Monday, March 19, 2007

Movie Review: "Casino Royale"

Bond is back! and he is back in a big way! There is a new Bond in town, and his name is Daniel Craig!

I watched "Casino Royale" last week and enjoyed it immensely. Being a big James Bond fan since I was a kid, I have always felt that the best James Bond was Sean… er, Sir Sean Connery.

After being forced to endure the boring Roger Moore doing an only adequate job playing Bond, and then having to put up with the totally inadequate Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan over the last six films, I have to report that there is finally an actor worthy of Connery's Double-O mantle.

“Casino Royale”, like all of the Bond movies, was lavishly produced with high production values and beautiful locations. The script was well-done, I thought, as was the story, but the true story here, in my humble opinion, was Daniel Craig. Many people in Bond-dom were hoping that Craig would fail, and be poorly reviewed, but it was not to be. Craig, unlike his two post-Moore predecessors, played a more manly Bond. While Craig may not have been as smooth, urbane, and suave as some of his celluloid forebears, his was a strong character that upheld the tradition of Bond being sophisticated, but rebellious and tough at the same time.

I can’t help but think that Craig will be portraying James Bond for a long time to come… if he wants to.

The second Bond film starring Daniel Craig is scheduled to open in mid or late 2008. Craig is contracted for that one, and one more after that.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

GASP!

No no no, Pierce Brosnan was hot as Bond, hot I tell you...

soccer mom in denial said...

Craig was just delicious! Oops? Is that what Bond is suppose to be? I sure appreciated all those beach shots.

And I enjoyed the poker game. Especially since my date (hubby) is a serious poker man.

Redneck Mommy said...

The hubs and I watched this flick on Saturday.

My hubs is still annoyed that I drooled continuously through out the flick. I confess, most of the plot was over my head. I was too busy oogling.

Yummy. Yummy. Yummy.

And I respectfully disagree with Trish. Brosnan was a pansy.

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen it yet, but I plan to rent it. I was/am annoyed that they changed the iconic baccarat game to poker. If you ask me that is going to date the film badly.

Gunfighter said...

V. Funny, RNM!

Janet,

The book you mentioned a few days ago? Mrs Gunfighter is VERY interested. She'd like more details, if you please.

Reel Fanatic said...

I'm definitely with you on this one .. I was so happy to see a Bond without so many ridiculous gadgets, and Craig was just perfect .. I hope he's taking a little time out to gloat to all the haters who doubted he could pull it off

Rissamama3 said...

I saw this last night with Jman and I enjoyed it but wasn't as caught up as I would like to be what bothered me was that this was supposed to show how bond started but the movie was done in present day, other wise I think Craig did a fabulous job and hope he comes back.

Anonymous said...

This is what else we have in our catalog.

The Sixty Years' War for the Great Lakes, 1754-1814 / edited by David Curtis Skaggs and Larry L. Nelson
Published by Michigan State University Press in East Lansing, MI ISBN: 0870135694

The notes say: Papers from a conference held in Sept. 1998 at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio.

I do have a list of all the contributors, but that's a lot to fit here. She can look at the list by going to www.fpl.info and clicking on "Library Catalog".

Anonymous said...

My sister and I saw it on the BIG screen and we couldn't get over his ears. There were some shots where they really stuck out. Besides that, he was most delicious (as Soccer Mom says). I do not like the Roger Moore Bond. I can live with the Pierce Brosnon Bond (if I must, delicious also). Sean's movies are the best.

Love the Bond Girls (except Tanya Roberts) too.

Me. Here. Right now. said...

I stopped watching after the first Dalton. Bluck. I was always fond of the George Lazenby film. I think I dug Diana Rigg.

Lawyer Mama said...

I'm a huge Bond fan and am glad to hear that you liked Craig in the part. I will have to rent it. Daniel Craig. Now there's another guy I'd like to see in a kilt!

Grimm said...

Saw this one early Sunday morning and I have to say, save for Connery who was just uber-cool. Daniel Craig is my favorite.

Craig is how Bond should be - rough, hard yet smooth. He delivers brilliantly.

My only complain was the extended gooey love scenes toward the end of the film that seemed to go on and on.