We've both been looking forward to seeing this movie for so long, and we were even more excited after hearing such positive reviews about the "new Bond." As you can see in the above middle photo (if you enlarge it), all the later showings were sold out - we went to the 12:00 and it was still a full house - mostly in the 12-16 age group!
I was mighty skeptical about Daniel Craig as Bond, seeing as he looks a bit like a monkey and I only ever remember seeing him in Tomb Raider (to be fair, he's done better movies). I wasn't the only one - there was quite an outcry when he was selected, poor guy. A lot was made of him being the "first blond Bond," but first of all, who cares, and second of all, wasn't Roger Moore blond? In any case, he really did a great job at filling Bond's shoes, and even looks almost as good as Sean in his tiny swimwear. And his monkey-head is partially made up for by his admittedly pretty eyes. Here he and his eyelashes dashingly greet the Queen at the royal premiere earlier this week:
I bet she liked it. Casino Royale is a vast improvement over all the recent Bond movies, as they've consciously gone away from the campy humor, stupid one-liners and gimmicky gadgets that had become the trend.
That worked really well for Batman Begins, and it worked even better for Bond. Casino Royale was the first Bond novel written by Ian Fleming (and it was the only one that hadn't yet been filmed). So this one is set early in Bond's career, just after his promotion to 00 status, and it seems like a fresh start. 
Overall, the movie is more back-to-basics, serious, and and even a bit more violent. There is no Q (or R) and no Moneypenny. He beds only one woman - well, almost two. But it's a major departure from the consistent three, which I had made a game of counting in previous Bonds (you know, disposable Swedish-nurse type in the beginning, bad Bond girl in the middle, good Bond girl at the end). And she didn't say "Oh, James." There were no attempts at an overly-elaborate death for Bond, and the bad guy did not have a cat.
But despite all the changes, they still kept enough of the Bond-ness to keep all of us fans happy. I was very concerned that he might not shoot his gun at the audience in the beginning (love that), but he did. There was still an animated beginning with shimmying women and guns, two gorgeous Aston Martins, exotic locations, a card game, pretty girls, an ugly villain, great stunts, and M played by Dame Judi Dench. They did a wonderful send-up of the "shaken not stirred" thing, and he did say "Bond, James Bond" - eventually.
It is really the best Bond movie in years. David, also a big Bond fan who's been watching them since he was a kid, said this was even better than all the Roger Moore ones, which he likes the best. I think it beats all but the early Sean movies. (Sean is still the best Bond, no doubt about it.) So, go see it! Here's a couple more snaps I took today - one in the lobby of the cinema; the other of a 13th-century church along our walk into town. I walk behind that church on my way to German class, and always admire it and feel so fortunate to have such a "commute to work."
No comments:
Post a Comment