reasons to appreciate it for the entertainment value at least, young Fleming's routine gets old really really fast. The boozing, womanizing, good-for-nothing, but ultimately lovable scoundrel has been portrayed in many a production before. Nothing bad about Dominic Cooper's performance, and he does radiate a certain charm, but really... there's only so much dickish behavior one's charm can excuse.
Ultimately, I got bored by Fleming's antics and the repeated, sanitized sex scenes. The central plot never grasped me and frankly, I ended up not caring particularly much for any of the characters - least of all the titular one.
It's not a bad product per se. But not a very good one either.
