Daniel Craig IS Bond. End of discussion.

Rating: 8/10 (17 November 2006)

If you've listened closely then you've heard the whining and complaining from the Bond purists regarding the selection of Daniel Craig as the next Bond. "But he's blonde!" "He's not handsome enough!" "He's not enough of a lady's man!" Y'all need me to call you a wah-mbulance? Get over it, crybabies. Daniel Craig IS Bond. That's right; I said it.
To be fair, I'll point out that I have no real allegiance to the Bond franchise. I'm too young to remember much about Sean Connery's forays, and I mostly rolled my eyes at the cheesiness of Brosnan's attempts. I don't despise Pierce as Bond, but come on, remember his ridiculously fake CGI surfing? He was one step away from punching out a shark.
But Daniel Craig? Now here's someone I can buy as an agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service. He's a tough, no-nonsense guy who kills without blinking and doesn't let it bother him, because, as he points out, he wouldn't be very good at his job if he did.
If you want somebody who looks like he just stepped out of a hair salon then maybe he's not your ideal, but give me a guy who actually looks like he's been in a fight or two. If I saw Craig walking down the street? I'd think twice before messing with him. If I saw Pierce Brosnan? I'd be more inclined to ask what hair conditioner he uses.
Like last year's Batman Begins, Casino Royale has reinvented a franchise. This is a darker, edgier Bond. 007 with a couple of extra shots of adrenaline. Sure, the action scenes require a small suspension of disbelief, but they deliver, and it's nice to be able to see where the budget went. Other high-dollar blockbusters should take note (COUGH Superman Returns COUGH).
You know what else I liked about the movie?
"Eva Green's rear end?"
Well, yeah, but that's not what I was talking about.
"Daniel Craig's rear end?"
What? No! Why would you even say that? Get out of here. Sheesh. I also liked that Bond was required to do most everything on his own. He had to use his mind, strength, and combat skills to get the job done. There isn't an abundance of fancy little gadgets and invisible cars. I like the basis in reality.
"Well Johnny, in your wise and omnipotent opinion, what would you say were the movie's weak points?"
Good question, observational reader. The movie runs a little long at almost 2 1/2 hours. I felt things started to drag during the third act when they spent a large amount of time focusing on the romance between Bond and Vesper. We're talking long stretches of Bond on the beach and in bed, telling Vesper his desire to give up his profession for her. Yeah, yeah, we get it - now give us some action!
A better integration of the action and slower scenes would have helped the pace move more briskly, so a runtime trim wouldn't have hurt my feelings. No big deal though. From a pure entertainment perspective, this doesn't disappoint.
If the "purists" are still out there whining and complaining then ignore them. Daniel Craig has done something that Pierce Brosnan never accomplished - he's made me look forward to the next installment in the series. I think we've found a new, legitimate action hero. Thanks, Mr. Craig, you've shown me that Bond can rise above sexual escapades and cheesy one-liners. Bravo!
Hey Pierce? Enjoy making Mrs. Doubtfire 2. Your services are no longer required. You may go now.