I always thought that the Mondeo is parked at an undisclosed parking spot but I just noticed that it's 2 cars away from FauxFinger's Ranger Rover.
Peculiar how well the Mondeo blends in. A proper "Bond" car.
CR is a great Bond movie but it it's biggest flaw with me are many plotholes and unanswered questions about La Chiffre's torturing of Bond, did Vesper love Bond or Yusef? etc. My main gripe is that Daniel Craig's first two Bond movies don't really feel like James Bond. This is why I much prefer SF and SP personally.
In anticipation of Bond25, I better have another viewing of Craig's first four, especially as they are all parts of one big story.
PROS
- EON finally got the rights to Fleming's first book, and have the chance to make it part of the official series.
- Very close adaptation of all the major plot-points from Fleming's book, the closest adaptation of Fleming since the John Glenn days.
- They actually embrace the odd structure of Fleming's book, with the long philosophical coda following the death of the apparent villain.
- I like the choice to make it an origin story, and thus introduce the new fellow.
You know in Fleming's book, Bond references four previous missions, including the first two kills, but all of them preceded his double-oh status? In both From Russia With Love and Goldfinger, we learn he was promoted to double-oh only the year before the Casino mission (specifically 1950), and Fleming never does tell us of any previous missions as a double oh, so fars we know this Casino mission was his first double oh mission in the actual canon.
- Precredits show us the first two kills, a detail straight from Fleming. The second kill may even be the Swedish double agent FlemingBond killed (in Pearson's version, Bond and his victim had worked together before). Though the first one's no cypher expert, at least so far's we know.
- The first kill actually climaxes with the prototypical gunbarrel, hence its the ret-conned "origin" for that pose. Clever, the signature gunbarrel sequence we've been watching all these years is his first kill!
- You Know My Name contains the two note vamp of the James Bond theme, and is itself woven all through the score, allowing subtle hints of the Bond theme to appear in the score, and the two themes to interact. This repeats the Goldfinger trick.
- Animated opening credit sequence look nothing like Binder, but does look like Raymond Hawkey's PAN paperback cover for the book, and also the "messy desk" edition.
- I know it's the green velvet, but this film is so notably adapting the one book EON never adapted before, we are all conscious of our memories of the book when we watch these credits.
- The tacking on of an all new first half structurally resembles both the "funny" version of Casino Royale, and the unused Ben Hecht script. And it's certainly better than what was done in the first half of the "funny" version.
(The Venice finale therefor takes the place of Woody Allen and the flying saucer, again an improvement)
- Freejumping parkour sequence: the same director introduced the last Bond jumping through air to catch a plane already in flight, and audiences everywhere laughed at the implausibility, making a bad first impression for the new fellow. Craig is introduced making a series of leaps nearly as impossible, yet making it all look very real indeed. Campbell redeems his earlier concept, and at the same time creates a very good first impression for our new Bond.
- This new fellow is going to be a bonecrunching action Bond unlike any we've ever seen before.
- "In the old days if an agent did something that embarrassing he'd have a good sense to defect. Christ, I miss the Cold War."
Hey remember when this same M dissed Bond as a relic of the Cold War? Their roles and relationship have changed.
- M's apartment. She has a private elevator. Live and Let Die introduced a new Bond with the old M visiting his apartment. This newest Bond is first seen interacting with the old M when he breaks into her apartment.
- The Aston gets its own origin story. Much of the second act is the origin of the Aston, and it all starts in a parking lot with Bond carefully examining the guests cars.
- Craig is the funniest Bond since Moore, and we see his comedy stylings during this second act, first in the valet scene, then again when he offers Solange a lift back to his place.
- There is a lot of Thunderball in this act. Bond beats the villain at the gambling table and then steals his woman all so he can prevent a terrorist bombing. There was also a lot of Thunderball in the first act of Goldeneye, maybe its a Campbell thing. But Thunderball was originally conceived to be the first Bond film, so maybe it just has a lot of material suitable to introduce the character.
- le Chiffre's girlfriend and Solange both make entrances behind their boyfriends while they are gambling, distracting the other players, foreshadowing the later scene with Vesper. Obviously a rehearsed move these bad-man gamblers all know about.
- Although Bond appreciates Solange's entrance, he does not lose his cool and goes on to win the hand (and the Aston). He does not lust for her uncontrollably the way he will for Vesper. But maybe this is where he gets the idea.
- Solange is just about to give Bond a BJ(!) when her husband calls and spoils the mood, continuing the more explicit realistic sex-scene style begun with Halle Berry's faked orgasms. No more lounging around in carefully arranged bed sheets, drinking champagne and telling nudge-nudge-wink-wink puns to represent coitus.
- The dialog on the train is an excuse to reveal some of Bond's backstory.
Vesper:
- Watch Vesper carefully. This movie really rewards a second viewing, especially for the Vesper scenes.
- She enters from the wrong side of the table. We all know that, I realised this was deliberate the second time I watched the film, but there's a lot of other subtle stuff starting with the train scene.
- In their first dialog, she is quick to assert that she does not support the mission (secretly because of her divided loyalties), and states that if Bond loses, the British government will be financing terrorism. Which she herself will try to make happen.
- Also in this dialog, Bond claims he can read his opponent at the gambling table, and she challenges him to read her. He insults her, but completely misses the fact that she has a big secret, thus he cannot read people when it counts, and this failure compromises the mission.
(this "she has a secret" thing will of course be reprised in Bond25, we know because of the trailer)
- The insults she gets in during this dialog undermine Bond's selfconfidence, and distract his energies for the duration of the mission.
- She actually makes eye contact with le Chiffre at the gambling table at one point (is it actually when she enters from the wrong side of the table, then kisses Bond on the neck? I forget the exact moment but it happens). This is the only scene where we see them interact, but there has presumably been communication between scenes.
- She refuses to stake Bond any further after he has just lost a lot of money to le Chiffre. At this point she has succeeded in her own true mission (financing terrorism with British government money), and yet it's apparently Bonds own fault if anybody asks.
- She breaks down as she transfers the funds at the hospital, and Bond misunderstands the reason. She has just transferred the winnings to her own secret account when it was supposed to return to the British government.
- None of this is spoken aloud. You have to know how the story ends to know to watch for these details. So cool how they did it!
- There is a quiet piano part that plays during the Vesper scenes, that is really sad. The character is doomed from her entrance, because of this music.
- All the Vesper stuff is so well done. We have discused how in the Brosnan films they would aspire to tell a proper story but it would always get obscured by the action seqeunces and formulaic elements? In this film they finally succeed.
- Vesper does look damn fine in that dress, she displays serious decollatage. Note especially during the defribilator scene: pendulous wobbly hanger shot! Now there's something worth surviving a cardiac arrest for!
- le Chiffre's girlfriend, who I think neither speaks nor has a name. During the casino scenes, whereas Vesper's dress is sexy but classy, le Chiffre's girlfriend's dress is like some sort of fetish-wear, and she is still strutting round dressed like that as they drag Bond to the torture chamber. She's a very bad girl, and we don't see enough of her. You know, this character is still alive out there somewhere?
- My favourite moment in the film: when Bond tries on the dinner jacket and looks in the mirror, the music transitions from YKMN, to the classic two note bass vamp of the original Bond theme, and then the first appearance of the first four notes from the brass section of the original Bond theme! Such a satisfying moment when those four notes finally appear, and in terms of film reminiscent of the original Superman movie when Reeve first appeared in the costume at exactly the halfway mark.
- I think the hook from YKMN that reappears thoughout the score is a variation of that four note brass hook from the original Bond theme, trying to find its proper shape as the movie progresses. Each time it reappears, it seems to evolve, getting closer and closer, and the closer it gets the more cathartic it feels.
- Leiter is introduced the same way he was in Dr No and Thunderball ... conspicuously lurking at the edge of the frame for many scenes before he introduces himself to Bond.
- Mads Mikkelsen is playing a role previously played by Peter Lorre and Orson Welles, some challenge. And he does pretty good, he's still the most memorable villain of Craig's run, and maybe even the most memorable from the last few decades.
- The torture scene, is one scene from Fleming we never expected to see adapted, even after Felix got fed to the sharks. The filmmakers dared to go there, including the castration anxiety, so bonus points for that alone.
- The torture scene is quite homoerotic, with Bond naked and showing off his muscles, le Chiffre commenting appreciatively, and Bond taunting him by begging him to scratch his balls. CraigBond is more comfortable with gender identity issues than previous Bonds, whatever else is wrong with his attitude, and this would be reprised in a similar torture scene in Skyfall.
CONS
- Third adaptation of the book, and it still doesn't feel like an actual entry in the official series. By introducing a new Bond with a new attitude, an explicitly different timeline, a radically different style, and dropping so many signature elements, this film is the start of a new official series, and therefor not part of the original series.
- Bond is introduced in the toilet, again. Obviously a Martin Campbell thing.
- Prototypical gunbarrel pose therefor takes place in a stinky mens lavatory.
- "The second kill is considerably [easier]" contradicts Fleming. (FlemingBond's second kill was at close quarters and the victim took a long time to die), setting up a general attitude CraigBond has to killing that contradicts Fleming.
- I like Soundgarden more than I do Duran Duran but less than U2, and I don't like U2. I don't like the adoloscent macho attitude of Soundgarden music being connected to our new James Bond, especially since this theme song/opening credits functions as his official introduction in the Origin story.
- The song hits the right notes, and has the right tempo, but otherwise is as bland as Skyfall. When the melody reappears in the score, it is not so impressive (compare with Barry's use of the View to a Kill melody within the score).
- The score in general, when not developing the musical leitmotifs, is quite generic sounding.
- Major structural issues. Much of the unrelated first half is unecessary, except to provide action for easily bored audiences. And there's too many endings. Even though Fleming gave us the long extended coda focussed on Vesper, this film gives us two more endings even after Vesper's death.
- The airport scene goes on so long, and is more like an outtake from Die Harder than anything to do with Fleming.
- Bond won the Aston after sundown, then picked up Solange, then flew to Miami and visited the Body Worlds exhibit. What time is it when this fancy new plane is scheduled to be unveiled to the public?
- The unused Ben Hecht script had bordello fights, there's no bordello fights here. Parkour and Die Harder outttakes are not more interesting than bordello fights.
- "I knew you were you". Awkward metafictional dialog that seems to suggest the characters know there was a previous James Bond timeline, the first of many to come in these Craig films. M repeats the line almost exactly when she learns Vesper is dead, and it seems to relate to the title song, but still makes no sense within the dialog.
- This otherwise meaningless line just makes me think of the codename theory, which was from the "funny" version of Casino Royale. (and actually originated in the unfilmed Ben Hecht script).
- In the half that adapts Fleming, the tone switches to the look and feel of a Masterpiece Theatre production (because it's fine literature?), all polished wood surfaces and obsequious servants, and the pace grinds to a crawl. C'mon, even Fleming knew he was writing pulp fiction!
- They keep interrupting the card game, without actually showing it, in favour of more exciting visual action sequences. The old Climax Mystery Theatre production at least got the card game right.
- I like Craig, he's the funniest Bond since Moore and his whole bad attitude is consistently the most entertaining part of his four films. But he plays the character like Doc Martin with a gun, and (even though I like Doc Martin) that's not James Bond to me.
After rewatching, this film hasn't aged well with me.
My criticisms:
- Weak performance from Craig as Bond (one of my most controversial opinions). I have posted elsewhere about this but I love the man as an actor, however his performance here didn't work for me.
- Boring Bond girl (Vesper of course).
- Don't like the romance.
- Don't like Bond destroying the embassy.
- Don't like Bond breaking into M's house.
There are some good things, like the pacing, good action sequences, I appreciated Le Chiffre better, although I just think he's a good enough villain, not one of my personal favorites, and I like Matthis. But I gave the film a 6/10 after this latest viewing.
Jarvio and Matt S are prob the site members with opinions closest to mine on this film.
"Hostile takeovers. Shall we?"
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later
Daniel Craig's wooden acting, lack of personality and overall lack of screen presence
Not sure I fully agree with this (though Craig is definitely low on my ranking of the actors), though one thing that always bugged me was that I felt all the prior individuals who've played Bond have always brought that "boys with toys" and "well, that comes from not growing up at all" element to their persona, regardless of their own stylistic take. I think that's been completely absent during Craig's tenure thus far, most notably in CR. SPECTRE made an attempt to forcibly insert some of that, though the less I talk about that movie the better...
After rewatching, this film hasn't aged well with me.
My criticisms:
- Weak performance from Craig as Bond (one of my most controversial opinions). I have posted elsewhere about this but I love the man as an actor, however his performance here didn't work for me.
- Boring Bond girl (Vesper of course).
- Don't like the romance.
- Don't like Bond destroying the embassy.
- Don't like Bond breaking into M's house.
There are some good things, like the pacing, good action sequences, I appreciated Le Chiffre better, although I just think he's a good enough villain, not one of my personal favorites, and I like Matthis. But I gave the film a 6/10 after this latest viewing.
Jarvio and Matt S are prob the site members with opinions closest to mine on this film.
It has a lot going for it. I was deeply sceptical about DC when cast and still have some 'issues' but he brings a lot to this. His physicality is superb.The torture scene is for me one of the best scenes in the entire series. Craig is fantastic in it. Eva Green is dull and i dont buy the relationship.
Of that of which we cannot speak we must pass over in silence- Ludwig Wittgenstein.
I know it's a lot of questions. Maybe someone can just explain the plot concerning Vesper/Yusef/Mathis to me, so I finally may get it.
After the poker game the question it how Vesper will get the funds (Bonds winnings) to Quantum. Of course Le Chiffe is after the same for his own means. White kills Le Chiffe but if he kills Vesper Quantum would not get the funds at that point everyone needs Bond alive to unlock the funds from ESCOW.
-Bond states earlier, she is single. She doesn't deny it, is she single or is she together with Yusef?
Initially she is with Yousef and is probably being blackmailed to free him or is out to save his life (see QOS, it's their MO get him to befriend someone female in security services, then kidnap him to force them to do things for the organisation).
-After Bond wins the poker game Vesper and he is in the restaurant, Vesper receives a text message from who? She claims it's Mathis.
Yes to get her outside to kidnap her could be a ruse and may not actually have been Mathis.
-When exactly in the story (film) has Vesper decided to betray MI6 and take the money? Because she gets blackmailed with Yusef's life?
I would say probably at the torture scene she holds the cards as she is only one who can access money via Bond, maybe deal was Bond not Yousef at that point as she also needed him alive to access the funds to pay Quantum and free Yousef)
-Why do alarm bells go of with Bond, after Vesper left the restaurant, he says "Mathis!" and runs out. Why?
How did Le Chiffe know Bond knew his telll? Possibly Mathis was double agent?
-Vesper gets abducted by LeChriffre and tortured? Or is it a ploy to get Bond talking in the torture scene?
She is the banker and can acccess the money or encourage Bond to hand it over
-Vesper has traded Bond's life for giving (who?) the money? so White doesn't kill Bond?
She can work Bond to get the money for aquantum
-How is Bond getting to the hospital? Ambulance like everyone else
-Mathis never really betrayed Bond I guess? Le Chiffre claims Mathis is his friend and not Bonds. True? Why does LeChiffre say that?
Correct to sow the seed of doubt in Bond hence why Mathis was lifted in the hospital scene
-Venice: Vesper steals the money because she made a deal to save Bond's life or for Yusef? And then what was her exit plan?
By late in the film probably Bond and then sail off into the sunset with him
-Vesper seems so much in love with Bond in the hospital. So she has fallen out of love with Yousef?
Probably by then she knows Bond and what he can do with his little finger
Just my take - Hope this helps
Cheers
How about how lame the password was? They could have figured it out in about five seconds!
Comments
Peculiar how well the Mondeo blends in. A proper "Bond" car.
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
Seriously...? You’re asking that...?
Yeah I am, and I have a right to.
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
Go watch CR & QoS - the answer is blindingly obvious if you do -{
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
Cons - I wouldn't want to watch it again and again, and I would NEVER go to a casino and gamble.
PROS
- EON finally got the rights to Fleming's first book, and have the chance to make it part of the official series.
- Very close adaptation of all the major plot-points from Fleming's book, the closest adaptation of Fleming since the John Glenn days.
- They actually embrace the odd structure of Fleming's book, with the long philosophical coda following the death of the apparent villain.
- I like the choice to make it an origin story, and thus introduce the new fellow.
You know in Fleming's book, Bond references four previous missions, including the first two kills, but all of them preceded his double-oh status? In both From Russia With Love and Goldfinger, we learn he was promoted to double-oh only the year before the Casino mission (specifically 1950), and Fleming never does tell us of any previous missions as a double oh, so fars we know this Casino mission was his first double oh mission in the actual canon.
- Precredits show us the first two kills, a detail straight from Fleming. The second kill may even be the Swedish double agent FlemingBond killed (in Pearson's version, Bond and his victim had worked together before). Though the first one's no cypher expert, at least so far's we know.
- The first kill actually climaxes with the prototypical gunbarrel, hence its the ret-conned "origin" for that pose. Clever, the signature gunbarrel sequence we've been watching all these years is his first kill!
- You Know My Name contains the two note vamp of the James Bond theme, and is itself woven all through the score, allowing subtle hints of the Bond theme to appear in the score, and the two themes to interact. This repeats the Goldfinger trick.
- Animated opening credit sequence look nothing like Binder, but does look like Raymond Hawkey's PAN paperback cover for the book, and also the "messy desk" edition.
- I know it's the green velvet, but this film is so notably adapting the one book EON never adapted before, we are all conscious of our memories of the book when we watch these credits.
- The tacking on of an all new first half structurally resembles both the "funny" version of Casino Royale, and the unused Ben Hecht script. And it's certainly better than what was done in the first half of the "funny" version.
(The Venice finale therefor takes the place of Woody Allen and the flying saucer, again an improvement)
- Freejumping parkour sequence: the same director introduced the last Bond jumping through air to catch a plane already in flight, and audiences everywhere laughed at the implausibility, making a bad first impression for the new fellow. Craig is introduced making a series of leaps nearly as impossible, yet making it all look very real indeed. Campbell redeems his earlier concept, and at the same time creates a very good first impression for our new Bond.
- This new fellow is going to be a bonecrunching action Bond unlike any we've ever seen before.
- "In the old days if an agent did something that embarrassing he'd have a good sense to defect. Christ, I miss the Cold War."
Hey remember when this same M dissed Bond as a relic of the Cold War? Their roles and relationship have changed.
- M's apartment. She has a private elevator. Live and Let Die introduced a new Bond with the old M visiting his apartment. This newest Bond is first seen interacting with the old M when he breaks into her apartment.
- The Aston gets its own origin story. Much of the second act is the origin of the Aston, and it all starts in a parking lot with Bond carefully examining the guests cars.
- Craig is the funniest Bond since Moore, and we see his comedy stylings during this second act, first in the valet scene, then again when he offers Solange a lift back to his place.
- There is a lot of Thunderball in this act. Bond beats the villain at the gambling table and then steals his woman all so he can prevent a terrorist bombing. There was also a lot of Thunderball in the first act of Goldeneye, maybe its a Campbell thing. But Thunderball was originally conceived to be the first Bond film, so maybe it just has a lot of material suitable to introduce the character.
- le Chiffre's girlfriend and Solange both make entrances behind their boyfriends while they are gambling, distracting the other players, foreshadowing the later scene with Vesper. Obviously a rehearsed move these bad-man gamblers all know about.
- Although Bond appreciates Solange's entrance, he does not lose his cool and goes on to win the hand (and the Aston). He does not lust for her uncontrollably the way he will for Vesper. But maybe this is where he gets the idea.
- Solange is just about to give Bond a BJ(!) when her husband calls and spoils the mood, continuing the more explicit realistic sex-scene style begun with Halle Berry's faked orgasms. No more lounging around in carefully arranged bed sheets, drinking champagne and telling nudge-nudge-wink-wink puns to represent coitus.
- The dialog on the train is an excuse to reveal some of Bond's backstory.
Vesper:
- Watch Vesper carefully. This movie really rewards a second viewing, especially for the Vesper scenes.
- She enters from the wrong side of the table. We all know that, I realised this was deliberate the second time I watched the film, but there's a lot of other subtle stuff starting with the train scene.
- In their first dialog, she is quick to assert that she does not support the mission (secretly because of her divided loyalties), and states that if Bond loses, the British government will be financing terrorism. Which she herself will try to make happen.
- Also in this dialog, Bond claims he can read his opponent at the gambling table, and she challenges him to read her. He insults her, but completely misses the fact that she has a big secret, thus he cannot read people when it counts, and this failure compromises the mission.
(this "she has a secret" thing will of course be reprised in Bond25, we know because of the trailer)
- The insults she gets in during this dialog undermine Bond's selfconfidence, and distract his energies for the duration of the mission.
- She actually makes eye contact with le Chiffre at the gambling table at one point (is it actually when she enters from the wrong side of the table, then kisses Bond on the neck? I forget the exact moment but it happens). This is the only scene where we see them interact, but there has presumably been communication between scenes.
- She refuses to stake Bond any further after he has just lost a lot of money to le Chiffre. At this point she has succeeded in her own true mission (financing terrorism with British government money), and yet it's apparently Bonds own fault if anybody asks.
- She breaks down as she transfers the funds at the hospital, and Bond misunderstands the reason. She has just transferred the winnings to her own secret account when it was supposed to return to the British government.
- None of this is spoken aloud. You have to know how the story ends to know to watch for these details. So cool how they did it!
- There is a quiet piano part that plays during the Vesper scenes, that is really sad. The character is doomed from her entrance, because of this music.
- All the Vesper stuff is so well done. We have discused how in the Brosnan films they would aspire to tell a proper story but it would always get obscured by the action seqeunces and formulaic elements? In this film they finally succeed.
- Vesper does look damn fine in that dress, she displays serious decollatage. Note especially during the defribilator scene: pendulous wobbly hanger shot! Now there's something worth surviving a cardiac arrest for!
- le Chiffre's girlfriend, who I think neither speaks nor has a name. During the casino scenes, whereas Vesper's dress is sexy but classy, le Chiffre's girlfriend's dress is like some sort of fetish-wear, and she is still strutting round dressed like that as they drag Bond to the torture chamber. She's a very bad girl, and we don't see enough of her. You know, this character is still alive out there somewhere?
- My favourite moment in the film: when Bond tries on the dinner jacket and looks in the mirror, the music transitions from YKMN, to the classic two note bass vamp of the original Bond theme, and then the first appearance of the first four notes from the brass section of the original Bond theme! Such a satisfying moment when those four notes finally appear, and in terms of film reminiscent of the original Superman movie when Reeve first appeared in the costume at exactly the halfway mark.
- I think the hook from YKMN that reappears thoughout the score is a variation of that four note brass hook from the original Bond theme, trying to find its proper shape as the movie progresses. Each time it reappears, it seems to evolve, getting closer and closer, and the closer it gets the more cathartic it feels.
- Leiter is introduced the same way he was in Dr No and Thunderball ... conspicuously lurking at the edge of the frame for many scenes before he introduces himself to Bond.
- Mads Mikkelsen is playing a role previously played by Peter Lorre and Orson Welles, some challenge. And he does pretty good, he's still the most memorable villain of Craig's run, and maybe even the most memorable from the last few decades.
- The torture scene, is one scene from Fleming we never expected to see adapted, even after Felix got fed to the sharks. The filmmakers dared to go there, including the castration anxiety, so bonus points for that alone.
- The torture scene is quite homoerotic, with Bond naked and showing off his muscles, le Chiffre commenting appreciatively, and Bond taunting him by begging him to scratch his balls. CraigBond is more comfortable with gender identity issues than previous Bonds, whatever else is wrong with his attitude, and this would be reprised in a similar torture scene in Skyfall.
CONS
- Third adaptation of the book, and it still doesn't feel like an actual entry in the official series. By introducing a new Bond with a new attitude, an explicitly different timeline, a radically different style, and dropping so many signature elements, this film is the start of a new official series, and therefor not part of the original series.
- Bond is introduced in the toilet, again. Obviously a Martin Campbell thing.
- Prototypical gunbarrel pose therefor takes place in a stinky mens lavatory.
- "The second kill is considerably [easier]" contradicts Fleming. (FlemingBond's second kill was at close quarters and the victim took a long time to die), setting up a general attitude CraigBond has to killing that contradicts Fleming.
- I like Soundgarden more than I do Duran Duran but less than U2, and I don't like U2. I don't like the adoloscent macho attitude of Soundgarden music being connected to our new James Bond, especially since this theme song/opening credits functions as his official introduction in the Origin story.
- The song hits the right notes, and has the right tempo, but otherwise is as bland as Skyfall. When the melody reappears in the score, it is not so impressive (compare with Barry's use of the View to a Kill melody within the score).
- The score in general, when not developing the musical leitmotifs, is quite generic sounding.
- Major structural issues. Much of the unrelated first half is unecessary, except to provide action for easily bored audiences. And there's too many endings. Even though Fleming gave us the long extended coda focussed on Vesper, this film gives us two more endings even after Vesper's death.
- The airport scene goes on so long, and is more like an outtake from Die Harder than anything to do with Fleming.
- Bond won the Aston after sundown, then picked up Solange, then flew to Miami and visited the Body Worlds exhibit. What time is it when this fancy new plane is scheduled to be unveiled to the public?
- The unused Ben Hecht script had bordello fights, there's no bordello fights here. Parkour and Die Harder outttakes are not more interesting than bordello fights.
- "I knew you were you". Awkward metafictional dialog that seems to suggest the characters know there was a previous James Bond timeline, the first of many to come in these Craig films. M repeats the line almost exactly when she learns Vesper is dead, and it seems to relate to the title song, but still makes no sense within the dialog.
- This otherwise meaningless line just makes me think of the codename theory, which was from the "funny" version of Casino Royale. (and actually originated in the unfilmed Ben Hecht script).
- In the half that adapts Fleming, the tone switches to the look and feel of a Masterpiece Theatre production (because it's fine literature?), all polished wood surfaces and obsequious servants, and the pace grinds to a crawl. C'mon, even Fleming knew he was writing pulp fiction!
- They keep interrupting the card game, without actually showing it, in favour of more exciting visual action sequences. The old Climax Mystery Theatre production at least got the card game right.
- I like Craig, he's the funniest Bond since Moore and his whole bad attitude is consistently the most entertaining part of his four films. But he plays the character like Doc Martin with a gun, and (even though I like Doc Martin) that's not James Bond to me.
That gave me a laugh!
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
My criticisms:
- Weak performance from Craig as Bond (one of my most controversial opinions). I have posted elsewhere about this but I love the man as an actor, however his performance here didn't work for me.
- Boring Bond girl (Vesper of course).
- Don't like the romance.
- Don't like Bond destroying the embassy.
- Don't like Bond breaking into M's house.
There are some good things, like the pacing, good action sequences, I appreciated Le Chiffre better, although I just think he's a good enough villain, not one of my personal favorites, and I like Matthis. But I gave the film a 6/10 after this latest viewing.
Jarvio and Matt S are prob the site members with opinions closest to mine on this film.
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later
Not sure I fully agree with this (though Craig is definitely low on my ranking of the actors), though one thing that always bugged me was that I felt all the prior individuals who've played Bond have always brought that "boys with toys" and "well, that comes from not growing up at all" element to their persona, regardless of their own stylistic take. I think that's been completely absent during Craig's tenure thus far, most notably in CR. SPECTRE made an attempt to forcibly insert some of that, though the less I talk about that movie the better...
It has a lot going for it. I was deeply sceptical about DC when cast and still have some 'issues' but he brings a lot to this. His physicality is superb.The torture scene is for me one of the best scenes in the entire series. Craig is fantastic in it. Eva Green is dull and i dont buy the relationship.