48 replies to this topic

[dinovelvet]

Hooray, RT has posted a second negative review! TIME isn't lonely anymore!

http://worldfilm.abo.../b/a/257181.htm

Its from about.com, and is a little strange. Its only 3 paragraphs long and seems to be an obsession piece about Eva Green! Craig only gets a cursory sorta positive mention, in a backhanded way that suggests anyone could put on the tuxedo and could play Bond. (Obviously not true). The only real complaint is that he feels its too long. Make of it what you will...

[Jericho_One]

Hey, we couldn't realistically expect it to be all stars and praises.

[kneelbeforezod]

Hooray, RT has posted a second negative review! TIME isn't lonely anymore!

http://worldfilm.abo.../b/a/257181.htm

Its from about.com, and is a little strange. Its only 3 paragraphs long and seems to be an obsession piece about Eva Green! Craig only gets a cursory sorta positive mention, in a backhanded way that suggests anyone could put on the tuxedo and could play Bond. (Obviously not true). The only real complaint is that he feels its too long. Make of it what you will...

The funny thing is, it's almost a positive review...

[dinovelvet]

Hooray, RT has posted a second negative review! TIME isn't lonely anymore!

http://worldfilm.abo.../b/a/257181.htm

Its from about.com, and is a little strange. Its only 3 paragraphs long and seems to be an obsession piece about Eva Green! Craig only gets a cursory sorta positive mention, in a backhanded way that suggests anyone could put on the tuxedo and could play Bond. (Obviously not true). The only real complaint is that he feels its too long. Make of it what you will...

The funny thing is, it's almost a positive review...

I just noticed that EVERY SINGLE FILM on "Jurgen"'s review page gets two stars! It really is an odd review. If you knew nothing about Bond or CR and read this review, you'd assume its the story of Vesper Lynd

[Vauxhall]

Bizarre review. Also a strange way of complementing her - "the most intriguing Bond girl since Sophie Marceau" - hardly an achievement!!

[HildebrandRarity]

Anyone know when Roger Ebert, a Bond fan from Connery days, will release his review? Isn't it getting late in the day?

[JimmyBond]

Anyone know when Roger Ebert, a Bond fan from Connery days, will release his review? Isn't it getting late in the day?

Usually Ebert's reviews don't get released until Friday, that's when the majority of newspapers print their film reviews as well.

[HildebrandRarity]

Thanks JimmyBond!

Are you psyched for it JimmyB? It's been a long 4 years, hasn't it?

[stone cold]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30733


wow.

[Zorin Industries]

My review.... for what it's worth...



http://debrief.comma...p...c=35499&hl=

[triviachamp]

Slant magazine gives it a good review!
http://www.slantmaga...iew.asp?ID=2658

[JimmyBond]

Thanks JimmyBond!

Are you psyched for it JimmyB? It's been a long 4 years, hasn't it?

I sure am! It seems I'm finally going to get to see the type of Bond film on the big screen that I've always wanted to see. As much as I enjoyed the Brosnan films, I always left the theater a bit underwhelmed.

[The_Mole]

The film was extremely good, definetly the best since 1995's GoldenEye, if not better.

I had no discrepancies with the film, but on a first viewing, the plot could be considered a bit hard to follow for non-fans. Too many twists and turns than you could shake a stick at. Although this does not bother me in particular.

Shocked at the torture sequence, though. Bond using humour to distract Le Chiffre, and making us laugh in the process. A part of me didn't want to laugh, but it was quite hilarious and chilling at the same time.

CR is up there with the best of them.

[007_fclmdb]

It was a cold night. I put on my jeans and my red sox jersey on top of a bloack t-shirt. Very un-Bondish.
As I walked down the street, joining my two companions, I spotted a strange looking car. It followed us up until the entrence to the mall. Suddenly three big goons step out with guns in their hands! I started running as fast as I can, shoving my buddies. A glass sheet next to me exploded with a bang and gun shots were heard. I took the left escalator, realizing it was going down - I jumped and landed on the opposite one, giving a kiss to a stunning woman to my right. Moving on, shoving people who fell off the sides and landed only on tables loaded with food... I kept running as bombs exploded at my side. My heart poundind I did a summer salt, punched a goon and landed safely at my seat in row 12 at the cinema. My Bond night was just starting.

To begin with, I never had criticism over Craig as Bond. I was a neutral. And I've got to say: what a fine job did he do.
After the long commercials, came this image - familiar from the trailer. Black and white. And the movie started. I found the cinematography beutiful. After a well preformed bang the credits showed up. The best I think since 1979's TSWLM.

The movie continued with what, at first, seemed as mindless action pieces (although very well done) one on top of the other. But slowly the story developed and was very true to the novel, with minor changes.

The poker game was wonderful, and I liked the way they switched the man with the cane into this poisen in a drink - it was very well done.

The rest of the film, even the ball-shatering scene were wonderfully executed - even though I find the whole Mathis-is-a-traitor redundant.

As for the actors, everyone were great - but Mathis and Leiter. Both were abit over the top and not very interesting.
Le-chiffre, vesper and Bond were absolutely GREAT.

As a whole I was very pleased with it. No, I wouldn't call it the best Bond movie and no, I wouldn't call Craig the best Bond, only because I find the movie to hard to compare with the rest of the series. It is, in my eyes, a new series and NOT a reboot. It is simply to diffrent. In a good way.

The audience also enjoyed and laughed at all the right places, and was utterly concentrated. To my pleasure.

To conclude, as a first of its kind it is great. It is not a part in the grand Bond series - but a new direction. A great movie by itself, which does modern justice to a great novel.

[007_fclmdb]

1977. Shoot. The spy who loved me came in 1977. sorry

[Mr_Wint]

Garth Franklin's review is up at Dark Horizons!

http://www.darkhoriz...ws/royale-n.php

He thinks that DAD was "far too silly" but likes CR. Yet, he gave CR 3.5 stars and DAD 4 stars....

[belvedere]

I have been a James Bond fan since I saw Live and Let Die on ABC TV in the US in 1978 - I was 9 years old. I became a true Bond-phile and to this day all-things-Bond are a huge hobby of mine. Put simply, I waited 28 years to see Casino Royale done faithfully. It was worth the wait.

This movie succeeds on a number of levels, but the overriding theme for me was this: this James Bond could actually exist.

Retrospection will ruin many a great 007 romp, so beware. But given that, consider this: how many times have we seen James Bond beat up several thugs, yet his tux is unharmed, the hair is perfectly coiffed, the shoes are unscuffed? Criag's Bond is bloodied, battered, and bruised - the way he should look after so many brutal fights. His Brioni tuxedo was bloodied, torn, and tattered!

I've seen chatter on this board about the famous drink scene "Do I look like I give a damn?". He just lost $10 million, for God's sakes! Isn't he allowed to be angry? Just a little? Yet, we rarely see anger from James Bond, with a few notable exceptions. As I said in another thread, Dalton's Bond in TLD is one example that comes to mind. But otherwise, he is an emotionless automaton - nothing fazes him. He's James Bond, superhero! Not Craig's Bond.

This James Bond wrecks his $250,000 Aston Martin DB5 - and is nearly killed in the process - he is pulled from the wreck almost unconscious.

This James Bond nearly goes into cardiac arrest from poisoning - and is saved by a gadget... again. Not so fast - it's a defibrillator - one that can be found in any airport or shopping mall nowadays.

The prior series of films always had a plot turn or hinge on a gadget or a pithy line. Not this movie. Clearly, a different tone and feel and this could not have been more deliberate.

When was the last James Bond movie where the main villain was killed - by someone else? While James Bond was lying there unable to do anything?

When was the last James Bond movie where he doesn't get laid? You can argue that he bedded Solange - I don't think he did - they were wearing the same clothes in the whole scene and as soon as he gets the info he wants, he was off to Miami. I suppose he bedded Vesper later - although with the blunt testicular trauma that he suffered, I'm not so sure. But pardon my medical digression.

The change in tone is a welcome relief. 007 is back alright, but wow is this different - and better. I'll admit that I was disappointed when Pierce Brosnan wasn't retained. I'll admit that I wanted one more ride in the invisible car. You see, I love James Bond, and I know I'll get my money's worth one way or another.

But after seeing Casino Royale, I realize how laughably bad Die Another Day and Tomorrow Never Dies were. TND was a bunch of action sequences strung together with a plot that made a pørno seem like it were written by an Academy Award winner.

Casino Royale goes over an hour - an hour! - without a major action set piece. And no, I do not think the movie was overly long, I thought it was just right.

Daniel Craig is nothing short of brilliant in this film, and quite frankly, if his character had a different name, he'd get Oscar consideration.

Eva Green won me over big time. I was unenthused with the choice - she just isn't attractive to me at all - but wow, can she act. She is terrific and the love scenes are the best in the series since OHMSS.

Made Mikkelsen seemed like cardboard in the trailer and teaser. Not so, he's fantastic. I loved the weeping blood - it was creepy yet so Fleming-esque.

Jeffrey Wright is under utilized, but I can't wait for more of him in Bond 22. Giancarlo Giannini was excellent as well (although I still wanted Jean Reno for the part).

I can see why they kept Judi Dench. Oscar winning actresses don't fall off trees, I grant you, but she is like a mother-figure to him, and does it so well. The part was written for Dame Dench and to hell with the continuity issue (after all, this is Bond's first mission in his 21st movie, so continuity is truly out the window).

The theme song worked better with the orchestration and the titles were only so-so, I've seen better.

I loved the ending - the Bond, James Bond line with the theme song. Classic moment in the series. Did you all notice that he is NEVER referred to as "James Bond"? Only "Bond" or "James" in the entire film.

I did think that "The bitch is dead" line was wasted, however.

All in all, this was a wonderful film. It is the best James Bond film since OHMSS and I would rank it near the top of the series. It's that good. If they continue in this vein, I can hardly wait two years until Bond 22. James Bond Will Return alright, and I will be there with bells on.

[Natalya]

Hi,

Just came back from watching Casino Royale here in Singapore. The Bond Producers have certainly knocked this one out of the park. They took the correct measures to revitalize the Franchise, ditching all the cartoony "superhero" bits that made Bond such a caricature in the last 15 yrs. Kudos to Daniel Craig for playing the most "real" Bond I've ever seen before in the series. He's even better than Connery in a way and he has Dalton's seriousness with an extra blend of animal magnetism.

The Bond in CR is cocky (Though he ceratinly has reason for it.), ruthless and arrogant. It's Bond Begins for this chapter. He makes mistakes, suffers serious wounds from his fights and acts childishly at times (Remember the part where he begged Vesper for more stake money?) I didn't think he was a particularly sympatathic character, Bond seems a little too cold to be one of the good guys in this installment. Yes...he's supposed to be a cold efficient killer, but Craig's potrayal flies against the normally suave and happy Roger Moore and Brosnan Bonds that we're so used to. Let's hope the producer soften Bond up a little in the next installment.

A few thoughts...

1) There's less action in this installment than the previous chapters. But what they lack in quantity they make up in quality. The hand in hand combat scenes are shot clearly and fast. Without any of the shaky cam feel that was used in the Bourne Supremacy. I particularly liked the Stairway fight in the Casino. It was fast moving and fluid, efficently showcasing the physicality of Craig and his opponent.

2) Eva Green looked incredible as Vesper. She shared great chemistry with Bond, especially during their first meeting in the train. I was...a little surprised at the speed in which Bond suddenly professed his love for her. But somehow both Craig and Eva make it look somewhat plausible. Their Venice vacation scenes should have been cut down a bit to improve the flow of pacing (I get the idea already! They're in love!)

3) One of my few complaints was the way Vesper's demise played out. I was really hoping Vesper could have a chance to explain to Bond face to face why she betrayed him? It seemed a bit of a cop out when they had M explain her backstory to Bond instead. It just lacked that emotional punch. But then...come to think of it, I suppose Vesper's actions in the end were logical. What else was there for her to say? She knew that Bond would never forgive her and any reasons she would have given would not have been accepted.

4) I liked the end sequence! It was simply classic. I especially enjoyed that employed hints that there was a more powerful enemy organization out there (In the form of Mr White). I strongly suspect that Bond vengence against this organization will be played out in the next two Craig installments.

5) Was Vesper the one who tipped Le Chiffe on his "tell"? It doesn't seem that the organization that Vesper worked for would care whether Le Chiffe won. They were going to kill him anyway for disgracing their reputation. And they could have retreived the money from Bond easily with Vesper's help.

6) Did the end credits say the usual "James Bond will Return" in the end. I left the theatre after they finished playing the Bond theme.

[Forever007]

I'll keep this short and sweet. I've been a Bond fan since 1972 when my father took me to see the premiere of Live and Let Die at the age of 5. Since then I've attended every single opening for the Bond series. I've also read every 007 book by every author numerous times. Today, I have without question just seen the best James Bond film ever produced. Everyone came through in a big way, but nobody more than Daniel Craig's brilliant performance of Ian Fleming's character. I took my entire family of over 25 people to Casino Royale, many of which were not very interested at all, and they all were extremely impressed. Thank you EON Productions for giving a true die hard Bond fan the film I have been waiting for for so many years.