D.C. MOVIE GUYS

MOVIE REVIEW:”CASINO ROYALE”

Daniel Craig is a very good actor.  In fact, he may be a bit too good for the role of James Bond.  He stars as 007 in the latest official Bond film, “Casino Royale.”  He takes over from Perice Brosnan and is the key cog in a “re-envisioning” of the much beloved master spy.  Based on the first of the late Sir Ian Fleming’s novels about the super spy, the action revolves around a master criminal who helps to finance international terrorism using high stakes poker in a casino as a front.  Bond is sent in to smash the scheme.

Part of the re-invention of Bond is the  conceit that he’s just become a double 0 and been granted his license to kill.  He supposedly is in the process of winning a skeptical M’s (Dame Judi Dench) trust.  During the film, he makes the kind of rookie mistakes we’d never expect from him.  These plot developments don’t jibe with Craig’s world weary face and tough guy manner.

Throw in one of the least interesting Bond villains in some time and pacing that drags a relatively simple story out to two and a half hours and the flaws become a bit more glaring.  The best Bonds walk a line between cultured fop and steely thug.  Craig leans a tad too much on the thug side for my taste.  Still, Bond fans will likely find enough action and potential to give the movie and the series a shot.  Let’s hope it’s not a blank.

MPAA RATING: PG–13 for profanity, violence and sexuality
JOE’S RATING: THREE STARS.

Related Reading:

Mamma Mia!: The Movie Soundtrack Featuring the Songs of ABBA (Piano Vocal Guitar)

100 Modern Soundtracks (BFI Screen Guides)

A Century of Movie Posters: From Silent to Art House

The Independent Film Producer's Survival Guide: A Business and Legal Sourcebook

Short Guide to Writing About Film, A (7th Edition)