Nov 23, 2006 12:31 PM
1899 Views
(Updated Nov 23, 2006 07:24 PM)
I saw it day before yesterday...
Amazing movie and a must watch at the theatre.
Some spoilers ahead......
Martin Campellis back to direct another bond movie after Golden Eye.
The original story by Ian Fleming set in the Cold War era has been contemporized here but it follows the original story as close as possible but with just enough changes to place the setting in current times.
It is a deviation from the standard Bond movie format.
An hour into the movie and you're already mesmerised by it's uber coolness.
Bond falls in love, gets his balls busted (ouch), and doesn't have any major gadgets to play around with. He doesn't look suave most of the time, getting more physical and with nicks and cuts to show for it.
The storyline is pretty simplistic and is more or less about how Bond gets his double 'O' status & learns the nuances of the job while saving the world from the ever looming threat of terrorism.
The initial chase sequence on foot is breathtaking and one hell of a thrill ride.
He's more physically agressive with a physique to show for it, than his predecessors - which Le Chiffre points out in the torture session.
In that scene Bond gets whacked on the balls, and he cries out "No, No, No!!! To the right !!"
And another one is " I have an itch, do you mind?"
Le Chiffre pounds his privates, and bond laughs out and says" Now I can say to the world, you scratched my balls"
Talk about sarcasm in the face of death.
The airport sequence is also brilliant. As is the Hold'em Poker game at Casino Royale. The way Bond wins the millions back from Le Chiffre - classic !!
This was interspersed with the Stairwell fighting sequence which was too fast and rather painful to watch for my wife!!!
The scene (which is being shown in TV promos) where Bond's Aston Martin DBS roles in order to avoid ramming into Vesper who's tied up and lying on the road has set a Guiness World Record for most number of barrel rolls in a single take - 7.75 for one scene in the film.
Kudos to the stunt guys !!!
The final sequence in Venice is also well conceived. With the drowning building and the action sequence inside it, the director has done full justice to the plot.
Has Daniel Craig done justice to the role?
You bet he did. My favorite Bond has been Pierce Brosnan. But I found Craig to be equally if not more endearing. He's not as suave as Brosnan, but he's different. He has carried the action sequences and the acting sequences with equal elan. He's much more physically fit than any of his predecessors which makes the action more belieavable. You cannot put any other Bond into the kind of action Craig has done. He is more agressive and more brutal than any of the previous bonds.
The movie itself is not 100% action esp. with the Poker game and the love blossoming between Vesper and Bond, but it never gets boring at any point of time.
The bond theme song was a real waste.
The locations were well suited and spectacular. Especially Montenegro were Casino Royale is located.
The cars used by Bond in the film:---
Ford Mondeo - The latest Mondeo was secretly flown to the Bahamas for the shooting. Bond doesn't use this car in any action sequence. I'm sure much money must have changed hands to associate the "Blue Oval" with the Bond franchise.
Aston Martin DB5 - This car has featured in many a Bond movie - Goldfinger, Thunderball, Goldeneye, The World is not Enough and now Casino Royale. Bond wins it in a game of poker, and it isn't around for much screen time.
Aston Martin DBS - James Bond and Aston Martin : an association spanning almost 50 years. The DBS is the new super car based on DB9. It will be available only in limited nos. (around 300) from next year. A beast featuring 530bhp 6.0-litre V12 engine, it will set you back by around Rs. 1.4 crores. And 3 of these were used in the car crash sequence to get it right!!! In the movie, it doesn't have many gadgets except for a couple of secret compartments. But with such cool looks, who needs gadgets.
Jaguar XJ8 Sport and XJR - Driven by the bad guys in this movie, it is more or less a product placement for Ford's struggling brand.
Talking about product placement, all the cell phones used in the movie are by Sony Ericsson, and Bond points out to Vesper that his watch is an Omega and not a Cartier.
At 2.5 hrs length, and some censor cuts here in India to cater to the teenage audience, I'm looking forward to the DVD release.
