JAMES BORE

Well, I finally saw Casino Royale last night, and came away thinking my colleague, Cosmo got it absolutely right in his review:

The film aims to be a character-driven study of how 007 was changed by this mission and meeting Vesper. But as far as I can tell, it’s the story of how a sadistic psycho who hated women became a better-dressed and more professional sadistic psycho who hates women.

I couldn't agree more. As the characterization is so perfunctory, there's next to no chemistry with the colourless Vesper (who looks more like Joyce Grenfell's niece in a WonderBra), Le Chiffre makes a dreary villain, the overblown chase sequence at the beginning is about as interesting as your eight year-old's computer game, the theme song is painfully dull, and the violence is way too extreme for a 12 certificate. In other words, it has all the faults of just about every big-budget film I've seen lately. And I noticed that not a single person in the audience laughed at Bond's attempts at wisecracks. I think that tells you something. Daniel Craig does well, though. 18 year olds will love it, I guess.

My only other thought is that it's just as well Felix Leiter is black, because some of the other scenes leave an odd taste, racially speaking, as if nothing's changed since the darkies rolled their eyes in Dr No.

Comments

[simon Dodson]

We need a new Harry Palmer a lot more than we need a new Bond.

[james highamj]

I've been posting a bit on Bond and this is the first negative I've read among the accolades. Interesting take.