royale flush

Rating: 8/10 (19 December 2006)

this film began with what i consider to be the most insipid, forgettable bond song, and a villain with a SCAR. o no. but this guy weeps blood no less. a variation on a cliché. bond begins by chasing an incredibly fast, dexterous guy for no apparent reason. and of course, there's the crane scene. o no. but then, the film begins to get better. and better. and with the arrival of the exquisite Eva Green, even better. M is great as usual, although, if this was the start of Bond's career, M looks older. beautiful, but older. the poker scenes surprised me a bit but were lacking in suspense. When Bond tells Vesper he loves her, and resigns, we all know then what's in store for her. the question is, how does she die? it was a touching moment seeing Bond in love, almost leaving it all, and the sacrifices made all around. but, besides getting her out of that sinking cage, he didn't seem to try very hard to revive her (think, THE ABYSS). i would have kept trying. i can say this: Daniel Craig has a great body; Eva Green is as beautiful as ever; Judy Dench is a wonderful M; it's great seeing Giancarlo Giannini again, although his role in the film just didn't ring true; Le Chiffre is worse than creepy.... the most touching moments come at the end, when we discover the extent of Vesper Lynd's predicament and the sacrifices she made. and oddly enough, it set a ground work for why Bond so often loves them and leaves them.... This Bond had a great ensemble cast, some great action sequences, and a vaguely bland screen play. but i'd watch it again. after all, it IS Bond....James Bond....and Daniel Craig? this Bond, can ACT and act well. This wont necessarily make him my favorite Bond, but he is very very good here.