xpgeek
18-11-2006, 04:31 AM
Casino Royale (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381061/), the now highly anticipated new James Bond movie, started playing here today, and I just had to go and see it right away.
There has been major hype about this movie in the last few weeks. The critics calling it one of the best Bond films ever, and calling Daniel Craig the best Bond yet. I was still pretty skeptical about this hype going in to see it. But now that I have, I must say, everything the critics are saying is completely accurate. This is one of the best Bond films ever, and Danial Craig is I think even by far the best Bond yet.
This film's James Bond is something of a radical departure from the standard Bond of before. Bond has always been Mr. super secret agent, with his suave style and instant lady charming ability, and lots of fancy gadgets like laser wrist watches and x-rays specs. There is none of that here, well maybe a bit of the lady charming remains, but thats bout it. This Bond is more professional, more, just an agent on a mission attitude, and is best described really as a well trained assassin. He still drives an Aston Martin, but other then some laptops and cell phones, and a defibrillator, is not a gadget man at all. His only weapons are his training, his hand to hand combat skills, and his trusty silenced handgun.
That being said, this Bond is also a better Bond on so many other levels as well too. He is a more, human, Bond. He is not Mr. perfect secret agent who can escape any situation. He is a real person, with his own flaws and emotions. In fact this Bond is a more emotional Bond then we have ever seen before, to the point of him being conflicted with himself much of the time. He aspires to be, and wants to remain, a cold and emotionless assassin, but struggles with emotions he is feeling.
This Bond is quite the radical departure from the standard Bond of old, but it works, and it works to a fantastic degree. Theres a line in the film that I found humorous that even makes a point of what a departure from standard Bond it is. Everyone knows that James Bond drinks martinis, and takes them shaken and not stirred. This has become a famous line of the Bond films. In this film, Bond orders a martini, and when asked by the bartender whether he would like it shaken or stirred, he simply replies, "Does it look like I give a damn."
His co-star, actress Eva Green, playing the Bond girl of the film, is also a whole new approach to a Bond girl. No more is the Bond girl a somewhat half brainless all beauty and no substance character. This Bond girl is also much more human, more real. She is a somewhat shy about her beauty character even, and has a fragile nature to her. She might not be the hottest Bond girl ever, but shes certainly the best, and the most real.
This wanting it to feel real extends even to the villain of the film. Past James Bond villains have been very larger then life, criminal masterminds if you will. This villain is different. He as well is a real person, and isn't out to take over the world or nuke a small country, hes just a pretty common world terrorist with real and believable goals. He even seems to respect Bond much of the time and treat him as just, not his arch nemesis, but just a government agent doing his job.
From top to bottom, this entire film is just much more real then any Bond film before, more human, more emotional, more believable. This is definitely one of the best Bond films of all time. And Daniel Craig, tasked with portraying all these new and real levels of the character, is simply amazing in the role. He is by far quite possibly the best Bond we've ever seen.
Theres still plenty of good Bond action scenes too, but even the action, feels more real as well. No more is Bond managing to escape 100 bad guys shooting at him all the time. The action scenes are intense and amazing, but like the rest of the film much more real and believable too.
I really loved this film, am looking forward to seeing it again, and would call this one a must see.
There has been major hype about this movie in the last few weeks. The critics calling it one of the best Bond films ever, and calling Daniel Craig the best Bond yet. I was still pretty skeptical about this hype going in to see it. But now that I have, I must say, everything the critics are saying is completely accurate. This is one of the best Bond films ever, and Danial Craig is I think even by far the best Bond yet.
This film's James Bond is something of a radical departure from the standard Bond of before. Bond has always been Mr. super secret agent, with his suave style and instant lady charming ability, and lots of fancy gadgets like laser wrist watches and x-rays specs. There is none of that here, well maybe a bit of the lady charming remains, but thats bout it. This Bond is more professional, more, just an agent on a mission attitude, and is best described really as a well trained assassin. He still drives an Aston Martin, but other then some laptops and cell phones, and a defibrillator, is not a gadget man at all. His only weapons are his training, his hand to hand combat skills, and his trusty silenced handgun.
That being said, this Bond is also a better Bond on so many other levels as well too. He is a more, human, Bond. He is not Mr. perfect secret agent who can escape any situation. He is a real person, with his own flaws and emotions. In fact this Bond is a more emotional Bond then we have ever seen before, to the point of him being conflicted with himself much of the time. He aspires to be, and wants to remain, a cold and emotionless assassin, but struggles with emotions he is feeling.
This Bond is quite the radical departure from the standard Bond of old, but it works, and it works to a fantastic degree. Theres a line in the film that I found humorous that even makes a point of what a departure from standard Bond it is. Everyone knows that James Bond drinks martinis, and takes them shaken and not stirred. This has become a famous line of the Bond films. In this film, Bond orders a martini, and when asked by the bartender whether he would like it shaken or stirred, he simply replies, "Does it look like I give a damn."
His co-star, actress Eva Green, playing the Bond girl of the film, is also a whole new approach to a Bond girl. No more is the Bond girl a somewhat half brainless all beauty and no substance character. This Bond girl is also much more human, more real. She is a somewhat shy about her beauty character even, and has a fragile nature to her. She might not be the hottest Bond girl ever, but shes certainly the best, and the most real.
This wanting it to feel real extends even to the villain of the film. Past James Bond villains have been very larger then life, criminal masterminds if you will. This villain is different. He as well is a real person, and isn't out to take over the world or nuke a small country, hes just a pretty common world terrorist with real and believable goals. He even seems to respect Bond much of the time and treat him as just, not his arch nemesis, but just a government agent doing his job.
From top to bottom, this entire film is just much more real then any Bond film before, more human, more emotional, more believable. This is definitely one of the best Bond films of all time. And Daniel Craig, tasked with portraying all these new and real levels of the character, is simply amazing in the role. He is by far quite possibly the best Bond we've ever seen.
Theres still plenty of good Bond action scenes too, but even the action, feels more real as well. No more is Bond managing to escape 100 bad guys shooting at him all the time. The action scenes are intense and amazing, but like the rest of the film much more real and believable too.
I really loved this film, am looking forward to seeing it again, and would call this one a must see.