A few things.
First, I think you need to distinguish between Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale. The former is craptastic. The latter is terrific. (Both perspectives are purely my opinion, of course.) The fights in Casino Royal, while brutal and fast-paced are also actually visible. The fights in QoS are just a blur of jumpcuts and sound effects. I'd have preferred large cartoon letters saying "ZOT!" on screen instead.
Second, I think you overlook some aspects of both the character and the performance in at least Casino Royale. I'll grant you that the bulk of QoS was pretty much just Bond looking grim and then getting into yet another incomprehensible action sequence. But Casino Royale is a different animal. Granted, it breaks down much of the Bond conventions we've come to expect, but (A) that's because it's telling pretty much the story of the first Bond novel, and (B) the Bond we'd come to expect by that point was a bloody cartoon character and a far cry from Connery's resourceful, dangerous, debonaire character in Dr. No.
What I think Craig does very well is portray this tough facade in such a way that when he drops it, it's REALLY meaningful. People can accuse him of being emotionless, but I think they misread the performance. Craig's Bond is clearly NOT emotionless. Certainly not if you watch Casino Royale he isn't, and even in some scenes in QoS. But the facade of emotionlessness is what he affects in order to do his job. And again, that comes straight out of the books. Bond is this bizarre combination in the books of passion and restraint, and I see that in Craig's performance.
Again, that's not the "classic movie Bond," but then, what IS the classic movie Bond? Connery? Moore? Brosnan? Most people wouldn't include either Dalton or Lazenby although I enjoy both of their performances and the films both were in.
The "classic" movie Bond, I'd submit, is actually a liability. The films need to remember that, but go beyond it constantly. Because to simply indulge in "classic movie Bondness" is to crank out dreck like Die Another Day, Moonraker, or some of the other overly-quippy/gadget-laden films where Bond is a know-it-all who's never in any real danger. You know. The BORING ones.
That said, I really dislike the "Bourne" quality of the most recent film, especially because of the editing. I don't mind a more physical hand-to-hand Bond who doesn't just rely on "Judo chop!" or "Judo throw!" as his primary fighting techniques. But I HATED the editing in QoS. I'm hoping Skyfall loses that style and goes back to what we saw in Casino Royale.
