Casino Royale.. Hmm.. I have bonded well!

Since the day I heard Quentin Tarantino wanted to remake the 1967 James Bond Casino Royal, I have been keeping my ears and eyes open for not only am I a devotee of Tarantino but it would be a lethal combination to see him direct 007.

Well perhaps it was not meant to be and if that was not enough bad news for me, Daniel Craig is the new Bond. Daniel WHO? I didn’t like his male model Zoolander photo shots and somehow he was not appealing to the new Bond I had in mind. He is told to be 30 something but looks much older and was not “soft and dishy” enough like his predecessor Pierce Brosnan.

This evening I finally watched it. I know it’s nearly the second week but well I have some sort of life. The movie completely took me by surprise. First of all it’s not cliché. Well, thank God for that. Even Superman Returns was not cliché. Hmm.. maybe the producers are learning…

Here James Bond gets hurt. In fact I have never seen such a battered and bruised 007 in my life and the best part is that Daniel Craig grows on you..ah aww now I must behave. He has the look that says “I am no super human yet you can depend on me and above all I am not just a sex machine” which makes him look even sexier or perhaps I prefer it a little subtle.

For once, the focus was in the plot then high tech gadgets, visual effects and steamy scenes. I am wondering if “M” (Dame Judi Dench) is confused with her new Bond boy who had the audacity to break into her house and even steal her password. There was no Money Penny and no “Q” in the first 10 minutes of the film educating the audience about the cars, the watch and the lot. Btw, it’s not Rolex but Omega and he can’t be bothered if his martini is shaken or stirred. In fact he came up with some concoction and invented a new drink which perhaps from this instant can be called “bondini”.

Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) had a good role to play. Apart from her vague way of speaking and the bleeding red lipstick she is likable and there was some form of love in this one. Overall treatment of the film including the beginning credits was good which were done with playing cards in mind. I am not sure if the prologue was purposely done in b/w to pay tribute to the earlier film. I heard that the first chase scene was taken from a documentary where Londoners exercise and just run over roofs in the city. Yes, we are a bunch of weirdo’s. Madonna too used them for her music video “Jump”. Come to think of it I am not sure how much CGI is used in the bond sequence. Although my knowledge in cards/poker is limited I was still entertained and oh yes, how can I forget- the torture scene was indeed there. Wait a minute, the film was rated 12A. Gosh! They must be a tough bunch of 12 year olds to witness such a scene especially young boys else the next time they sit on a broken chair, they might jump. As for me, I enjoyed the scene ..na I am not a sadist but it was still great to see him naked. Well practically!

He is much more real, has this oozing raw sex appeal and is fantastic on camera.
10 on 10 Bond. Go for it.