Weren't expecting that, were you?!
Since unfortunately I didn't manage to see The Bourne Identity this weekend, I decided to have a look at the "old new" Bond film.
Now, while I found the original James Bond movies entertaining as a kid, as an adult I find them dated and tedious.
Yes, Roger Moore and Sean Connery game some reasonable performances, but the content was formulaic and sometimes rather insulting, especially in the oldest ones.
*Old Bond film rant starts here*
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Bond is some kind of superhuman being in all of them who is ridiculously excellent at everything. Villains are always genius madmen who nonetheless are too stupid to just shoot Bond, and insist, every single film, in putting him into "escapable situation X".
The other bad guys are always great at murdering anyone but Bond, and then they suddenly become incompetent morons who can't shoot straight. Ebert's review of Casino Royale also nailed something I find annoying in most films: when was the last time in an action film, if ever, that the main character was killed by a machinegun?
It's strange movie logic that comes up again and again - machineguns aimed by baddies make sparks fly everywhere, but are otherwise utterly useless against a hero. On the other hand, a simple pistol in the hands of a hero becomes some kind of 100% accurate railgun that can kill 10 people in 5 seconds. Sigh.
Then there are the women, perhaps the most irritating part of old Bond films. They're always named after some kind of lame double entendre (which fortunately I never cottoned on to as a kid, aside from thinking the names were "weird".)
Holly Goodhead, Pussy Galore, Mary Goodnight, Honey Rider.
I mean, the second one in particular isn't even a vaguely realistic name, and it's pretty graphic. Quite why the films are seen as harmless for kids when the characters are practically named "Ivanta Shagyu" I don't know >_>
Then there's how they behave. I forget which film it is, possibly The Man With The Golden Gun, but the girl helps James fight the baddies. She's insultingly stupid and inept, hopping around and squealing "Oh James, I don't know what to do! Which button do I press?!" when the only button is a giant red one.
Plus there are also several Bond films with cringeworthy lines towards racial minorities. I'm don't like how Britain is so PC-obsessed now days, but even so some of the Bond films definitely class as being in the "exploitation" genre.
So, old Bond films: The villains are idiots, Bond is some kind of superman, henchmen are useless, black and asian people are stereotyped completely and all girls are sex objects with IQs of about 10. Nice.
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*Rant end*
The following review may contain some spoilers.
Fortunately, Casino Royale is a departure from 99% of the crap in the old films.
The main antagonist isn't a bald maniac with a base on the moon, but a slimy, desperate banker who provides large scale investments for terrorists.
The "Bond girl" (Eva Green) displays refreshing intelligence and saves Bond's life on several occasions.
Q, the gadget guy, and Moneypenny are both missing. Instead there is just M (Judi Dench), Bond's boss. Dench puts in a characteristically decent performance. This cuts down quite considerably on the cheesy humour typically associated with the "Bond formula".
Bond (Daniel Craig) is very competent at his job, but is also ruthless and emotionally cold, something that intentionally makes him quite unlikable in several scenes. While still intelligent and sharp-witted, he is a more realistic character than in any of the old films. He is a human being with strengths and flaws rather than a man made of steel.
In one scene he seduces and manipulates a target's wife purely to gain information - she is murdered as a result. As the body is bagged up and removed from a beach, M and Bond stare at it.
When M speaks her voice is sad, almost disgusted. "I would ask you to remain emotionally detached, but that's not really your problem, is it, Bond?"
Bond doesn't seem to feel a twinge of guilt. "No."
This more mature character development is a shining example of how the film differs from its predecessors, in which I couldn't imagine a scene anywhere near as stark or chilling.
Even the action has had an overhaul. While the scenes are familar: fights in speeding vehicles, fights in stairwells, car chases, they also soak up the new visceral feel. Bond frequently ends struggles blood-smeared, beaten and exhausted, but his enemies end up even worse. No longer are fights your usual Bond case of Big Evil Man With Cheesy Advantage versus Man In Sharp Suit.
Sebastien Foucan, one of the big names of parkour, makes a cameo in a very impressive chase scene.
Mixed in with all this are casino scenes that manage to milk every last drop of tension from the turning over of two cards, and an end which results in the villain's demise in a far more satisfactory and creepy way than any over-the-top cartoony death ever could.
Final Word:
Casino Royale is in a different world to the Bond films before it, and I highly recommend watching it even if you typically dislike old Bond cliches.
[*] [*] [*] [*] [*]
5/5
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