Movie: Casino Royale

Fantastic, back to basic James Bond. I’ve read a few of the books including this one and the movie follows it really well (other than being brought up to date). But, being close to the book is only one measure of this movie. As a Bond movie, I thought it was the best I’ve seen. No relying on gadgets, not too tongue-in-cheek and no ‘plot to take over the world’, just a nice simple spy story with a rough and ready hero. Just what we need with successful shows like SPOOKS and 24 (BTW I still think Jack Bauer is better than James Bond, but only because it will take a long time to justify Roger Moore as a credible hard man).

So, once you’ve compared this to the book, and to the other Bond films – does it stand up on its own as a good movie. I think so. Good plot, action, twists, action, cars, action, locations and action. But realistically none of that matters, you can’t look at a James Bond film in isolation from the franchise. This film is also being hyped as a big test of how Daniel Craig measures up as the new Bond. Again, I have to say that it works. He portrays the rough tough kill without emotion character, with the odd ‘softer’ side – can’t give anything away. I thought the shower scene was tied these aspects together nicely.

I am also fascinated by how in this, the 21st official movie we see James Bond being promoted or awarded ‘00’ agent status. Are they going to follow this through with the new actor? Will ‘Bond 22’ show 007 learning more of ‘the trade’? In this movie it was as if they wanted the audience to have no ‘back story’ to what had brought the man James Bond to this stage. Just have to wait and see what happens.The strangest bit of trivia from IMDB on this film was that “This is the first film in the 44 years of the James Bond series where it rains.”

Favorite Quotes:

Bartender: Shaken or stirred?
James Bond: Do I look like I give a damn?

M: Christ, I miss the Cold War.

Vesper: I’m the money.
James Bond: Every penny of it.

James Bond: Bond, James Bond