70 replies to this topic

[pat006]

who`s this bloody moo moo that`s always coming up in this forum????!!!!!!!

[EWKDSMB]

as someone else said he can act, which is a good start. he looks like he could really hurt people.
and most importantly of all he nails flemings bond to a tee.

'with the warmth and humour extinguished, his features relapsed into a taciturn mask, ironical, brutal and cold'.

a qoute straight form the book
yup babs was obviously reading this when she chose daniel.

i think those not sure would benefit from seeing some of daniels other films.
i had no reservations about him. he showed in layer cake how good an actor he was not to mentions load of other films and tv programmes.

the one bit that sticks out for me in layer cake
is when xxxx (dc) is getting his gun and he says
'i ing hate guns man......though that one is really pretty'

[swaz]

Yes, DC can act. He fleshed out the guideline that the script put forth. Someone called Craig's Bond as cold my thoughts were as he should be. Double-O's are killers when need be. B)Craig makes Dalton look better and Moore worse!

[Dr.Mirakle32]

First off, this is a serious post, and I'm not trying to sound like a troll.

However, the one thing keeping this from being the best Bond film ever for me, is Craig.

interacting with other characters was too wooden

seemed to mumble too much.

Craig really doesn't have the classic Bond look.

Craig would be great as a furture Terminator star, however his first effort as Bond was weak.

I felt like I was watching a great James Bond film WITHOUT James Bond.

Hugh Jackman

Bond charm and look

he could have done alot more with what he was given

line-delivery.

At least Lazenby LOOKED like Bond.

Deja Vu, anyone? Not just in your cinemas.

Deja Moo?

Genius!

Moo Moo - would like to post your Bond video again so we can all see how Daniel Craig's line delivery should have been?

Who the hell are Moo Moo and Mr. Nestle?!
I did post here previously as LiveandLetDie007, but that was a while ago.
plus, just because I might have similar views as them doesn't mean I am the same poster as them. That is dumb and it is like saying all of Craig lovers here are the same poster because you have similar opinions.

More than one person in the world is allowed to dislike Craig.

Anyway, the more I read your comments and think about it, Craig really wasn't that bad on his own, however, when you have guys like Connery, Dalton, Brosnan and Moore, he just isn't that high on my list. Even Lazenby was good in his own way, however he wasn't as good as the others.

CR was a truly great Bond film, and the Brosnan films are crap compared to it, but that was because of the script and effort behind the filmaking. James Bond got a really well written role this time, and I'm sure this is the reason everybody is prasing Craig right now. I think all of the previous Bond actors had a certain indescribable "it." Connery, Brosnan, and Moore obviously had it, and so did Dalton and even Lazenby. I just can't sense that Craig has "it". Brosnan on his own was also a great actor with that "it," which is why I like his Bond portrayal more than Craig's, even though Brosnan's films suck in comparison to many of the others.

If his first effort was written in the same effortless style as DAD/TND/DAF, people would be bashing his performance no matter what. I am still going to see how his future 007 flicks turn out before officially become a hater. Right now, I am just a "disliker."

[pedroarmendariz]

if you read the novel, vesper never hates bond or dislikes the way she is easily attracted to him. i re-read the novel after watching the movie and i missed the banter that the movie portrayed. i liked the way that this bond didn't get his way in one scene and finally breaks through in the next one. it took the attack on le chiffre and then on bond to make vesper see that there was more to bond than just a bad boy image and a perferctly formed to make her fall for him. dc was great and would give any of the previous bonds a run for their money. i know it's too much for one movie, but hell connery must've been praised repeatedly after dn. otherwise how did cubby and harry keep making a movie a year for the first 5 years of the series? if you don't like dc as bond, say it and then spew your hatred for him at cnb.com or whatever other site you haters frequent. dc is here to stay.

[Athena3]

Wow! Ok, so I'm not a psychoBond freak, but I've grown up watching Bond as long as I can remember. Connery and Brosnan hold special places in my heart, but I decided to give DC the benefit of the doubt and I've held my opinion of the blond haired/blue eyed man until I've seen the movie, and I'm frankly impressed with No 6.

I like him. DC's given us a Bond that undeniably strong, tough and cold, emotional and touching. He's a hottie and I like his smile. I like the fact that this Bond treats women as more than playthings, which I also felt Brosnan did rather well, too. The script was more realistic than RM's versions and I couldn't help cheering James on throughout the movie. Sad that the car was destroyed, but he kept his watch! The final scene was typically cliche, but it's to be expected and if he didn't say his name, well it's just not a bond flick.

That's my two cents worth. I'm looking forward to seeing DC return as Bond again.

[JimmyBond]

If his first effort was written in the same effortless style as DAD/TND/DAF, people would be bashing his performance no matter what.

Going by that reasoning, I should hate Brosnan, because I felt all four of his Bond films were pretty effortless. Guess what, I don't. Why? Because Brosnan is a likable guy and makes a great Bond, as does Daniel Craig. I'm really tired of all these excuses for why some of us like Daniel Craig. If you don't like him, fine, but don't try and tell me why I like him.

[tbp82]

This is the easiest question on here to answer. 1)First off Daniel Craig is a brillant actor. He has been in Layer Cake, Enduring Love, and Road to Perdition and nailed them all. Bond was just another role that he nailed. 2)The physical. Craig got in the gym and work his butt off and got in shape for the first time ever (I was born during Dalton's reign but have seen every Bond film) I would think twice about fighting a Bond. 3)Fleming style Craig went back and brought back the style of Bond that Fleming invisioned I know some people say well it is just "Bourne as Bond" but the general feeling when Bourne came out was that it was more Fleming than Brosnan's Bond so I think the argument that Craig is more Bourne as Bond basically just confirms that he is more FlemingStyle Bond. 4)The movie was great now that is a luxery that Craig just happened to have seeing as he wasn't in a Die Another Day, Diamons Are Forever, Moonraker movie then he might have struggle in the same way Clooney did in Batman and Robin. The movie style script etc help Craig. 5)Craig/Casino Royale has done for Bond what Bale/Batman Begins done for Batman he and this movie have basically reinvented the franchise and now we can *hopefully* look forward to darker well made Bond movies. 6)Craig is not just the Casino Royale Bond. Take a look at this list. From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, For You Eyes Only, The Living Daylights and License to Kill I could see Craig being Bond in any of those films and delivering. That is just a few reasons why I think he is so great.

Edited by tbp82, 07 December 2006 - 02:31 PM.

[00Twelve]

Well put, tbp82.

[crheath]

I liked Craig, but I, too, have a hard time accepting him as Bond, James Bond. He comes across as 007, hard edged assasin and spy, but he only hints at the charisma of James Bond.

Craig seemed a little cold and almost robotic at times - only in a few spots, but it was there. You can chalk it up to the script or the direction, or it really may have been Craig's interpretation, but it wasn't as good as it could have been.

I wanted Hugh Jackman as well, and I wish we knew what HIS performance would have been like - but we'll never know, so we're left with Craig's performance alone to judge.

Like I said, Craig was good, but it wasn't the unbelievably revelatory performance that some people say it was. Well, it was to them, but not to me. It was merely a different interpretation of the character that we've all known for so long, and a good performance overall. But not a great one.

It will be interesting to see the long term reaction to Craig. I remember the positive comments about Dalton and Brosnan, too, when their first Bond movies came out. Now some people are trashing both of them (for different reasons) and praising Craig.

History truly does repeat itself.

I disagree. I was one of the bunch that didn't care for Dalton or Brosnan. But I love this new guy, almost as much as Connery. Considering Connery is probably my favorite actor of all time, that's saying a lot.

As for people eventually trashing him in the long run, I can guarantee it ain't going to happen. Craig is the only Bond actor who's career was taking off even before he took Bond. He'll be around for a long time.

[jake speed]

Craig is the first Bond actor that I've had major problems getting my head around. I think his performance was fine, restrained and nicely under-played at times, but I did struggle to think of his character as James Bond. He's just a bit too ordinary for me, in looks and style. My reading of the car valet scene was that this joke was intended for the 28 year-old Bond that featured in the original script. Cavill, O'Lachlan etc mistaken for a valet=cute in-joke. Why would Craig be mistaken for a glorified bell-hop? Doesn't he look bit old?

[BMT-216A]

he had a great presence on screen, but most of the time his facial expressions were so wooden.. did anyone else think that?

[punkinpuss]

I can't help but think that all the fans that find DC wooden aren't connecting the dots for the style of storytelling in CR vs. past Bond movies.

It doesn't make any sense to me for the Bond of Casino Royale to behave like the previous (but more experienced, older) Bonds. It's not the kind of movie that requires that kind of performance basically. The few instances where he allows himself a bit of a smirk, well, those are well-deserved and brief.

I find that DC is the first Bond to approach the role in a completely serious way. Making CR a reboot of the franchise might've made it slightly easier for him to put his own stamp on the role, but the story itself poses some tough challenges for an actor:

-He's a spy for chrissakes! A spy is not supposed to have an expressive face that shows all of his cards, so to speak. He's expressive when he can allow himself to be. So DC has to show this aspect AND still suggest the emotion or motivation below the surface. He succeeds admirably IMO. This is a Bond with emotional layers, but you have to look for them, they're not going to be handed to you on a platter. The reward is when you do get a smile or scream, it has more impact.

-He's playing poker! You don't want everyone reading your face to see how good or bad a hand you've got. In all of the poker scenes, you can see him sizing up Le Chiffre, but he never lets on what he's thinking about his own hand.

-He's underplaying the humor, but it's definitely there and for once, it's actually witty instead of painfully corny and cheesy. Moore and Brosnan usually overplayed the humor, as if taking an elephant gun to a gnat of a one-liner. That kind of acting style doesn't belong in a movie like CR. It works fine in other situations, ie., comedies, fantasies, etc. Most actors will tell you that doing comedy is a helluva lot harder than drama. And most of the time, when a funny line goes wrong it's because it's overplayed rather than underplayed.

-He's not "telegraphing" his lines, like a lot of showier actors tend to do. His performance is more natural. It doesn't look like a performance, it doesn't take you out of the moment or the story. He draws you into the story and makes it All.About.Bond and not All.About.Craig.

It's an intelligent and nuanced performance, not a catwalk turn.

[DamnCoffee]

The fact that he didn't let those Cnb bastards grind him down and used the critisism to make a better movie.

[Jericho_One]

Well, the man has presence, at least onscreen.
One thing in common with Connery as Bond 40 years ago.

[Krychek]

however, when you have guys like Connery, Dalton, Brosnan and Moore, he just isn't that high on my list. Even Lazenby was good in his own way, however he wasn't as good as the others.

Well, everyone standard is different. You may think that those guys are golden but others do not. To me before DC became bond, Dalton was the best bond followed by Connery. Lazenby was passable and Moore and Brosnan barely register on my radar, which explains why I haven't seen much of their films (exceptions are FYEO/TMWTGG and TND/TWINE). Out of those two, however, I prefer Moore since he seems to be aware of how campy his films tend to be. I can't say the same about Brosnan. I particularly dislike Brosnan's tendency to show this smarmy look everytime he delivers his one liners. It really reminds me a lot of Remington Steele and I think it's the wrong image for James Bond. Plus, despite his popularity, I never see him as that good looking or masculine.

[LadySylvia]

Well, the man has presence, at least onscreen.
One thing in common with Connery as Bond 40 years ago.

All of the Bonds had presence. That is why the franchise has managed to survive for over four decades.


Speaking of Craig, I found this blog that features photos from his 2003 movie, "THE MOTHER":


"THE MOTHER" Photos

[HH007]

How can anyone call Craig wooden? He's the most versatile, humanistic, convincing, and intense Bond of all. The difference between him and some of the other Bond actors is that Craig actually shows emotion.

[Judo chop]

I agree with everyone on this thread.

[Santa]

I agree with everyone on this thread.

Now that's chivalry

[RazorBlade]

If you have to ask, you won't buy the answer.

[Vauxhall]

If you have to ask, you won't buy the answer.

Case closed I think! Excellent response.

[auhin]

Daniel Craig hasn't warmed up to me yet, but then again I've only seen it once. He did a great job as Fleming's CR Bond, but I think I'll enjoy him more in the later movies.

Hopefully Craig'll fix that annoying bottom lip of his. It gets on my nerves.

However, I think everyone here needs to take a chill pill. Just because some of us don't lavish over Craig doesn't mean we are Satan Incarnate. Believe it or not, I've read some of the books and seen all of the movies, and I still think CR isn't in my top 5. Great Bond movie, just not in my top 5. Dalton and Connery will always be my favorites.

But yeah, I'll definitely like him more as the movies go by.

Edited by auhin, 29 August 2007 - 12:42 AM.

[mrsbonds_ppk]

Brosnan was never hailed as the second coming of Sean Connery, he was hailed as the second coming of Roger Moore, with a light Connery touch.

You must be talking about what you think because I know many people who thought of him as the second coming of Connery. When Brosnan was Bond he got high praising, but now he's in the dumps with many fans and I don't understand that. Fickle... Fickle.

As for Craig he is O...K, but I don't think he's the glorious savior to Bond movies.

[LadySylvia]

Hopefully Craig'll fix that annoying bottom lip of his. It gets on my nerves.

I have NO PROBLEM with his bottom lip.

Brosnan was never hailed as the second coming of Sean Connery, he was hailed as the second coming of Roger Moore, with a light Connery touch.

Why would anyone want to be the second coming of Connery or Moore? If I were a Bond actor, I would rather be appreciated for creating my own style and not copying someone else's.

Edited by LadySylvia, 29 August 2007 - 03:23 AM.

[Blonde Bond]

Hopefully Craig'll fix that annoying bottom lip of his. It gets on my nerves.

Yeah, that man needs a good plastic surgery.
I mean, how dares he have a lip that size!!!

[MrDraco]

two words..

Layer Cake.

[stamper]

Actually, Craig is great because the same film with anyone else, would have resulted in a thundering thud.

He makes it all work. Imagine the airport smile sequence with Brosnan... I doubt he could have made this work.

[Blofeld's Cat]

two words..

Layer Cake.

Yep, I was sold on Craig well before I saw him as Bond.

[LadySylvia]

I don't know if I would describe Daniel Craig as great. I don't know if I would describe any actor or actress as great. But I do feel that Craig is one of the most talented actors I have seen in recent years. I know that a lot of people bring up his performances in either LAYER CAKE or CASINO ROYALE. Granted, I thought he was excellent in those films. But the performance that really stood out for me was his Perry Smith in INFAMOUS. His performance in that movie had blew me away.