A Worthy Entry

Rating: 8/10 (17 November 2006)

I am going to try to write this impression without gushing: if any of you have read the other comments in this IMDb series, you may have had too much of the gushing already. However, suffice it to say that this is a fine film; a fine JAMES BOND film, too.
Bond 21 has to be compared with its 20 progenitors. And then it gets compared to other films. It is original and derivative of both categories.
Daniel Craig: yes, he is a fine Bond. A friend of mine commented decades ago that Bond has to be portrayed as slightly cruel, and Daniel Craig certainly communicates that his Bond enjoys dispatching those worthy of death.
Many of the other commentators to IMDb have cited OHMSS as the only other Bond film where character development was given a place at the table. I couldn't agree more. So, you detractors of George Lazenby remember that he was given the job of humanizing Bond, as has Mr. Craig.
I do get a little tired of the series always trying to keep this "ageless" hero rooted in the contemporary era. This Bond, we are led to believe, gets his first mission in 2006, as the bloody Sony-Erikson cell phones keep reminding us. So much for series continuity...
Those who cite Mr. Craig's acting chops should remember that a trained chimp could mouth the small number of lines give to any 007 in any of the films. These are action films, where the acting is secondary to the set pieces, even in this gritty film. But Craig brings his tools to the shop for display.
This is first Bond film to focus more on male beefcake than female skin. Is this a chick flick? Watch for a brief cameo from Richard Branson at an airport where the Virgin Atlantic livery is on display. Note that the editor is one Stuart Baird, the director who put the final (?) nail in the coffin of the Star Trek franchise with Nemesis.
Ms. Brocolli, and Mr. Wilson: keep up the character development with Bond 22. Given that most people would like to know James Bond, it's nice that Casino Royale gives us a good introduction.