It's Bond, but not as we know it

Rating: 7/10 (15 June 2010)

The time has come to fetch the popcorn, disconnect the phone line and sit down for two hours and bask in the radiance of the newest addition to the ever growing Bond franchise. Two hours filled with action, sex, intrigue and the outrageously expensive 'toys' we have all come to expect from Bond. And Casino Royale takes all of these characteristics to extremes. There are two disfigured villains (boo, hiss!), two women that tickle Bond's indiscriminate fancy, and two top of the range cars that Bond gets behind the wheel of. But have we seen all this before? Why is this film any different from the others? Well, hopefully I will be able to shed some light on that for you.
All Bond films to date share certain common characteristics. There are the exotic locations. From Madagascar to Miami to Montenegro, Bond goes everywhere, but not just everywhere. He only stays at the most luxurious hotels, visits only the finest restaurants, and drinks only the best vodka martinis, painstakingly "shaken, not stirred". Every suit is tailored, every mouth-watering car filled with impossible gadgets. Then there are girls. The Bond girls aren't just any random girls picked up off the road. They are always beautiful bimbos with information about the villain, and they aren't opposed to being 'questioned' by Bond. No matter what, Bond always gets with at least one girl in every film, to get at the villain or just for a break from the troubles of a hard world. The puns and jokes Bond uses to chat up these girls are always very predictable and often not very funny ("I think something has come up") yet they seem to be impressed anyway.
These themes are also apparent in the new Casino Royale. However, the way it presents these themes is vastly different to how the other films present them. For example, in the old films, the violence was rather clean cut. The only thing messed up after each brief fight scene was Bond's tie. This was rather boring, in all honesty. We all knew the outcome of each fight, and Bond was never hurt too badly. Casino Royale couldn't be more different. At the beginning, we are shown flashbacks of Bond's first really rather messy kill, (albeit using the slightly outdated black & white camera techniques to signify that it happened in the past). It is extremely violent, as Bond beats his opponent to a pulp and then attempts to drown him in a sink. This is not a kids' film. While Bond's previous 'invincibility' detracted from the realism of the film, the fact that Bond can now be (and is quite frequently) beaten up has us at the edge of our seats, silently willing him to succeed.
This makes the film considerably more gripping than the others, and makes us as the audience inevitably more attached to the new human and realistic Bond. This makes for a better film, for if we don't care about the characters, we don't care about what happens to them.
Another scene that shows the darker side of the film is the torture scene. In this scene, Le Chiffre (the classic disfigured villain) has Bond tied to a chair, and breaks the only unspoken rule of man-to-man combat. Yes, it's that bad. In previous films this sort of thing would be unheard of, because it breaches a taboo of sorts, but as an audience we have become desensitised to things like this. It still makes me feel a bit uneasy though.
Bond's own characteristics seem to have changed dramatically as well. While he used to be a cool, cunning and charismatic chap with a side-order of suave and sophistication, in Casino Royale J.B. is a bit of a loose cannon. He is reckless, ruthless and rather scary. Previously Bond was always on top of the situation, but now he actually makes mistakes! Gone is the invincible shield of luck and skill, and Bond is frequently given a bloody nose (metaphorically and literally). His heart even stops beating at one point! But all this serves to create tension, as he is still the invincible James Bond.
The classic chase scene also creates more tension than the previous ones. This one takes place on foot! It tests Bond's physical prowess to the limit, and both Bond and another disfigured villain have to scale a construction yard, jumping around as if they are playing some sort of scary urban leap-frog. I personally found this type of chase the most exhilarating, because neither of the characters rely on some gadget filled Bond-mobile and only have their strength, speed and endurance to fall back on.
Though Bond does get with a dodgy character's girlfriend in the film, he does actually fall in love in this film. This shows a human and compassionate side to J.B. that we don't often see. Though it isn't love at first sight (or is it?) Bond and Vesper eventually fall in love. Unfortunately, Bond is destined to be alone, and Vesper dies later in the film.
So how does Casino Royale compare to the other Bond films? It's a lot better. Its innovations on the Bond film characteristics punch boring old 'tradition' in the face (and possibly steal its car, blow up its house and sleep with its girlfriend). Its realism makes the film a lot more gripping, and therefore more enjoyable than the others, and Bond himself has had a personality boost to make him a more likable character.