[redshifter]

As a reader of Fleming first, the "Casino Royale" remake impressed me. They included the torture scene (although the tennis racket made more sense (hit the balls)), and the amazing final line "The job's done and the bitch is dead." from the book, diluted by more superfluous dialog and action scenes. That final line defines Bond's misogyny which defines a huge part of his character, and is chilling.

I waited the whole film for the Bond theme, and was a bit disappointed it was only used on the end titles. If they wanted to make an old-school Bond film, they should have that electric guitar playing every time Bond walks into a scene, like in "Dr. No". It is just too good to waste on end titles, although it worked in terms of Bond's genesis.

Craig was good, but the makeup department needs to decide if he is blonde or not. Bond as described has dark hair with a comma of hair falling over his brow. Also, Craig needs to work on his charm.

The biggest disappointment was the villain. In the book he was a huge, sweating person, addicted to inhaled speed. In the movie has barely registered as a Hitler clone with asthma. Plus they replaced the Baccarat with Texas Hold-em, which to me is just pandering to trends. The core of the drama in this story--the gambling--was pedestrian, and I never got a feeling of the glamor and intensity of the game.

 

[Jigglybootch]

OK, so I finally saw Casino Royale. Freakin' awesome flick!

 

[Old Pa]

On the basis of Craig's strength in "Casino Royale", I subsequently rented his earlier "Layer Cake". "Layer Cake", perhaps a bit more complicated and twisted, was another bright star on my video horizon's normally bleak environs. Heartily recommended.

 

[dj_mocok]

I don't know, I just don't really like this new Bond guy. I think he looks old and not charismatic. I was really hoping Hugh Jackman would get the role.

 

[roastpuff]

Hugh Jackman? I was rooting for Clive Owen!

Then again, I was hoping for Jason Statham to play Agent 47.

I need to get the DVD, this is one film that is definitely worth it.

Who else thinks that Eva Green wears too much makeup in most of the scenes? I like her better when she doesn't have that much eye shadow on.

 

[DanG]

Horrible movie. I walked out of the theater stunned and chain-smoked three or four cigarettes to mourn the death of James Bond.

I don't know how Babs Broccoli can toss away her uncle (or was it her father?) Cubby's legacy. Instead of James Bond, we have James Blonde. Instead of a master secret agent, we have Starsky and Hutch rolled into one -- and not the good qualities either. A petulant child who in real life would only not be funny because of all the deadly blunders he falls into. It seemed more to be a mockery of Bond, and an intentionally bitter one at that. An attack on the idea of the man who all other men want to be, of the man that no woman could resist. I guess a man like that doesn't fit in the post-modern world. It hurts our delicate sensibilities. So let's show what a real pig Bond is and expose him for the worthless relic that he is.

Lots of people say that although it's not really a Bond movie, it's a good movie otherwise. How is that possible? It's just the work of another crappy pretentious director who focuses on completely insignificant scenes. For example, the Aronofsky-style cinematography in the bathroom fight scene with a low-level hoodlum. Important? No. Worth the waste of time? No. Or the long drawn-out chase in the airport with another totally unimportant henchman.

Sure, Lazenby was horrible and so was Dalton. Too much emotion within the character, like with this talentless Daniel "I'm afraid of guns" Craig. But at least they were crappy Bond movies. This wasn't even a Bond movie at all. And it was a really bad movie.

So I'm not even going to see the next one in the theater. I just can't believe that Bond is dead after all these years. I grew up with Bond movies, I own all of them (except this one and the last Brosnan), and my girlfriend and I have always loved to watch Bond movies together. I guess we'll have to stick to the old ones now. I guess, at least, it was a good run while it lasted.

James Bond. Requiescat in pace.

[/rant]

 

[lmilhan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanG /img/forum/go_quote.gif Horrible movie. I walked out of the theater stunned and chain-smoked three or four cigarettes to mourn the death of James Bond.

I wasn't aware this movie was even still in the theaters. I thought that ship sailed long ago. Unless of course it is one of those second run theaters that plays older movies and charges discounted prices.

At any rate, I gave up on James Bond movies quite a while ago, but based on the buzz in this thread, I 'acquired' and watched this movie. I was very disappointed, and thought that overall it was a very forgettable (other than maybe the opening action scene), slow paced and boring movie. The entire time I was watching this movie I was thinking to myself "is this the same movie that all of those Head-Fiers are raving about?". It just didn't 'do it' for me.

I would tend to agree with the poster above me that the version of James Bond I once enjoyed is indeed dead, and likely gone forever.

R.I.P.

 

[uraflit]

i havent watched many james bond films... only ~2 pierce brosnan ones and this one. seemed like a pretty good movie to me. the movie seemed to drag a bit though.

 

[robm321]

Loved it! I was a James Bond fan when I was young, and the Peirce B. films lately have almost run JB into the ground, but the new one gave it new life without excess drama...

 

[biged]

Great movie. Daniel Craig is awesome as Bond, more visceral.

 

[will75]

To me, this installement and Daniel Craig have restored my interest in the Bond series.

LOVED the movie.