Review: Casino Royale

Starring Daniel Craig as 'James Bond'
With Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, and Dame Judi Dench as 'M'
Written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis
Directed by Martin Campbell

Note: I'm cheating by copying a review I wrote earlier on MovieLens (see the sidebar.) -B

I'm not a huge James Bond fan but when word got out that this was going to be a big reinvention of the series that was closer to Ian Fleming's vision I was intrigued, even though I've never even read the Bond books or short stories.

Indeed, the movie is as good as everyone says it is. I can't say its the Best Bond film ever but if it isn't the best then its close. So many of the Bond films, especially the more recent ones, seem to go through the motions with easy to follow plots overly focused on the villains. This one, on the other hand, has its own unique rhythm. As we get to see Bond develop he becomes a brand new character to us which is aided by Daniel Craig's debut Bond performance. Craig looks a little too rough to be the Bond most of us think of and he hasn't got the swagger and thrust of Sean Connery but I think a few more films will seal him as the new face of Bond.

I liked that there were only a few gadgets, the only obvious one being a clever one that I can't describe as its a mild spoiler. The lack of the usual science fiction trappings were refreshing and I'd like to see the next few Bond films follow the grounded feeling of this film.

If I can't say this is the best Bond film then I can say that the opening sequence is the absolute best opening I have ever seen. One reviewer called it boring but I think he was just mad that there were no naked girls. Being a man, I missed the silhouetted vixens too but that didn't hurt the opening as we get to see Bond fighting and killing his way through a psychedelic world of playing card motifs. And Chris Cornell's Bond theme is a perfect one. It has the unmistakable sonic signature of a Bond theme but the rock roots and Chris's voice matches the rougher Bond world involved in the film.

Also, one has to mention the Bond "Babes" but here, at least in Eva Green's character of Vesper Lynd, we have a Bond Woman who, while not at all tough, still comes across as a strong and real person, not a bimbo or superwoman like many other Bond heroines.

And, like many other recent Bond films, there are lots of fun in jokes for Bond fans. One I caught was a familiar interior from one of the films in the final action sequence. Again, I'll say nothing since its a spoiler but the scene was rather elevating.

The only problems the film has are the shape of its plot and its running length. Personally, I prefer a plot that builds continuously up to the climax and conclusion but this film . . . well, I can't describe it well without spoiling things but it has an odd structure that can be difficult to follow. I actually enjoyed that it didn't take the usual route of most storylines but had the movie been shorter it might have taken some of the confusion away. An easier way around this would have been to let us viewers in on more of the story that isn't revealed until the end but that would have made things less surprising. Casino Royale doesn't have obvious flaws, just unusual choices made to tell the story in the way the filmmakers needed.

Overall, this was an unusual Bond film but a much more satisfying adventure than many of the others. At the very least we have the best Bond film and the best Bond actor since Sean Connery. If the next films stick with a similar storyline (I suspect that the new films will form an ELLIPSIS) then I am all set to go again.

One more observation: While the violence and sexuality in this film is not as intense as others have said it is, this is a film for grown-ups. I say that as a compliment.

Sunday Funnies

Okay, let me apologize for the title. While this is a post about comics, its about the type you find on a newsstand, not a newspaper. This started out as a reply to a post on the CCN message board by a local ghost-buster (which had nothing to do with ghosts.) He wanted to know what comics everyone was reading and I started to get wordy, as usual, and I realized that I was writing a blog entry so, here it is: What the Bombastic B is reading in comics:

Thanks to my unfortunate home situation, I have a lot of spare cash so I've been able to go to the comics store and buy at least one new comic for every week in the month. For the most part I stick with mini-series since they're easier to pick up since its just three to six comics to tell one complete story.

However, I've dived completely into and am now lost in Bill Willingham's Fables. It's my current comics obsession and has almost everything I like: werewolves (sorta), multiple worlds, magic in modern settings, boobs, sacrilege, a focus on characters over plot, and artwork that puts everything else in comics to shame just based on how its presented. I've bought every trade paperback including the new hardcover. However, I've stopped buying the individual comics until the next TPB comes out at which time I'll either pick them up again or just resign myself to trades. Fables, for me, might work better as a trade than as individual issues.

I'm also picking up lots of She-Hulk comics. Funny that, even though I'm a Hulk fan, I don't read the Hulk himself since I find most of his comics boring. The lack of jellyfish floating in the desert does it for me. She-Hulk, however, is way too much fun. Dan Slott does what I want to do with superheroes: he has fun with them. Nothing is too terribly serious here and Slott chooses to focus more on character (do you see a trend?) than galactic battles and funky villains. The book is weird and I love that.

The two mini-series I'm on are about to finish: Secret Six, Gail Simone's continuation of work on Villains United, and The Escapists which is a loosely based sequel to Michael Chabon's incredible novel, The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Both have been quite entertaining and I'll miss both. However, I'm hoping they both spawn full series if possible. I'd read them.

Last, but not least, I'm just starting out reading the new Juggernaut arc on New Excalibur. The book itself doesn't interest me as most anything X-Men feels ruined after House of M(ess.) But Juggernaut is a favorite character of mine and I want to see if he stays a good guy or goes back to evil as well as whether or not he'll get his powers back--or get new ones.

Heroes We Have Yet to Meet

Heroes is my official show of the 2006/2007 TV season. It's got all the superheroes you want without the spandex, code names, and steep $2.99 price tags that usually plague them. Like most of the other fans, Hiro Nakamura is my favorite and his actor looks to have a promising future. However, last night's episode revealed some other potential heroes who we haven't seen yet.

The names come from Mohinder My-plot-is-boring Suresh cracking the password on his father's computer, thus revealing his list superpowered humans both living and dead. Most of the names on the screen were of heroes we've already met. Some of them, perhaps all of them, are just throw away names and cities, but that has yet to be seen. I'm guessing at least one of them will be seen in a later episode.

• Byron Bevington (Marshfield, VT)
• Daniel Buzzetti (Greeley, CO)
• Tracy Chobham (Frostburg, MD)
• Paula Gramble (Monteith, IA)
• Curtis Hovsepian (Grant Pass, OR)
• Penkala Burton (Albert Lea, MN)
• Teresa Hue Pham (Shreveport, LA)

Some of you in the know can rest assured that I've already picked out my favorite person from this list. ;)

EDIT: I found four more names!

• David Berman (New York, NY)
• Adam Soo Hoo (Kailua, HI)
• Sparrow Redhouse (?, New Mexico)
• Amid Halabi (Los Angeles, CA)

Just so you know, I didn't find these on my own by any means. Here's a link to the best screen capture (so far) of the list.

What I'm Thinking About

Movies:

• Casino Royale: Bond is reborn
• Stranger than Fiction: Smart Ferrel
• The Fountain: Aronofsky/Jackman Masterpiece

Comics:

• The Escapists: Denny's in trouble
• Fables: Waiting for trade paperback
• Secret Six: Just one more!

Video Games:

• Wii: are curious, but waiting.
  
• Playstation: Not until it's affordable.
• Final Fantasy XII: Transgendered heroes?
  

Politics:

• Democrats: Don't blow it (again.)
• Republicans: They blew it (again.)
• Bush: Why are you president?

Me:

• I hate my stupid job.
• Must develop better work ethic.
• Must go to bed. Bye!
  

Casino Royale Theme: You Know My Name - Chris Cornell

I'm not that big of a James Bond fan but I respect the franchise. Think about it: a more or less Hollywood film franchise with a British hero that has lasted 40 years and still makes an impact on the culture. It's pretty incredible that these films are still so popular.

The last few films, however, have only been passable. Pierce Brosnan was a darn good James Bond but the movies seemed flat. Even lovely Halle Berry in Die Another Day wasn't enough to save that clunker. In fact, you knew it wasn't going to be that great going in just because of that awful Madonna song!

I like Madonna (her old stuff, at least) but that DAD theme was not happening. I appreciate that she went somewhere other than the Shirley Bassey route but a poor excuse for techno does equal Bond in my ears. While I'm not big on Bond movies, I LOVE the openings. Full of sexy women in nude silhouettes mixed with guns and killer visuals and awesome music, Bond openings are often more fun than the movies themselves. The last opening was interesting as we saw Brosnan Bond being tortured during the opening, but I'd have preferred a slightly more traditional opening and a much more traditional song.

So its pleasant for me to feel that this new Bond movie, Casino Royale, the film in which we see the beginnings of Bond, looks to be the best Bond film in years. And it's even better to hear this brand new Bond theme. It's a rarity in that instead of having a woman sing, they chose Chris Cornell, ex lead vocalist of Soundgarden and Audioslave, to create the new song. As you probably heard already, its a gritty, hard rocking song but one that still sounds very much like a traditional Bond song. Mix that song with a new Bond (who actually looks like the man Ian Fleming envisioned in the books) and a plot stripped of tacky sci-fi lite trappings, and you get what should be a huge hit.

Unfortunately, I have other movies to get to. I have yet to see what is being haled as the true masterpiece of the year, Borat!, and I'm also dying to see Will Ferrel's new comedy for the smart set, Stranger than Fiction. And I have to see Darron Aronofsky's The Fountain on day one. Seeing it any later will not be allowed.

Jill Scott - Golden

This is one of my sister's favorite artists and one of mine too. Jill Scott dumps the oversexed-kitten act that other artists use in favor of smart and cheerful R & B. Her musical sensibilities are old fashioned but that's her strength. Listen very closely and *gaps!* are those real instruments? Is that a melody? Wow!

Hi, Richard

Do you like the new look? I think it might be a little bright although not too loud, I hope. I like purple with orange because it reminds me of the sunset and dreamier landscapes so I hope this gives you something of that feeling. Purple is a color representative of creative people so it suits me. I'll probably change this, though, since the Blogger update allows me to change my blog's looks much more easily.

I went and saw some of my Warrensburg friends last Wednesday. If I didn't see you don't feel shafted. I wasn't there that long but I need to try and visit more. While I was there I got to see Richard and his fiancee, Becca (Congratulations!) and Becca's son who, through no fault of his own, further convinced me that I don't want to have children--at least not yet.

Tomorrow I have my writer's workshop and nothing to show for it. I need to get more serious about my creative work but you've heard that before. I've been poking at a self-help book that my sister gave me but I'm so lazy that I haven't even implemented the suggestions it gives. At least not fully. One of the suggestions, however, is that you set a goal for yourself with a set completion date and look at it everyday. I've decided on one dominant goal for my life:

To be the foremost creative force in the world by October 13th, 2026.

Yeah, it's unreasonable but maybe...

Every man needs to have a dream. And I'm sick of dreaming. That's all I'll say for now.