not quite shaken, not quite stirred

Last night, I found myself, along with the gay guy and Allison, another gay friend from home, watching the latest Bond movie Casino Royale. Gateway Cinema 1 was full despite screening for 2 weeks. It was a full house, what used to be called SRO or Standing Room Only. In the age reserved seats, costly seats, and video piracy do cinema houses seemed half full - one must bear in mind that it was a weekday. The film is is the third and most recent reincarnation of Flemming’s 1953 book. It is also an origin story or a prequel of the James Bond persona. Casino Royale’s James Bond (Daniel Craig), is the first blonde Bond. Not yet the suave, sophisticated, secret agent we know. He is, though shakened and stirred, in more ways than one. James Bond fans will hate it and love it: Gone are the goofiness that Bond has acquired through the years. Remember Moonraker? Gone too are one or two other familiar characters. What is added though is a good storyline and action packed scenes.

This Bond you would not want to mess with… believe me. The film like its main character is an unapologetic animal that will not do parlor tricks to win affection. It dares you to view it and take it on its own merit. Amazed, despondent, or mad the film generates enough interest to make see the film to the end and deliver the blow. A bit too long in certain scenes but on a whole a good and refreshing start for 007. It makes you wonder what the next Bond movie will be like. It might just be what the franchise needs.

Casino Royale is how Bond became Bond. No villain intent on world domination here. It is Bond’s story. A rare gem in Bond movies.And yes Daniel Craig makes a good Bond. A very hot Bond. I think THE hottest Bond (sorry Sean Connery fans still cant get that beach scene out of my head).

You will hate the film because:

• The girls at the opening credits are gone. They replaced the girls with computer graphics of card characters.
• The James Bond theme from Dr. No is played only at the end.
• No Q and just so so gadgets (the car glove compartment defibrilator was kinda cool though)
• No witty repartee with Ms. Moneypenny
• No fantastic and high tech lair inside an extinct volcano.
• Some of the emotional scenes were just too long. Sappy even.
• Le Chiffre was and is the most wimpiest James Bond villain ever in film.

You will love the film because:

• Daniel Craig’s Bond will probably beat up the rest of the Bonds, with the exception of Sean Connery’s Bond (okey mom you happy now?)
• The Bond has a good story line and development. A little bit too long on the touchy feely bit. There is witty repartee, you just have to make an effort to listen and take your eyes off Daniels chest to hear it (uh-huh)
• Le Chiffre was a dissappointment- dying some way before the ending of the movie. The real sinister group was the one who got the money in the end. Was it a terrorist group or Spectre ? We shall see in the next Bond films. Still Le Chiffre was probably the only Bond villain with the exception of Blofeld who has been able to hurt Bond, really, really, really hurt Bond (ouch. maybe that explains why Bond makes love to a hundred women and still hasn't fathered a Bond Junior)
• It has one of the best chase and action scenes in a Bond film. In this movie there are three main chase scenes. All exciting. The best one was in Africa with Bond chasing bomber who had the almost supernatural ability of scaling down buildings.
• Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd is almost as good as Dianna Rigg’s Tracy Di Vincenzo and at least scary as Grace Jone’s Mayday.
• The film is ABOUT James Bond.

This blonde Bond is bad ass as bad ass can be. Meow.