^ They're not really franchise issues, in the sense that the 1989-95 hiatus was. The problem is with MGM, the studio which has the rights to 007 and which faces bankruptcy. This also held up production of The Hobbit. But these issues seem to have been sorted; The Hobbit is up and running and it looks like Craig will return, to be directed by Sam Mendes.
Really?!? REJOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYCE!!!
Looking forward to it!
Again, sorry I missed all the reviews of the Brosnan films. Let me say that, frankly, I'd have given
Goldeneye 4 stars, instead of 3 1/2.
I actually liked
Tomorrow Never Dies, and think Pryce was a pretty good--at worst, passable--villain. (I actually take it as a satire on "media bias"!) I actually think it gets dull in the
second half, with the first half having a great deal of glamour in the score. Bond's scene with Q was priceless!
The World Is Not Enough--frankly, I don't see what the problem is with this one. I actually loved it, for this reason: Bonds inner struggle as he tries to figure our the true motives behind Elektra. She's actually pretty complex, and the way we're led to believe she's the victim is well done--as it the shocking revelation, as we find out with Bond that she's working with Renad.
Still...I admit it does "dull down" as it goes on.
For
Casino Royale:
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....
Bond: Now the whole world's gonna know that you died scratching my balls.
Yep! I remember when I showed the film to my dad. He almost busted a gut laughing at this line (actually, he started when Bond shouted, "TO THE
RIGHT--TO THE RIGHT!!!")!
He also often notes to me how smart Bond was when he did that. If there's a guy torturing you--and
enjoying it--the thing is to take that enjoyment away.
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....
Bond: You can stop pretending. You knew I wouldn't let this drop, didn't you?
M: Well, I knew you were you.
Very well done.
I agree on all counts (although I wasn't put off with M from the Brosnan films.)
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.
Well...it kinda makes more sense with this kind of Bond being him at the beginning. We see Bond
grow in this film and QOS...something we didn't see in the other films.
So, it looks as if Bond is finally back on track.
Absolutely!
That's Amore: 51
Bond slept with Vesper Lynd. Only one again, what's going on here?
Didn't he sleep with Solange, to get to Dimitrios (or at least...he came close....)
Quantum Of Solace--frankly, this film ties with the
Wolverine movie as the fastest-paced film I'd ever seen! This results in many faults: 1) many times, I didn't understand something until I watched it a second or third time; 2) when the film ended, I went, "That's
it? It's
done?"
That being said, I loved his continuing growth in this film. And "Dominic GREENE" is the perfect name for a villian who's faking environmental disasters...and posing as an environmental activist.
(I've often noted that, considering all the references to Global Warming causing the droughts in the film [the taxi driver's ramblings, Greene's lines in the "fundraiser", etc.]--wihch later turn out to have been caused by Quantum--the premise of the film is that
Global Warming is a hoax!
)
My Thoughts for Bond 23:
I'm loving the direction in which the franchise finds itself moving today. And, in case any of the powers that be behind James Bond are reading (which I'm sure they're not, but a guy can dream) I have just a few suggestions for what I would like to see in the next Bond film. 1.) Please keep the down-to-earth atmosphere. Don't let it become mired in campy fun like the later Moore movies did or the special effects ridiculousness of most of the Brosnan ones.
I don't think we need to worry. if they're keeping Craig, they'll doubtless keep the down-to-earth atmosphere.
2.) Don't bring in Q or Moneypenny. Like I've said before, without Desmond Llewelyn, there is no point in having the character. His personal charm and wit were the only reasons the character was successful. Just leave well enough alone and don't reintroduce the character. Also, as I've said before, Moneypenny is a one note character. Without her unrequited love for Bond, she's just about useless to the story. As I doubt that kind of characterization would fly with modern audiences, please don't try to reboot her character. Just leave her out of it.
Well...it depends on the plot. If it justifies having Moneypenny and Q, include them. If not...not.
3.) Let's see Bond in Australia. Something I've never understood about the franchise is that Australia has never played a role in any way, shape or form. As a major Western ally during the Cold War and down to today, why can't we have some exotic locations Down Under? If we can have a South American desert, surely the Outback would be exciting.
Interesting....
In Conclusion:
I hope you've all enjoyed my reviews as much as I've enjoyed doing them. However, I have a confession to make. As much as I love James Bond - as I said in my first post, it's my second favorite entertainment franchise after Star Trek - these reviews were really just intended to cut my reviewing teeth in preparation for some Trek review threads. Sometime after the first of the year, I'll be starting a TOS review thread. I hope to see you all there.
Well done Shran--although I still think
Never Say Never Again is pretty dull....
