Where can you find fast cars, hot chicks, raw action and a good movie? Surprisingly, in “Casino Royale,” the newest addition to the Bond series.
“Casino Royale” takes Bond back to his roots, literally, and bases it on Ian Flemining’s first novel, which hasn’t been done besides a Woody Allen spoof in 1967. They also take a bold new step and set the story in present day, complete with a brand new Bond, Daniel Craig.
The film focuses on Bond’s first mission: to enter a poker game to stop an international banker, Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) from winning and continuing to fund terrorism around the world. The plot description makes “Casino Royale” seem about as exciting as a movie format of “Celebrity Poker,” but really the poker game provides a much needed breather between action scenes. Many fans of the last three Bonds may feel that “Royale” is too far off-course, but for the rest of us it a much needed change.
Unlike the previous Bond films featuring Pierce Brosnan, “Royale” realizes the principle of good action. It is not how much you break or how big but why. Instead of bombarding audiences with one big action blow-out after another where you always know Bond will come out alive, “Royale” pushes audiences by toning down the action but pushing up the intensity to the point where you are not sure if Bond will survive.
This new style not only applies to the action but to the actual character of Bond. Daniel Craig makes Bond seem real, unlike Brosnan who was a glossy and sometimes flaky version of Bond. It seemed like you could give a little pull on his chest hair and cause him to crumble altogether. Although Craig was seventh on the list to play Bond, he rises to the challenge in “Royale,” providing audiences with a Bond more similar to the one created by Sean Connery.
Craig’s Bond, is tough, unrelenting and at times a stoic killer, which was the attraction of Bond in the first place. Timing is everything with “Royale.” Where before the age of terrorism audiences would have been appalled at such a harsh Bond, now audiences are looking for action heroes that embody what we feel we need as a society: a strong man who can get things done.
Unlike the most recent Bond girls that include actresses such as Denise Richards and Hallie Berry, this year’s Bond girl is Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green. She brings more than a body to the role. Green, instead of toying with lines of appropriate coverage, manages to be sexy while fully clothed. Green proves that sexy is not slutty but in fact something much more complicated. It is style and personality making the chemistry between Craig (Bond) and Green (Vesper) uncontainable.
Of course, like all good Bond films, there are some obscurities to poke fun at, like the comical nature of the group gathered at the poker table or the man who wears sunglasses with one side missing. Despite these classic Bond moments, “Royale,” manages to take itself seriously.
“Royale,” also steers away from testosterone-filled of movies like, “Diehard,” and moves more towards a comprising middle that will satisfy everyone. Martin Campbell who directs the movie is best known for his other action hero revival in,”The Mask of Zorro.” Martin does it again with the revival of Bond in “Casino Royale.” It is safe to say Bond is back and better than ever.
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