CASINO ROYALE

 

 

 

Casino Royale marks Daniel Craig's debut as James Bond and is based on the first 007 novel by Bond author/creator Ian Fleming. Speaking as a longtime James Bond fan, while Daniel Craig is a passable actor, as James Bond, well, I myself prefer the "old" James Bond, the one who got to play with the cool gadgets and who got to bang all the hot chicks. In this film, James Bond doesn't really do either. He does have a relationship with a two-timing broad named Vespa--played by Eva Green (who's sporting enough eye makeup in this film to blind a cheap French hooker!)--who utters one of the dumbest movie lines I have ever heard while she's visiting Bond in the hospital after getting his balls smashed in by one of the bad guys (and is about the only scene where Bond cracks a grin, if that should tell you something!). I don't remember what the exact line is (thank the stars!), but it ranks right up there with "You had me at hello!" and "Nobody puts Baby in the corner!" Vespa (spoiler alert!) winds up getting offed in the end and Bond ends up pining for her in the follow-up 007 flick the oddly-named Quantum Of Solace. I know the "old" James Bond wouldn't have pined for a woman that long. In fact, he would've killed the bastard (or bastards) who were responsible for her death in the next frame and then moved on to the next kinky-named broad (Pussy Galore, anyone?). In one of the Pierce Brosnan 007 flicks, Bond shoots a two-timing gal right between the eyes and then plants a kiss on her corpse and walks away without remorse. That's the James Bond I prefer. Apparently the producers--and certain critics--of the longtime franchise felt that the James Bond character was becoming too unrealistic. Apparently these people failed to take one thing into consideration: JAMES BOND IS A FICTIONAL CHARACTER!!!! I mean, I like the fact that James Bond is not "realistic" and gets to do things the "average" dude couldn't do and/or get away with in a million years in Real Life! That's one of the reasons why I've been such a huge fan of the films! Again, Daniel Craig is a passable actor--although I wish he'd take the stick out of his tight British ass every now and then!--and does make a passable Bond and Casino Royale is not a bad action movie. But, like I said, I prefer the "old" James Bond and will be happy as punch when THAT 007 returns! Hell, he doesn't even have his drinks "shaken, not stirred" in the Daniel Craig films! And, FYI, if I want an "emotional" Bond, I'll just rewatch On Her Majesty's Secret Service starring George Lazenby (precisely!). A sidenote: My favorite James Bond would have to be Roger Moore who, ironically enough, was named "worst" James Bond in an Internet poll. Go figure!