Gritty Bond renews his license to thrill
Turning to face the world's most famous superspy, the bartender asks:"Shaken or stirred, sir?"
"Do I look like I give a damn?" comes James Bond's icy reply.
Make no mistake the rule book has been well and truly torn up for 007's latest movie. From the start you can tell this isn't your average Bond film.
Opening in moody black and white, the secret agent swiftly dispatches 2 villains - drowning one in a sink - before we get to look down the famous gun barrel.
But from here things get even better as, in the rokkie Bond's first ever mission, he chases a suspected terrorist bombmaker through a jungle in Madagascar, culminating in a vertigo-inducing showdown on top of a crane. It's everything that makes Bond Britain's finest cinematic export - slick, fast-moving and pulse poundigly exciting.
Easily the best film since Goldneye, its 144mins of non stop, wall to wall action.
Daniel Craig - the man with the Golden hair, whos casting provoked an outcry among fans is simply brilliant, oozing the kind of edgy menace that recalls Sean Connery at his best.
Based on Ian Fleming's first Bond novel, 007's mission leads him to the Bahamas where he learns of the evil Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), who's planning to bankroll a series of terrorist outrages by holding a poker contest.
Bond is given $10million to infiltrate the game but he isn't trusted by handler M (Judi Dench), who asigns Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) to keep an eye on him.
At one point she snarls: "If your average agent did something that embarrasing they'd have the good sense to defect."
Meanwhile, Green proves to be a worthy Bond girl, wittily sparring with the secret agent and telling him: "I will keep my eyes on the Governments moneyrather than your perfectly formed arse.2
Its fitting that the film revolves around a card game since, by turning the Bond formula on its head, director Martin Campbell took one of the biggest gambles in cinema history.
While 007 still gets to drive around in his Aston Martin and ends up in a clinch with his leading lady, thats about the only thing Casino Royale has in common with the 20 films that have come before.
Aside from his readiness to kill, this Bond is far more vulnerable than his predecessors-not only does he have his heart broken, he also winds up almost dead after a beating at the hands of Le Chiffre. After a pummelling, Connery and Moore dusted off their DJs but this time 007 winds up on the critical list.
Casino Royale boasts some astonishing set pieces, but Bond's torture scene will stick in your mind.
Strapped naked to a chair, he is subjected to a severe beating to his nether regions with a rope, But despite the agony Bond remains cool, even tormenting his torturer with the one-liner, "I've got a little itch down there, would you mind?"
We also get to see Bond trying to stop a jet being blown up in a scene that'll make your head spin faster than downing five vodka martinis.
Tellingly, Campbell is the man who re-energised the series with Goldeneye, the 1995 entry that introduced Pierce Brosnan. And, incredibly, he's done it again.
The film does not dissapoint. You'll be shaken. You'll be stirred. Heck, you'l be blown away.
Review form London's, the Daily Mirror.
I knew Craig and this movie will own, here's hoping more people appreciate the brilliance that is CR. Craig is definately here to stay and all those people screaming fro Brosnan to come back, I laugh in your faces.
Turning to face the world's most famous superspy, the bartender asks:"Shaken or stirred, sir?"
"Do I look like I give a damn?" comes James Bond's icy reply.
Make no mistake the rule book has been well and truly torn up for 007's latest movie. From the start you can tell this isn't your average Bond film.
Opening in moody black and white, the secret agent swiftly dispatches 2 villains - drowning one in a sink - before we get to look down the famous gun barrel.
But from here things get even better as, in the rokkie Bond's first ever mission, he chases a suspected terrorist bombmaker through a jungle in Madagascar, culminating in a vertigo-inducing showdown on top of a crane. It's everything that makes Bond Britain's finest cinematic export - slick, fast-moving and pulse poundigly exciting.
Easily the best film since Goldneye, its 144mins of non stop, wall to wall action.
Daniel Craig - the man with the Golden hair, whos casting provoked an outcry among fans is simply brilliant, oozing the kind of edgy menace that recalls Sean Connery at his best.
Based on Ian Fleming's first Bond novel, 007's mission leads him to the Bahamas where he learns of the evil Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), who's planning to bankroll a series of terrorist outrages by holding a poker contest.
Bond is given $10million to infiltrate the game but he isn't trusted by handler M (Judi Dench), who asigns Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) to keep an eye on him.
At one point she snarls: "If your average agent did something that embarrasing they'd have the good sense to defect."
Meanwhile, Green proves to be a worthy Bond girl, wittily sparring with the secret agent and telling him: "I will keep my eyes on the Governments moneyrather than your perfectly formed arse.2
Its fitting that the film revolves around a card game since, by turning the Bond formula on its head, director Martin Campbell took one of the biggest gambles in cinema history.
While 007 still gets to drive around in his Aston Martin and ends up in a clinch with his leading lady, thats about the only thing Casino Royale has in common with the 20 films that have come before.
Aside from his readiness to kill, this Bond is far more vulnerable than his predecessors-not only does he have his heart broken, he also winds up almost dead after a beating at the hands of Le Chiffre. After a pummelling, Connery and Moore dusted off their DJs but this time 007 winds up on the critical list.
Casino Royale boasts some astonishing set pieces, but Bond's torture scene will stick in your mind.
Strapped naked to a chair, he is subjected to a severe beating to his nether regions with a rope, But despite the agony Bond remains cool, even tormenting his torturer with the one-liner, "I've got a little itch down there, would you mind?"
We also get to see Bond trying to stop a jet being blown up in a scene that'll make your head spin faster than downing five vodka martinis.
Tellingly, Campbell is the man who re-energised the series with Goldeneye, the 1995 entry that introduced Pierce Brosnan. And, incredibly, he's done it again.
The film does not dissapoint. You'll be shaken. You'll be stirred. Heck, you'l be blown away.
Review form London's, the Daily Mirror.
I knew Craig and this movie will own, here's hoping more people appreciate the brilliance that is CR. Craig is definately here to stay and all those people screaming fro Brosnan to come back, I laugh in your faces.
