Casino Royale with Cheese

Rating: 8/10 (17 November 2006)

The cheese being Eva Green, all the stuff with MI6, a trip to Naboo and giving exposition duties to the man with the thickest accent in the cast. If you removed all that nonsense this would be the best Bond movie ever and one of the best action movies ever.
I guess I just don't like Eva Green. I disliked her in The Dreamers but thought it might be the character but it wasn't. Imo, she's awful here and I could see that it's the same 'what is that smell?' face that she can't stop making and lack of nuance (that I didn't realize would be a problem with a Bond girl role but it actually is) that puts you off.
I don't understand why, if they were going to reboot, they didn't get a new M. Everyone loves Judi Dench. I do too, but this time not only didn't it make sense but she was kinda wooden. Yes, her. I couldn't believe it either. All the MI6 stuff was cringe-worthy.
The trip to Naboo. Lake Como is gorgeous, and plenty of areas are used often in film, BUT since it's been such a recognizable setting in a huge film set in a galaxy far far away, I don't think it was wise to go back there so soon. It could have been worse. George Clooney could have been marrying Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the background I suppose.
L'uomo d'exposizione. Giancarlo Giannini has a thick accent. Don't have him explain things. What's worse is that everything he explained, was completely obvious. I'm not 3. I can add the money in the pot myself. :p
I got the same feeling watching this that I did with Superman Returns. You go into the movie wondering if the new guy is going to be able to fit the suit and he's great, even perfect, but then something obvious like the script or in this case the other actors throws the whole thing off. It's not as bad in Casino Royale, but with both movies you can't help but think, "If only they'd done this" or "If only they hadn't done that". I get the feeling watching most Bond films that they don't care much about the details. I like Daniel Craig. I think he's a really good-looking guy, but somehow they made him look awful, mostly in the scenes at the beginning. But you begin to wonder if they just didn't bother hiring lighting or make-up people. It got better after a while. But there are a couple time when you just go "Woah!", like when he comes out of the water. Just after the clip you see in the trailer, there is a close up of his face and he looks like a combination of the kid from Mad magazine and Dobby the house elf.
But about him as Bond. I really think he's great. I liked him going into this movie and I never really had the concerns everyone else did about whether he could be 007 or not. I think this was definitely more of a rock 'em sock 'em Bond. The opening sequence with Sebastian Foucan(who is this guy? Spider-Man? Insane athleticism.) was the best Bond opener ever. I mean the new one always has to be right? Well I thought it rocked. Imo, you can really see that this movie was made after the Mission Impossible and Bourne movies. I'm hesitant to say it was influenced by them because Bond kinda started it, but yeah. And Craig is very much someone I could see actually being an agent. I think he was also very suave and debonair with the first love interest played by Caterina Morino. I wish she had been the female lead. I don't think there was very good chemistry with the other one. He's a more sensible, realistic, and of course blonde, but also a darker Bond. In this movie the silly one liners stuck out like a sore thumb, whereas in most Bond films they fit right in.
There was awesome chemistry with the main villain, Le Chiffre played to perfection by Mads Mikkelsen. I'm willing to put him on my short list of Bond villains, with 006 and Scaramanga. All the James Bond kinda stuff was amazing. The action scenes, the casino scenes, etc., were the best in any Bond film. I really think most people who like Bond movies will enjoy it. And people who like Action but for some reason don't usually go for Bond will have more to like here. Everyone should love Daniel Craig. And I think we'll all be looking forward to the next one to be that much better.
p.s. One more complaint. Jeffrey Wright had like 3 lines. Don't do that. He's one of the best actors working today.
p.p.s Who was that gorgeous Asian man at the poker table? He needs to be in like 10 movies, stat.