Times Change, So Does Bond... And He Does It Very Well

Rating: 9/10 (25 February 2007)

I've read a lot of reviews about this movie after I watched it concerning the fact that James Bond has lost its original style: the male sex appeal, the infamous gadgets (mainly Q), megalomaniacs for villains and all of that. I thoroughly disagree with those who think this for several reasons: 1) If a male protagonist were to have a desire to go to bed with every woman he meets, we don't call that a sexy James Bond anymore, but a pervert.
2) Gadgets are fun, but they're all that: fun. They're not necessary to drive the story. As I remember, the first official James Bond movie, Dr. No, didn't have all of those fancy gadgetry and yet it made an excellent piece. Nor can I remember fantastical gadgets in Flemmings original novels.
3) Crazy villains trying to destroy and take over the world... That might have worked in the 60's and 70's, but today we wouldn't be talking to lightly about such subjects. The threat of people trying to destroy our society is very real these days: we call them terrorists. Hardly a subject to be put into a famous series of movies and think it's just a lull.
And these reasons are just few of many I can name. Like my review title says: times change, so does Bond. And in my opinion, he does so in a good way. The human side of James Bond is really shown in this movie and the superhero, invincible Bond is put into the museum as a part of an age of Bond long gone. The way we portray our world in movies has changed every since movie-making was invented. The subject of those movies are no exception.
Casino Royale is a great addition to the James Bond series and although some Bond fans may not agree with me, the movie has a lot to offer for a much wider audience and allows new people to be introduced to the theme. James Bond is back! Not as the smooth bulletproof lady-chaser, but as a compassionate, mortal human-being.
You either like change... or you don't.
And I like it.