First, I'll go on record to say when Daniel Craig was announced as the new Bond, I was mortified (like many others). To me, Brosnan was Bond and he had elevated the series to a level I didn't think it would ever reach again. I could maybe have understood the change, had Brosnan tired of the role or aged to the point where he couldn't realistically pull it off any longer, but I thought he had at least one, possibly two more Bond films in him. In retrospect though, I don't believe Brosnan could have pulled off the same Casino Royale that was released. To me this was evident as soon as the pre-title sequence was over.
 
Fleming's Bond is back, or maybe more correctly, here for the first time.
 
The plot worked exceeding well and was believable (except when you try to follow the money (the puts expired - huh?). I'm sure that it's quite logical if you are a stock broker, but I'm not and I don't know too many people who are. However, you can't blame this on Fleming and overall it really isn't that important.
 
For the first time in a very long while, the acting is top notch all the way around. Eva Green is exceptional in her role as Vesper Lynd, turning in probably the best acting performance for a Bond girl in the entire series. The emotion she emits in the shower scene is sublime. I don't know if I've ever seen somebody drown in a movie before, but the elevator scene was incredibly powerful. Dame Judi Dench as M is just perfect this time around and I for one, am glad that they brought her back, even if it does kind of screw up the whole Bond Reboot/Begins thing. She's just too good to throw away and delivers some of the best lines of the movie. Mads Mikkelson's portrayal of LeChiffre is inspired, believable and not over the top. Jeffrey Wright as Felix works, I didn't think it would, but it does and I hope to see him reprise the role in the future. Giancarlo Giannini's portrayal as Rene Mathis is also spot on (although underused in my estimation) and would welcome him back as well.
 
The action scenes however, are really one of the things that set this movie apart. I was impressed with the pre-title fight in the rest room, but was totally blown away by what we were treated to later in the film. Apart from the FRWL fight between Bond and Grant on the Orient Express, the fight in the stairwell in this movie is the most brutal, best choreographed action of the entire series. The free running scene with Mollaka in the beginning of the movie might have been a little too long, but what a ride it is!
 
Martin Campbell's direction during the poker scenes was nothing short of pure genius, helped along with some wonderful dialogue from Purvis, Wade and Haggis.  It can't be easy holding one's interest while watching a card game that long! This movie is beautifully filmed (watch for the train as it slices the forest at dusk and the chase scene leading up to and including the end of the Aston Martin DBS).
 
Finally, Daniel Craig pulls off something off that I thought I'd never see. He IS Fleming's Bond. I don't think he can overtake Connery as Bond for me, but he's already running a damned close.
 
...and how about the placement of the James Bond theme? Could it have been played at a more perfect moment? I think not!
 
Now, what's the story with this Mr. White and who the hell does he work for....
 

Copyright © 2007 Ed Werner