Rating of
2/4
Wouldn't be special if it wasn't a Bond Film
Topher - wrote on 07/18/07
The major appeal of the Bond Franchise has always been master villains and Pussy Galore -- but never real spy stuff. Industry hype, however, promised a newer, grittier Bond with Daniel Craig.
The opening sequence, (how Bond became a 00 agent), aimed to set this tone. Shot in black and white with a film-noir atmosphere, this scene features a visual motif of transparent surfaces contrasted with dark pools, suggesting a world of intrigue and false appearances. When Bond confronts a man who betrayed him, their visages are appropriately shadowed. Meanwhile, we flash back to Bond's first kill, shot with Hollywood's vision of grainy realism.
And this is as far as the film makers were willing to go to produce the "new, gritty Bond" -- as far as cliche. Casino Royale relies on a couple of spy genre standards -- mastering poker and women -- to define Bond as an initiate to the mind of secrets, adept at reading intentions. But this mind reading business is as phony and shallow as the camera tricks in the opening sequence -- and the secrets are about as deep as a Bond girl.
The action, however, as promised, is at least believable for the first time since . . . well, believability has never been Bond's strong point. (Hell, even Money Penny loves it when he lies to her). But that only means it's on par with any decent action movie.
The truth is -- all shadowy intrigue and industry hype aside -- this movie would be dull, unsurprising and artless if it wasn't a Bond film. It draws all of its appeal by stroking Bond-lovers' desire to find out more about Bond's background -- what makes Bond, Bond. The true master genius was branding public consciousness with the new Bond image -- an extraordinary feat of marketing.
Casino Royale gets a 005 for average.
