A James Bond Fan Reviews the Franchise
- Thread starter Admiral Shran
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I once read a book about the evolution of leading men in films and it was quite interesting. Today some leading men could be qualified as looking like something akin to a thug and often with an equivalent level of intelligence. Being unshaven and messed up hair is the thing. Next thing you know leading men will have paunches. 
Isn't there a Major Boothroyd, the armourer? To all intents & purposes, isn't he Q?
Next thing you know leading men will have paunches.
Well, Connery got in on the act there in DAF. Not to mention the likes of James Gandolfini, William Shatner, James Spader (BL era), Ricky Gervaise and the like.
Casino Royale (****½)
You know, after the inexplicable financial success of Die Another Day, it's nice that the powers that be decided that they should follow it up with a Bond movie that actually didn't suck. Seriously, this is amazing - it ties the record for a jump in quality between two consecutive movies (there was an eight point jump between Moonraker and For Your Eyes Only and this is also an eight point jump.) Thank you powers that be, thank you.
So, where to start? Well, first off, this movie has quite possibly the most awesome line I've ever heard in a film....
But, I suppose the most enjoyable aspect of Casino Royale is the fact that it's so down-to-earth, which as you know I admire in my Bond films. Bond doesn't have to avert nuclear war again or save the entire planet from a madman. He just has to stop terrorists from receiving their funding. In the Brosnan era, he literally had to avert a worldwide financial meltdown, avert World War III, keep Istanbul from being nuked, and again avert World War III. This is a very welcome change of pace. In addition to that, it's nice to see that Bond is again acting as an intelligence operative and not a special forces commando.
Daniel Craig delivers a very good performance in his opening outing. While it is true that he channels more of the cold, brutal Bond than any other aspect of the character, I do think his portrayal is more balanced than, say, George Lazenby's. Lazenby channeled too much of the kindhearted Bond to the exclusive of the rest. Craig, however, is clearly a man who can be gentle and kind when the situation calls for it, but who prefers to keep his guard up and be as emotionless as possible. About the only criticism I have of him is that the funny side of Bond's character seems to take a back seat.
The villains are also excellent in this film. Le Chiffre and Mr. White are everything that characters like Renard and Gustave Graves were not. The best kind of villain is reserved, sensible and completely sane - and these villains fit that to a tee. Both offer very menacing performances.
Some other small things I liked - 1.) It's good to see that they are willing to let Bond get dirty and hurt whenever he fights again. It makes the action more realistic. 2.) It's also good that they didn't have Q appear. Like I said before, without Desmond Llewelyn, there's really no point in having a similar character. Simply having a nameless technician accompany M or having Bond's equipment waiting for him was just the right way to go. 3.) The romance between Bond and Vesper is very well done. I can easily see Bond falling deeply in love with this woman. I'll even go so far as to say it was better handled than the romance between him and Tracy in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. 4.) They finally got the relationship between Bond and M right. She is still somewhat hostile toward him, but this time for good reasons - she doesn't know him well enough yet. And this exchange is perfect....
Still, there are few things I didn't like. They're just small, insignificant items on their own, but they do add up a little. First, I do like the grittiness of the action sequences, but at times it feels like they added grit just for the sake of adding it. Second, it almost seems like they've thrown the baby out with the bathwater at places. For example, there's nothing particularly British about Bond anymore. If it wasn't made clear in dialogue that he works for the British government, he could easily be from any Western intelligence service. Finally, I have to ask - why the reboot? With a few script alternations, I can easily see this film being set in the same continuity as all the others, just with a different take on the character.
So, it looks as if Bond is finally back on track.
That's Amore: 51
Bond slept with Vesper Lynd. Only one again, what's going on here?
Body Count: 347 (+10)
Redshirt Sidekicks: 10
I'm counting Vesper as one.
You know, after the inexplicable financial success of Die Another Day, it's nice that the powers that be decided that they should follow it up with a Bond movie that actually didn't suck. Seriously, this is amazing - it ties the record for a jump in quality between two consecutive movies (there was an eight point jump between Moonraker and For Your Eyes Only and this is also an eight point jump.) Thank you powers that be, thank you.
So, where to start? Well, first off, this movie has quite possibly the most awesome line I've ever heard in a film....
But, I suppose the most enjoyable aspect of Casino Royale is the fact that it's so down-to-earth, which as you know I admire in my Bond films. Bond doesn't have to avert nuclear war again or save the entire planet from a madman. He just has to stop terrorists from receiving their funding. In the Brosnan era, he literally had to avert a worldwide financial meltdown, avert World War III, keep Istanbul from being nuked, and again avert World War III. This is a very welcome change of pace. In addition to that, it's nice to see that Bond is again acting as an intelligence operative and not a special forces commando.
Daniel Craig delivers a very good performance in his opening outing. While it is true that he channels more of the cold, brutal Bond than any other aspect of the character, I do think his portrayal is more balanced than, say, George Lazenby's. Lazenby channeled too much of the kindhearted Bond to the exclusive of the rest. Craig, however, is clearly a man who can be gentle and kind when the situation calls for it, but who prefers to keep his guard up and be as emotionless as possible. About the only criticism I have of him is that the funny side of Bond's character seems to take a back seat.
The villains are also excellent in this film. Le Chiffre and Mr. White are everything that characters like Renard and Gustave Graves were not. The best kind of villain is reserved, sensible and completely sane - and these villains fit that to a tee. Both offer very menacing performances.
Some other small things I liked - 1.) It's good to see that they are willing to let Bond get dirty and hurt whenever he fights again. It makes the action more realistic. 2.) It's also good that they didn't have Q appear. Like I said before, without Desmond Llewelyn, there's really no point in having a similar character. Simply having a nameless technician accompany M or having Bond's equipment waiting for him was just the right way to go. 3.) The romance between Bond and Vesper is very well done. I can easily see Bond falling deeply in love with this woman. I'll even go so far as to say it was better handled than the romance between him and Tracy in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. 4.) They finally got the relationship between Bond and M right. She is still somewhat hostile toward him, but this time for good reasons - she doesn't know him well enough yet. And this exchange is perfect....
Very well done.
Still, there are few things I didn't like. They're just small, insignificant items on their own, but they do add up a little. First, I do like the grittiness of the action sequences, but at times it feels like they added grit just for the sake of adding it. Second, it almost seems like they've thrown the baby out with the bathwater at places. For example, there's nothing particularly British about Bond anymore. If it wasn't made clear in dialogue that he works for the British government, he could easily be from any Western intelligence service. Finally, I have to ask - why the reboot? With a few script alternations, I can easily see this film being set in the same continuity as all the others, just with a different take on the character.
So, it looks as if Bond is finally back on track.
That's Amore: 51
Bond slept with Vesper Lynd. Only one again, what's going on here?
Body Count: 347 (+10)
Redshirt Sidekicks: 10
I'm counting Vesper as one.
How do you like "You Know My Name"? I think it's very upbeat and energetic and one of the best Bond themes out there, especially combined with the great credits sequence.
And Vesper's my favorite Bond girl, managing to dethrone my previous favorite, Melina Havelock.
And Vesper's my favorite Bond girl, managing to dethrone my previous favorite, Melina Havelock.
Fleming's commissioned sketch of Bond (pre-films):
Which bears some resemblance to Peter, Ian's older brother:
Which bears some resemblance to Peter, Ian's older brother:
How do you like "You Know My Name"? I think it's very upbeat and energetic and one of the best Bond themes out there, especially combined with the great credits sequence.
The song is definitely very upbeat and I really like it. But, there are others that I like more (most of the ones from the Roger Moore era).
The visuals, however, are easily my favorite.
^ I agree, Warped9, Casino Royale really captures the feel of the Fleming novel, even with the "modernizing" changes made. (In fact, I rather liked the way Bond made extensive detective use of cellphone technology, something he obviously couldn't do in the 1953 novel!) This movie was the first time I felt like I was watching a "Fleming" Bond since Connery.
M
maankn
Guest
I really like the James bond. It is best actor of Hollywood. He's move is really fantastic and interesting move.I really see that move all time. It is really action and horror move. It is really provide a great intention of that move.
Oh God, I can't believe I forgot to mention that. It was very good to Bond's detective skills on display again.
I agree with you 100 percent on Die Another Day. I have no idea what brought audiences out to see that piece of dung.
Even the main title theme sucked. Far and away the worse of all the bond films.
Casino Royale was a welcome change to the franchise. I actually liked the reboot concept for this one because we'd already had twenty films with five different actors and the pretense that this was the same secret agent for the last 40 years was getting a bit ridiculous.
I found very little to criticize in this flick.Craig did a good job of not trying to imitate anyone previously and he made you feel like his job was dangerous. Moore and Brosnan always gave me the impression that their job was just a walk in the park. I say whatever Martin Campbell asks for a directing fee, pay him because he has directed two of my favorite films in the franchise(Casino Royale and Goldeneye.) I noticed an immediate drop off in quality both times with movies that succeeded his.
Even the main title theme sucked. Far and away the worse of all the bond films.
Casino Royale was a welcome change to the franchise. I actually liked the reboot concept for this one because we'd already had twenty films with five different actors and the pretense that this was the same secret agent for the last 40 years was getting a bit ridiculous.
I found very little to criticize in this flick.Craig did a good job of not trying to imitate anyone previously and he made you feel like his job was dangerous. Moore and Brosnan always gave me the impression that their job was just a walk in the park. I say whatever Martin Campbell asks for a directing fee, pay him because he has directed two of my favorite films in the franchise(Casino Royale and Goldeneye.) I noticed an immediate drop off in quality both times with movies that succeeded his.
I liked Casino Royale. It was definitely different from the previous Bonds with a more ruthless Bond and grounded story but there was still enough there to make it feel like a Bond film. Unlike Quantum of Suckatude.
Even got some good oneliners "That last hand almost killed me."
Craig puts in a great performance and his chemistry with Eva Green is believeable. Eva brings a lot to the table. The new Felix Leiter is good too.
I actually read Casino Royale about a year or two later and I have to say this was one case where I liked the movie better than the book. There's little action in the book as Bond seems to do next to nothing other than playing cars. The constant use of French words in the book annoyed me too. Granted, the book was fifty years old but the movie kept the basic story of the book (the card game with La Chiffe and Bond's betrayel) and added some action to it.
Even got some good oneliners "That last hand almost killed me."
Craig puts in a great performance and his chemistry with Eva Green is believeable. Eva brings a lot to the table. The new Felix Leiter is good too.
I actually read Casino Royale about a year or two later and I have to say this was one case where I liked the movie better than the book. There's little action in the book as Bond seems to do next to nothing other than playing cars. The constant use of French words in the book annoyed me too. Granted, the book was fifty years old but the movie kept the basic story of the book (the card game with La Chiffe and Bond's betrayel) and added some action to it.
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Dusty Ayres
Commodore
How do you like "You Know My Name"? I think it's very upbeat and energetic and one of the best Bond themes out there, especially combined with the great credits sequence.
And Vesper's my favorite Bond girl, managing to dethrone my previous favorite, Melina Havelock.
How do you like "You Know My Name"? I think it's very upbeat and energetic and one of the best Bond themes out there, especially combined with the great credits sequence.
The song is definitely very upbeat and I really like it. But, there are others that I like more (most of the ones from the Roger Moore era).
The visuals, however, are easily my favorite.
In that vein, here's the original video:
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XdO3BYbqY8[/yt]
And here are the lyrics:
If you take a life
Do you know what you'll give?
Odds are you won't like What it Is.
When the storm arrives
Would you be seen with me?
By the merciless eyes I've deceived
I've seen angels fall from blinding heights
But you yourself are nothing so divine
Just next in line
Arm yourself because no one else here will save you
The odds will betray you
And I will replace you
You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you
It longs to kill you
Are you willing to die?
The coldest blood runs through my veins
You know my name
If you come inside
Things will not be the same
When you return to my eyes
And if you think you've won
You never saw me change
The game that we have been playing
I've seen diamonds cut through harder men
Then you yourself but if you must pretend
You may meet your end
Arm yourself because no one else here will save you
The odds will betray you
And I will replace you
You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you
It longs to kill you
Are you willing to die?
The coldest blood runs through my veins
Try to hide your hand
Forget how to feel (forget how to feel)
Life is gone
With just a spin of the wheel (spin of the wheel)
Arm yourself because no one else here will save you,
The odds will betray you-
And I will replace you!
You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you
It longs to kill you
Are you willing to die?
The coldest blood runs through my veins
You know my name (You Know My Name)
You Know My Name (You Know My Name)
You Know My Name!
You Know My Name!
You Know My Name!
I think you meant "I liked Casino Royale."
Except for the parts that it didn't.
Don't get me wrong, it was a good film, but a quality representation of the book it was not.
All the parts that made the book so great were gone:
Bond's/Vesper's romance was rushed and forced in the film. Obviously this was due to time constraints but still a legitimate knock.
Le Chiffre was way watered down in the film. Book Le Chiffre was a raging sadistic sociopath. Move Le Chiffre was nothing more than a broke thug. The torture scene, for example, was radically nerfed, and instead of taking place in his dining room while he enjoys his breakfast, they do it in the old cliche dark and damp dungeon. Also, the awesome gun-cane assassination attempt was replaced with a trite poisoned drink.
And the whole Mr. Red and Mr. Blue scene was omitted. It was one of the most exciting and well done of the entire book.
^^ I did say details were changed, but that the film invoked the spirit of the book. Besides is any film really a faithful adaptation of the original literary source?
I love The Bourne Identity. It captures the feel of the original novel, but it's very different in so many details.
I love The Bourne Identity. It captures the feel of the original novel, but it's very different in so many details.
Having not read the book, I'll have to take your words for how the movie compares.
However, I have to agree with Warped9 about no movie adequately capturing the details of a book, but as long as the spirit of the book is maintained, all is good.
Sorry I've been taking a while on Quantum of Solace, I should have the review up sometime tonight.
However, I have to agree with Warped9 about no movie adequately capturing the details of a book, but as long as the spirit of the book is maintained, all is good.
Sorry I've been taking a while on Quantum of Solace, I should have the review up sometime tonight.
