CASINO ROYALE 2006

[Carlo Borromeo]

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Best Bond ever?

For me it's still Sean Connery. Connery was not only the template for all the other Bond's that followed, his Bond, with the swagger, the whole "don't mess with you or i'll bitch-slap you so hard you'll be pulling your teeth from outta your ass" attitude, became the template for all the action heroes that followed, from Dirty Harry to Rambo, Indiana Jones to Beatrix Kiddo.

For me, the best Bond film, well, I always like to compare it in the context of when it was made and in what spirit.

So, for me, each generation of Bond films, each actor who portrayed him, brought something unique and different, reflecting the sensibilities of the time.

During the Connery era, my favorite film is Goldfinger, it had the best song, the best villain, the best sidekick, the best dialogue "You expect me to talk?" said Bond, "No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!" and of course, it had Pussy Galore.

My favorite Roger Moore era Bond film was "Live and Let Die." It had the crazy idea of mixing a Bond film with a blackxploitation flick and "Smokey and the Bandit." It was wacky fun and I loved it. It also had Jane Seymour as the most beautiful Bond girl ever. And then there's the Paul Mcartney theme song.

Of the Brosnan era films, the best for me was Goldeneye. It was dark, edgy and just had a really cool vibe.

Poor Dalton and Lazenby, they didn't have enough time to make their marks on the franchise. There are people who say that Her Majesty's Secret Service is one of the best of the Bond films and I have a hard time disagreeing, since it has the most powerful plot twists in the Bond series, and Dalton looks the part, he just didn't have the chance to earn the part.

As for Daniel Craig, he's a completely different beast compared to all of the previous Bonds: he doesn't have Connery's confidence, neither does he have Moore's charisma nor Brosnan's good looks.

If you asked me, he's got more in common with Jason Bourne and Jack Bauer - Bourne's low-key performance mixed with Jack Bauer's cold and cruel efficiency (shit, he smashed through walls and used a urinal as a weapon for god's sake).

And the film? Comparing it to Connery's films, or Roger Moore's or Connery's is like me comparing a Batman Comic Book from 1963 to a Batman comic book from 2006 -




It was a different time with different rules, different standards, different styles. It's useless making comparisons.

Just remember that the Bond films of each decade defined cool manliness and heroism during each of their times.

[monrose29]

hmmmm di pa ko maka ingon nga the best bond ever.. cguro mga 3 -5 movies pa....maka decide nako.. but so far ok ka ayo ang movie...

[laagan]

Carlo Borromeo, well said.

[klavel]

To say “best bond movie ever” is a personal choice…i don’t rely on critics’ review and all that. My failure to see some previous Bond flicks (of Connery. Though I’ve seen a few of Moore and Dalton…and all of Brosnan) does not necessarily exclude me to say so. My mother, a Bond fanatic herself, says that Connery best describes James Bond as per Ian Fleming’s novels. My choice for ‘best’ might be immature BUT I have specified “ever seen to date”.

[teeemoy]

well...here's one opinion...

daniel craig looks like a dumb jock...and an old dumb jock at that...

i was surprised he was given the role...

i watched all of the trailers and extras...

it's like the people who made this movie pissed all over ian flemming's concept of james bond...

therefore, i'm not wasting my money watching this movie on the big screen...

i'll wait 'till they show it on HBO or somewhere free...and i'm pretty sure i might even fall asleep...

[djereza]

teem: thats what the critic said when daniel craig was cast for the movie....
but they were wrong when they saw the movie. the movie has good reviews. =)

[Carlo Borromeo]

In terms of Rotten Tomatoes reviews, Casino Royale is the best-reviewed Bond Film, and if I'm not mistaken, the best-reviewed action film of the year.

The film was far from perfect, but I love the fact that they remade Bond to suit the times. For Bond to be the best-looking guy in the room, well that just wouldn't fly with being a spy. I love the fact that THIS Bond looks more like an assasin, like a cold-blooded killer, than all the previous Bonds. He has to be. The Cold War is over, so the days of glamourous espionage are over. Espionage is ugly, and I'm glad that Bond is too.

[tagatisa]

this is probably the best bond film ever imo. and craig can easily become second best to sean's bond or even surpass him. casino royale went back to basics. it did everything by ian fleming's book. the torture scene, bond's character, and all other aspects followed the book. with pierce brosnan's bond flicks, the producers wanted to rake in more money so they had to swerved from the original context of the ian flemings books. they were after box-office reciepts so they had to put in more bombs and destroy more stuff.
craig was perfect for the role. hands down he is the only bond who can act. he conveyed perfectly the conflicting shades of bonds character. there are oscar buzz surrounding his performance. he may be the first bond to get an oscar nomination. he is not ugly. he is just not your conventional handsome super hero. can you imagine pierce doing all those stunts? pierce was already resorting to stealth cars and impossible gadgets. it was on the verge of becoming unbelievable. it was unbelievable. now james is back and he truly resembles the james bond that ian fleming created.
we have to take into account that this is a prequel to all james bond films. this is supposed to be the very first james bond movie. the movie wanted to show why sean connery's bond was completey mysogynistic. why james bond does not take girls seriously? the whys are all answered in this film courtesy of daniel craig's amazing talent.
it is no wonder, no critic in the world made a negative comment about the film. all critics were unanimous. the film did not get a rating lower than B. and its all worth it. i look forward to the next bond film with great anticipation.

[darkwing]

@tagatisa: well said

[tagatisa]

@tagatisa: well said

tnx darkwing
i am humbled