Daniel Craig's James Bond

[SiHart]

I know we had a thread about the new Bond film over the other place, but we've not got one here so I'm starting a new one.

We saw it last night and oh my! It's awesome! I have to say this is already one of my favourite Bond films. Daniel Craig has instantly made the part his own, although you can still see traces of all the others in his portrayal, especially in the way he walks into a room! That confident swagger! He's very cool and it's been good to have a little realism in the film this time, both in the blood on Bond as he gets injured and in the rather more naturalistic dialogue. Even the relationship between Bond and Vesper seemed realistic and unforced and mostly free of quips.

I liked the stylistic changes- the famous bullet shot opening coming at the end of the teaser, and a really awesome title sequence that's different but feels the same (if you know what I mean). Even the song, which seems to be getting a drubbing everywhere has grown on me a great deal.

Even the story hung together and made sense! It's been a while. We were mostly free of the action set piece written in to make the film seem special and even the country hopping seemed less intrusive than usual.

I think it's telling that I couldn't imagine any other actor playing Bond in this one. Daniel Craig is going to be great! I want to see it again now!

So what did you think?

Si xx

[Larry]

I'm not in all honestly a huge Bond fan and have only seen about 3 Bond films in the cinema but I am hoping if i get the time to go and see it. Craig has had an excelent review and from what what i've heard it's much more gritty than previous films with far less special effects..

[Lord President]

I agree with everything Si said, I think he's one of my former selves!

[Andrew Curnow]

Daniel Craig has instantly made the part his own, although you can still see traces of all the others in his portrayal

Does he impersonate Sean Connery while looking for the Zero Room?

[Ralph]

Well I saw this last night and it is a great action movie above all else. Daniel Craig is convincing in the role and I think he is suited to bringing in the audience for cinemas in the current times.

However I felt there is key elements missing which I personally prefer to complete my Bond experience as a long term fan of this franchise.

The famous 007 music was not used at all during the movie just on the end credits only. There's lots of bits of Bond music I love and I think it adds considerably to the excitement for me and so I was disappointed none of it was used. The incidental music didn't stand out for me at all. The opening credits were certainly different - I don't know if this is because of the politically correct times but "sexy" they were not. The movie felt more serious than I personally prefer but perhaps thats what's needed to keep the franchise alive. OK some humour but I like more tongue-in-cheek satire Bond. This Bond may be more realistic in regard to blood etc but I loved the Bond who gets out a diving suit and underneath is wearing an imacculate tux. Daniel Craig's Bond looks dangerous but is he suave hmmm not sure. The villains are more serious and less colourful - a good thing? I'm not sure. I think it's closest in style to Timothy Dalton's second movie but it's been a while since I saw that one. As for the song, to be totally honest I think it's instantly forgetable and I do feel thats fair comment.

It is a good action movie so I'm sure most will love it - I reckon it's better than the last few Bonds that I thought were losing their way and looking a bit tired. I just feel it is more of a hollywood action movie than a Bond movie -it hasn't got Bond stamped on it enough to make it a potential classic for me.

[Rob McCow]

it hasn't got Bond stamped on it enough to make it a potential classic for me.

Hmm - I thought it was much more James Bond! Bond Plus, perhaps. The whole setup was that it was a man who wasn't quite up to being James Bond yet, who had the skills but needed to find the personal qualities to make them effective. Origin stories are always exciting. You get to see him develop. By the last scene, he's undoubtedly changed by his experience, something that doesn't happen in any other Bond film, except perhaps On Her Maj's.

Casino Royale, for me, was the best Bond film I've ever seen. The first ten minutes, with the black and white intro bursting into the hyper-colourful playing card credits were simply sublime.

There was some effective directorial flourish to the film as well, most notably just after Bond gets poisoned and he goes to the bathroom. The bleached out film was very reminiscent of being extremely drugged up!

The only problems I had with it were that Daniel Craig occasionally mumbled his lines and that it was too long by about 20mins. The extended ending felt a bit like the start of another film, although I forgive them because it was superb! Although I thought that when Bond was on the beach with Vesper after LeChiffre had tortured him, she was going to say "Ah well, never mind. You still have a nice smile! And maybe we can adopt." There was no indication that his bits still worked! Painfull.

[SiHart]

But surely it's not Bond-y enoygh for a reason- the James Bond we know and love doesn't really appear until the final couple of minutes: the smart suit, the gun, the staing of the name? I think that was good- an explanation of how Bond comes to be Bond.

That's what I thought anyway.

Si xx

[Ralph]

But surely it's not Bond-y enoygh for a reason- the James Bond we know and love doesn't really appear until the final couple of minutes: the smart suit, the gun, the staing of the name? I think that was good- an explanation of how Bond comes to be Bond.

That's what I thought anyway.

Si xx

Well I suppose there is that...I forgot this is pre-Bond...probably Dame Judi Dench threw me on that one...

[Lord President]

Well I suppose there is that...I forgot this is pre-Bond...probably Dame Judi Dench threw me on that one...

You don't want to examine the timeline of the Bond films too closely, it'll make your head hurt!

But Casino Royale is a look at how Bond became the 007 we all know and love, I think that the next film will have many more of the Bond traits we expect, hopefully without losing the gritty edge of this one!

[Simon R]

We saw it yesterday and it was really good. It felt very modern and fresh but still very Bondy. Nice to see Judi (no Dame in the opening credits!) still their and the set pieces (crane jumping, airport antic, collapsing house) were spectacular and must have cost millions.

Looking forward to the next one.

[Rob McCow]

I'm pleased you enjoyed it!

Did Daniel Craig surpass your expectations, or did you think he was a mumbly bumbler?

[Carol Baynes]

Strongly disagree with some sentiments here. The music was, I thought, excellent throughout and David Arnold has supplied a very strong John Barry-esque score while giving it some of his own personality.
The title sequence was also an excellent style move. The absence of naked women in it, does, I think (and to be blunt) have fook all with so called 'political correctness' and more to do with the fact that this film (more than most others) is especially about what made Bond the man he is.
The absence of Barry's Bond theme was an inspired move. In those closing moments he has become the man we have known all these years. The ruthlessness and the suaveness are now present.

[Jeff]

So, am I right in assuming that John Cleese didn't feature in this one? (No, I still haven't seen it. : - probably won't until it comes out on DVD; too hard to get to the theater with 3 kids, especially when the wife hates Bond movies) Will he return to the role, or will they write it out...

[Simon R]

No he wasn't in it and there weren't many gadgets. What there was were more sensible and practical than the comedy style ones of yore.

I thought Daniel was a good Bond indeed. He and the producers have bought it up to date by making him a bit less all knowing but still tough and charming.

[Jeff]

I agree that they have been to jokey for a long time. Far too much time spent on one-liners and wise cracks. Too many far-fetched gadgets written in for the sake of them. But I'd still like to see Q return and still have some gadgets. It's all part of the Bond movie legacy, and the franchise would lose some of it's identity if it all disappeared.

[Si Hunt]

I thought it was excellent. I was really quite dismayed when Piers was given the push, but quite honestly Craig made him look very old and dated! I didn't miss him at all! Daniel is superb as Bond - captivating, mean, hard and what a body too! The film itself felt very "old school" Bond, just what you want, car chases, vehicles, leaping around and a very trad villain in the guy who wept blood.

If I had a couple of complaints it would be that I didn't quite get the "becoming Bond" strand - he seemed to start the movie as Bond, knowing exactly who he was and being emotionless when breaking into Judy Dench's flat and killing the guy in the pre-credits sequence... then part-way through it seemed out of character for him to fall for the girl and go all naieve, before finding himself again at the end. Also there were a number of moments (like when the casino game seemed to finish then begin again the next day!) when I thought "what's going on?". But luckily it all seemed to be explained in the end.

All in all, great action, a great movie and a brilliant Bond. I can't wait to see more of him - he's got me completely hooked.

Si.

[Carol Baynes]

Fleming fans, hold onto your seats....the next film could be "Risico" (from the 1961 short story)

I too would like to see Q return, especially if it's meant to be the 'real' Q (i.e. Major Boothroyd, as played by Des Llewylyn and that other bloke in "Dr. No".)

[The Secretive Bus]

Saw this last week and can't say I was majorly impressed. Craig's quite good as Bond and by the 90 minute mark I was quite comfortable with his interpretation, but the first 45 minutes or so of the film wasn't too much fun and seemed a bit pointless (the over-extended chase scene, for instance, where Bond just comes across as a prat - driving the bulldozer, for instance, and causing more danger to the innocents). Once the action moved to the casino type scenes (the first gambler guy and his missus) the story settled down into more of a tense thriller and became far better because of it. I did prefer the dialogue driven scenes in general, though the final set pieces were fantastically directed. I wouldn't say I disliked the film at all, but when I left the cinema I didn't feel as if I'd overly enjoyed it either. It definitely could have done with some editing, which would have knocked it up from a 6/7 to a 9.

I also laughed out loud at the Bond interrogation scene. Sorry. I just did. "All men in the audience will empathise" my arse.

And, yeah, it was a lot more violent and gritty than I expected. Yes, I know, it's a Bond film but I've always associated a lot of the Bond films with a more cartoony style of violence (at least towards the end of the series). I'm not mad on action films really, though I have been getting into the Bond series itself recently. It's not even as if I only like the sillier ones: my favourite so far is The Living Daylights, a masterful little thriller that only suffers by having an overly confusing plot. Having said that, i watched Octopussy the other day and rather enjoyed that too - more than Casino Royale, indeed - so maybe I'm just odd.

Caroline - are you going to scribe your last few Bond reviews at the Vervoid? Your reviews have been rather useful to me recently and they're rather marvellous.

[Jeff]

Fleming fans, hold onto your seats....the next film could be "Risico" (from the 1961 short story)

I too would like to see Q return, especially if it's meant to be the 'real' Q (i.e. Major Boothroyd, as played by Des Llewylyn and that other bloke in "Dr. No".)

I hadn't thought about the fact that Cleese's Q was a replacement and what they would do with the story. I suppose they could just ignore that aspect of the storyline and leave Cleese in. Or they could recast it which I think would be a shame cos' i like Cleese and he has been good.

If they did recast though, I nominate Chris Barrie to be the Quartermaster. He would be good at bringing a seriousness to the role, while retaining great comic timing when needed.

[Jeff]

Fleming fans, hold onto your seats....the next film could be "Risico" (from the 1961 short story)

Considering that they have had some movies that weren't at all based on Fleming stories (I think), I have to wonder if they will ever start adapting any of the post-Fleming Bond novels.

[Carol Baynes]

I have submitted a review to Lissa for TWISNE, and the last two will follow...Glad you liked the reviews, anyway. "octopussy" is actually a very good story, but it happens to be in a mediocre film imo.

Jeff, I think whether Cleese returns or not depends on which direction the series goes in. At the moment I can't see his imminent return...

[Alex]

I've got to admit to not being that much of a Bond fan, at least not the more recent films, I always thought it was a lot more fun when Roger Moore was in the role and it all got really OTT and a bit silly.

Anyhow, I saw this last night and thought it was a mixed bag. Some moments were fantastic - the opening chase sequence, Bond's "illness" in the poker game, the final big action scene, but a lot of it left me a little bored, the villain was a tad weak imo, the poker game went on all too long, the supposed twists didn't take me by surprise, and I couldn't quite work out what was going on in the torture scene - was the guy whipping Bond's balls or bottom?

I kind of think that 24 has taken the whole genre up another level, and whilst this was interesting, it didn't really compete with Jack Bauer's latest escapades.

Still, it wasn't a bad film by any means. It just wasn't quite as exciting nor gritty as many of the reviews had led me to believe it would be...

[Jeff]

I always thought it was a lot more fun when Roger Moore was in the role and it all got really OTT and a bit silly.

When Roger Moore was Bond, there was no need for an Austin Powers.

I have submitted a review to Lissa for TWISNE, and the last two will follow...Glad you liked the reviews, anyway. "octopussy" is actually a very good story, but it happens to be in a mediocre film imo.

I'm just waiting on the last two Ultimate Edition box sets to arrive before I will finally have all the films in the series. Then I will begin my run through starting with Dr. No and read your reviews as I go through.

[Wayne]

When Roger Moore was Bond, there was no need for an Austin Powers.

Indeed!

[Carol Baynes]

Someone had to keep the British end up.