Casino Royale-James Bond (PG-13)
Mike:
Scott:
Scott: Tonight we are reviewing Casino Royale
, the newest and oldest Bond movie. Newest because it is the latest release in the long running James Bond movies and oldest because it is based on the first book.
What did you think Mike?
Mike: I loved it. I am an admitted James Bond nerd and this movie takes Bond back to basics.
This is like a re-launch of the entire series and presents this as a straight spy action movie without all the gimmicks that were starting to weigh the movies down.
What did you think?
Scott: I thought it was ok. It started out really strong and waxed and waned from that point on. The intro was very exciting though, a great foot chase scene.
Mike: The beginning chase is amazing. There are some fantastic stunts. It's actually better than most movie car chases.
Scott: Yes, it had some stuff I haven't seen outside of a Jackie Chan movie.
Mike: It has been years since I read the book, but there are some things in the film I remember from the novel. The main characters Le Chiffre and Vesper Lynd come from there. I also remember high stakes card playing in the casino and some torture by the evil villain.
Nowadays if there is card playing in a movie it has to be poker, but back in the day it was usually Chemin de Fer or Baccarat. Needless to say, I don't really know how to play any of those games.
Scott: It was interesting that they played a poker game I recognized. This time it was no-limit. I'm not sure if they called it Texas No Limit though.
What did you think of the new James Bond, Daniel Craig?
Mike: There was some question as to whether he would make a good Bond, but I think he may actually rate right behind Sean Connery.
That’s right I said it.
Craig is in awesome shape and proves to be very physical as well as being able to come across as suave and sophisticated. Much like Connery.
Scott: His look reminded me of Steve McQueen. He has the rugged look, not so sophisticated, but kind of a tough guy
Mike: You are right. He has a rugged look which is more like what Ian Fleming described in the books. I think that Bond must spend at least half the movie with his shirt off.
Scott: The women need something to watch I guess. I heard several women in the audience ohhing and ahhing, so I guess it worked
Mike: I got over the fact that he didn't have dark hair very quickly.
Scott: The look worked. They needed to redo Bond and frankly, the previous Bonds didn't look that tough, so they got a blond muscular Bond, and it worked.
Mike: I think Craig is a good actor and he does a good job playing Bond as a man of few words. Definitely not the punster that we've seen before. That is not to say that there isn't any humor in the film.
The scene were he takes a beautiful girl back to his place rightfully gets a good laugh from the audience.
Scott: There is some humor, but that's not the focus, and they don't pretend that it is. Everyone knows we are there for action and from the start it delivers.
Mike: There are some slow parts, but they build to a pretty good payoff.
We have to discuss Eva Green who shines as Vesper Lynd. Are all actresses named Eva very attractive or what?
Scott: Green does well as the new Bond-girl. She doesn't fall all over him and initially their relationship is distant. I was fooled into thinking they would not even kiss. Silly me. The relationship advances from there and evolves into something only George Lucas would appreciate.
Mike: I liked the realism of how upset her character becomes at what she has witnessed.
She does not take it in stride like most characters in an action film.
Scott: Yes, but that scene creeped me out to some extent. Comforting and KFC shouldn’t really have stuff in common.
Mike: You are probably the only one that is going to make that kind of connection...
Throughout the film the try to go for realism, much like the reboot of the Batman series, Batman Begins.
Mads Mikkelsen plays the villain Le Chiffre. It takes some talent to make a banker seem as sinister as this guy.
Scott: You can always tell the bad guys in these movies, they are the ones with the accents.
Mike: Danish in this case.
That scar and his occasionally bleeding eye help him seem even creepier.
Scott: Yes, it did. He really didn’t seem scary tough though, just creepy.
Mike: He's a little scary when he gets Bond alone in a room, though.
Scott: Talk about disturbing, I will put a check by that one scene.
Mike: This Bond film has a raw violence that reminds of the early Bond films. The fight scene in the stairwell is rough. It made me think of Connery fighting Robert Shaw on the train in From Russia with Love.
Scott: I need to state that I am not a Bond fan. I watch the stuff when it comes on, but I haven't watched every movie and I have never read a Bond book.
Mike: On the other hand, I have read every one of Ian Fleming's novels, and seen every Bond movie more than twice.
I think every era of Bond film has it's moments and I am glad to see a movie that strips away the flash and gets back to the hero that Fleming wrote. I also like that they modernized it without having to have a plot where Dr. Evil is trying to take over the world.
Wait, that’s a different film series, isn't it?
Scott: This had a different plot and that surprised me. It was always some ingenious plan to blow up the world, but not this one. This was all about money and money laundering
Mike: Yes, but money for terrorists. That definitely brings it into the world of today.
I want to mention that director Martin Campbell does a nice job with this film.
Scott: For someone whose name I'm not familiar with, I have seen several of his movies.
Mike: He directed the best Pierce Brosnan Bond movie Goldeneye and last years The Legend of Zorro.
Scott: And the original Mask of Zorro with Antonio Banderas.
Mike: I think he has a flair for action, but I also liked the kind of 60's sensibility he injected into the film. All good stuff if you ask me.
Scott: The movie is 140 minutes long and towards the end, it feels like it. It's hard for an action film to carry the momentum for that long and this movie wasn't able to do it.
Mike: I know you thought parts were predictable, but I think there are some surprises in the story.
Scott: I really liked the locations they chose for the movie.
Mike: Yes, beautiful locations are trade mark of Bond films and this movie is full of them.
Scott: You were talking earlier about how they brought it back to the basics and you were right. About the most sophisticated devices they use in the movie are cell phones. And weren't you surprised that no one had crazy ring tones? I didn't hear a single 'Loosen up my Buttons' ring tone. I was shocked!
Mike: For those keeping track, the theme song is by Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame. I am sure we will be hearing this all over the radio.
Scott: So what do you rate this?
Mike: I know you will be stunned, but I am giving this a 4 overall and a 4 for a Bond film.
And you?
Scott: That's surprising Mike. I liked the movie. I thought it was the best Bond movie I have seen so I give it a 4 for Bond movies. Overall though, a 3. It had some lulls, like the finale that occurred 30 minutes before the end of the movie. Turned out that was just a long break in the action.
Mike: The good news for me is that at the end of the credits the fans will get words of comfort with "James Bond will return".
If you play your cards right you will have an evening of fun watching Casino Royale.
