I don’t know where to begin. It’s been almost four days since I watched the film and my mind is still frenetically attempting to verbalize my thoughts into coherent words. Unfortunately, its success rate is around 50%. Don’t worry though, I will endeavor to speak as eloquently as I am able in order to describe the magnificence that is “Casino Royale”.
The film began in black and white. I was so surprised by the achromatic display that I had to lean over and ask my cousin (who had seen it once before) if it was supposed to be that way (and not just some projector problem). He assured me that it was and I continued watching.
Upon viewing the opening scene (and subsequent opening credits), I was gripped. I was compelled to continue watching. This new Bond was so magnetic, so brutal, and so cool, that every guy wanted to be him and every gal wanted to be with him. It didn’t matter if he made a few mistakes in the course of the mission, as long as the mission got accomplished. And boy, did it ever get accomplished!
Let’s discuss the big point that everyone’s been talking about since day one: the new Bond. What I'm about to say may result in my dismemberment by die hard Connery fans, but I’m gonna say it anyway. Daniel Craig is quite possibly the best Bond ever. Yes, possibly even better than Sean Connery. So what if he’s blond? This film was better than any of the previous Bond films, and Craig is a huge reason for that. He has the rugged good looks and attitude of Steve McQueen, coupled with the moves of Jason Statham. For the first time in a long time, I felt like Bond was a spy and not a playboy. He was a hard man who would and could kill if the situation warranted. He earned his “00” status and it took its toll on him.
Additionally, the story of the film felt miles above the narratives of all of the recent Bond films. It wasn’t about the gadgets, the car, or the celebrity playing the latest “Bond girl”. It was about the mission. Yeah, there was a cool car or two, yes the actress playing Vesper was beautiful, yes there was a “gadgety” first aid kit, but they only served to enhance the story, and not to detract from it.
And I can’t help but think that a big reason for the change is the “The Bourne Identity” films. My cousin brought this point up and it makes sense. The studio probably saw how well those two films did, in the same genre which Bond was (until this film) struggling with, and decided to change their strategy. And It’s clearly paying off (though somehow we need to get that dancing penguin film out of the top spot so “Casino Royale” can get up there where it belongs). Of course, I could be wrong, but the evidence seems to support this hypothesis.
If there was anything in the film that showed some room for improvement, it was the ending. Like “The Return of the King”, “Casino Royale” went from conclusion to conclusion to conclusion before finally ending. I didn’t mind it so much because the story was still entertaining and the multiple endings served their purposes to advance the plot, but I almost wonder if the filmmakers couldn’t have gone about it differently.
Beyond that, there’s just one other note that I have. It’s regarding the opening sequence. I want to know where were the female silhouettes were. Let me be clear, the opening sequence was awesome and still very “Bond-ish”, but I kept wondering where all the images of women were. We got one when a gun’s crosshair passed over a queen of hearts playing card, but that was it. Perhaps the producers felt like saying right off the bat that this wasn’t going to be your typical Bond film. If that’s the case, I’m ok with their choice. It was just unexpected.
Oh, and Chris Cornell’s theme song (“You Know My Name”) was freaking AWESOME! I’m seriously considering picking up the soundtrack for the film just to get that song.
“Casino Royale” is an amazing spy flick and an even better James Bond film. If you’re a fan of either genre, then you owe it to yourself to see this film. I absolutely loved it and I will definitely go see it again. Not only that, but once it’s released on DVD, it will be the first Bond Film to earn a place in my collection. So, there you have it, “Casino Royale” rules. And it only took me a few hundred words to say so. Not too shabby, eh?
