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Casino Royale
Saturday, March 17th, 2007
I’d like to personally clarify the reason for poor reviews on the recent Bond film - the filmakers were deliberately steering away from the tried-and-true formulaic gadget-encrusted Bond; and that did not sit well with the tried-and-true audience. The formula is so infective even reviewers were saying, ‘lacks the true Bond vibe’ and all the other jargon they spew to keep people interested in what they have to say.
The new Bond is actually a better Bond - minus the unrealisitic gadgets and futuristic cars, Bond had to deliver the goods personally, with grit and stamina. The murky world of counter-intelligence now had a more dramatic affect upon Bond’s choices, rather than Bond walking through danger without singing a hair.
Daniel Craig has mostly appeared in bit parts as a henchman or aide - most notably in the film Munich - and stirred up a fuss by being the first ‘blond Bond’. It is exactly his differences to the smooth, charming Bond we’re used to that makes this film awesome. His physicality and toughness put him miles apart from the satin-skinned Bond who relies far too much on gadgets to get through the day’s work. We even get a glimpse of what it takes earn a ‘license to kill’ - which Craig pulls off with lethal ability.
From the opening scene - showcasing a an urban sport of incredible leaps and bounds - through torture and poisoning, Bond has only his wits and physical stamina to pull him through, which makes for a more nail-biting experience. The brutal world of espionage pulls no punches on Bond - whereas most villains are brilliant schemers until Bond shows up, and everyone is suddenly spastic - and the reality of being MI6 hits home when we witness that M and her intelligence group withdrawing all support from Bond. There is no magic ticket out of trouble for him this time, something I found intensely more enjoyable.
Instead of the dashing charmer who always lands the leading lady, Bond chafes under the watchful eye of Vesper Lynd, the treasurer for MI6. Bond must go undercover at a secret poker game involving terrorist financier Le Chifre - but he only has so much money to lose. Ultimately, Bond’s connection with Vesper is more believable, and Bond ultimately comes to learn his most important lesson:
Trust No One.
Yet, they still paid homage to the old Bond; every car in the film is a car from one of the classic Bond films, minus gadgetry. The Aston Martin is probably my favourite. The plotline and characters are ripped straight from a Bond novel, but fuelled with urgency and fear, rather than the plucky confidence of Hollywood spies.
In a way, this film is a ‘Bond Begins’ type of feature, and to my mind is far superior and more exciting than any Pierce Brosnan film. If you were skeptical or just plain ignorant, I highly recommend seeing this Bond. I’d love for there to be future editions - so go! Where there is Demand there shall be Supply!
Please note individual items are the those of the autor, not Pith Records. Don't blame us.
This entry hereby entered into our archives by lansirlot at the hour of 12:47 pm
on this very Saturday, March 17th, our year of 2007.
Duly filed under Literary Reviews, in accordance with standard practices.
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