When Daniel Craig was announced as the next James Bond, there was a tremendous outcry over his blond hair and blue eyes. People mockingly called him James Blond and refused to even give him a chance at the part. Some said he was too thuggish looking for 007, while others complained that he wasn’t a very well established actor, having a mixed bag of a resume.There were even naysayers in the theater Craig-bashing all the way to the start of the film, which seriously annoyed me to no end. Even through the first 20 minutes of the film these jerks behind me were goofing and complaining about a slightly over-the-top chase sequence on a high rise crane. Sure, it was a little goofy and maybe hard to believe, but this is James Bond we’re talking about after all.
The naysayers would eventually find themselves rolling on the floor in a combination of shock, pain and disbelief after Casino Royale provided a swift kick to the crotch and a punch in the neck to anyone doubting Craig could embody James Bond. I kid you not- this is one of the best Bond films ever made.
It is an origin story and depicts Bond’s arrival at “00” status. As Dame Judi Dench puts it, Bond is a ‘blunt instrument,’ completely devoid of refinement. Here is no suave, flawless super spy. We see Bond make mistakes and begin to grow into his own as a spy. Best of all, this Bond looks like a cold, calculating killer. Only Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton managed to exude this aura of menace successfully before Craig.
I liked the modern setting as well. Some said that the creators should have had Casino Royale take place in the early 60s, when the Bond films first came out. I’m glad they didn’t, because it would have made the film too gimmicky and likely would have killed it. Setting it in modern times also enabled the filmmakers to eliminate many of the gadgets Bond has become known for using.
In a way, not using gadgets actually returns Bond to his roots, as Dr. No included very few if any of the fanciful devices. Whatever gadgetry 007 does use takes the form of existing micro technology. All the best spy tools available already come standard on most cell phones and laptops anyway.
I’ve always been a detractor of the cheesy wit and one-liners that come from Bond’s overwhelming machismo, but I didn’t mind these lines as much this time. Instead of seeming egotistical when making puns and cheesy lines, Craig’s unrefined Bond uses these lines to be a smart alec and provoke people.
The story is also very good and possibly one of the most realistic scenarios in the Bond lexicon. Instead of deadly satellites or plots to conquer the world, Bond goes up against a financier for terrorists. Millions of dollars are at stake and to keep it from the terrorists, Bond has to try his luck in a high stakes poker tournament in Europe. Surprisingly, the poker match becomes as intense as any fight scene in the Bond series.
The realism factor plays into the success of this marvelous film. Enemies are believable, the action is realistic, and there is a torture scene that left me gripping my girlfriend’s hand in terror. Daniel Craig IS James Bond. He is a James Bond that could actually be real and I am glad that audiences and critics alike acknowledge and respect that. Finally, after so many years, here is a Bond we can believe in.
RATING: 3.75 out of 5
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