Go see the new James Bond movie. Gina and I went to the midnight show last night, just to be able to say we saw it first. Let me tell you, it was totally worth it. I’m not going to give any story lines away, so feel free to read on.
Everything you’ve heard is completely true. You get to see James Bond as he first started out. He makes mistakes. He has doubts. He has no style. You really do get to see him develop as an agent. It makes for a fascinating story for anyone who has even a mild interest in the genre.
I would venture to say that it was lacking two things:
1. A solid back story. The villain here is only a middle man, and you never really find out who the villain is behind him (I assume it is the set up for SPECTRE). However, I checked IMDB, and the next installment is already being planned. It supposedly continues from the end of Casino Royale, so I am reasonably sure that further explanations will be forthcoming.
2. The original Casino Royale had Bond playing Baccarat, a decidedly unpopular game outside Monte Carlo. The scriptwriters changed the game to Texas Hold’em. Maybe I’m jaded, having watched too much poker on ESPN, but the game didn’t hold the tension the way I hoped. This was quite possibly due to the fact that they also felt it necessary to provide running commentary and could not just let the game proceed unencumbered, letting the tension build naturally.
Aside from those two minor points, the movie was excellent. Much grittier action/fight sequences. Beautiful women. Beautiful Cars. No Q (good riddance, Cleese). It was also very nice to see them dispense with the cute little quips uttered by Bond before he kills people. The killing here was not pretty.
Also?
Best. Torture. Scene. Ever.
I will never sit in a wicker bottom chair the same way again.
