The first time I went to a movie by myself was in 1983, back when Haney had it's own movie theatre. The double bill was Octopussy and Rocky 3. Hard to believe that 23 years later I'd still have another Bond movie to go to (and judging by the trailers I've seen lately, another Rocky movie). Can you believe that they let a 15 year old boy see a movie called Octopussy? Disgusting.
Earlier this week, on one of my rainy afternoons off, I went to see Bond number 21, Casino Royale. I guess I'm a little biased since I've always loved watching Bond movies. It's like that old saying about pizza and sex - even when it's bad, it's still pretty good.
Anyone expecting a typical James Bond formula pic however, will probably be disappointed. There's no Q, no Moneypenny, very few gadgets (what they do have, you can probably buy from Sony), and no huge volcanic lairs ruled by evil masterminds. I really didn't mind though - what they lacked in that department, they made up for in an interesting story, some great suspense, and surprisingly, some actual 'acting'. And of course, they did have some incredible stunts, sweaty villians with high cheekbones, and ridiculously gorgeous women with names like Vesper and Solange. Unfortunately, his new Aston Martin was hardly driven.
I also liked how the movie existed in it's own little universe, as if the other Bond movies didn't even exist. It's almost a prequel of sorts, explaining how Bond became a double-0 agent and a ruthless dispassionate killer. Daniel Craig was great in the part - very gritty, very cool, and actually funnier than I expected him to be:
Bartender: Shaken or stirred?
James Bond: Do I look like I give a damn?
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