Retro Bond

Rating: 10/10 (18 November 2006)

I saw Casino Royale last night and was extremely impressed. This Bond film is a throwback to the early Sean Connery days of low tech-high drama. Gone are the insane helicopter stunts, ridiculous explosions, jet powered backpacks, cars that double as submarines, flights into outer space and all the gadgetry that, if they did exist, would make us wonder how in the world can any maniacal terrorist anywhere escape justice. In fact Q is not even in the picture. For some this may be a disappointment but IMHO this makes Casino Royale the best Bond film since the early days. I grew up in the 60's loving Bond and Sean Connery. But Connery's Bond was himself a horse of a different color. Connery's Bond was suave and sophisticated, a cultured animal that brought class to his character. But Brocolli's 00's had to be ruthless. Craig brings an edge to Bond that no other actor has done so far. Craig is not the upper class bourgeois taught to kill for Queen and country he is a killer recruited and expertly trained to hob nob with the world's sophisticates. Casino Royale also exposes to us a very human and vulnerable side to Bond. This is most clearly seen in his love affair with Vesper which reveals a Bond with a tortured soul. I love the new direction taken in this long series of Bond films. It is fresh. It gives us a Bond who is a real human character not a caricature of comic book superhero without a cape and utility belt. If you're a fan of the "Superhero"Bond you might not like the change, but if you remember the days when Bond was a real man you will love Casino Royale. It's the best Bond since Connery and may even be better than that!