Blond hair. Piercing blue eyes. It didn’t feel like I was watching a James Bond movie. But it wasn’t just his looks. All the action was there. Fight scenes were there. But the scripted James Bond persona was gone. This is a reinvented Bond.
This is my 21st James Bond movie. For a non Bond fan, that’s quite a feat.
Hello Daniel Craig. I’m in your era now. Let’s see what I think about you as James Bond.
Casino Royale Introduces A Reinvented Bond
Even though the previous Bond actors brought their own style to the mix, Bond remained the same scripted character in each movie. He had to sleep with at least two women in each movie. The stunts and fighting. Martinis always shaken not stirred. Techy gadgets. Fast cars. And more women. That’s the James Bond script. There were exceptions of course, like with On Her Majesty’s Secret Service when Bond falls in love and gets married. And in Licence to Kill when Dalton’s Bond was laughing and going on carnival rides like a teenage boy (he was also in love).
But this time, they dared to move beyond the scripted version of Bond starting with his looks. Even the opening movie credits were hugely different. There were no silhouettes of nude or scantily clad women dancing to the theme song. Instead, there were animated images of fight scenes and shootouts.
And when asked if he wants his martini shaken or stirred he gives a completely different response than usual: “Do I look like I give a damn?”
Of course this is Daniel Craig’s first Bond movie and maybe they’re trying to give the audience a bit of a jolt to draw them in.
James Bond and Women in Casino Royale
Bond fell in love with Vesper in this movie and only slept with her. In previous movies, he sleeps with at least two women. He did seduce another woman in this film…the villain’s wife…and the intention was to sleep with her, but before anything happened Bond left to chase after a villain who was also this woman’s husband. The next time he saw her she was dead.
Bond’s boss is still played by Judi Dench and she’s so good in the role. Moneypenny, the secretary, wasn’t in this film so I don’t know if she’ll show up in future films or not. If so, will Bond flirt with her as he has in the past? It’ll be interesting because so far this Bond seems less arrogant when it comes to women.
James Bond shows a tender side with Vesper. Vesper’s in the shower, sitting down, shaking, clothed, crying and distraught because she saw Bond in a violent fight for his life and he kills two men. The fact that she’s clothed in the shower makes a statement because in any previous Bond films, she’d have been nude. And Bond might have used the opportunity to take advantage of her vulnerability. Instead, because this is a changed Bond and falling in love, he sits next to her in the shower, still in his tux attire, and comforts her.
But in part of that scene, they try too hard to show Bond’s tender side and it comes off as awkward. Vesper, still upset and crying, leans onto Bond’s arm and says, “It’s like there’s blood on my hands. It’s not coming off.” “Let me see,” and he takes her fingers and sucks on them. It’s supposed to be a tender gesture but it doesn’t work well because he doesn’t know her like that. It was weird. On the other hand maybe because he’s so used to being detached emotionally he doesn’t know what else to do but suck her fingers. I don’t know, just a guess.
I’ve seen Bond fall in love in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and The Living Daylights. And again in this one. Of the three times he’s fallen in love, I like Bond’s love story the best in OHMSS where he gets married. In that film, Tracy, his wife, came across as down to earth and someone who had emotional baggage she wasn’t trying to hide. She was so normal. The thing missing from that movie was more of their love story.
Daniel Craig as James Bond in Casino Royale
Daniel Craig’s Bond is confident in his work as 007. He shows no humor. If he did it went completely over my head. There might have been one or two slight attempts at humor but if that’s what it was I didn’t laugh. He’s edgy, tough and shows little emotion except with the woman he’s in love with.
Casino Royale reminded me of Licence To Kill because of it’s grit and violence. As well, if I compared Daniel Craig with any other Bond actor it would be Timothy Dalton. They’re both serious and gritty. And Dalton showed a tender side in that movie with his love interest as Bond does in Casino Royale.
Daniel Craig’s Bond is said to be influenced by Jason Bourne. I can see that. The movie is more modernized even though it’s only been four years since the previous Bond movie. The music. The more realistic fight scenes, and the way the scenes are shot reminded me of Bourne. And Bond himself has been updated showing a more human side.
Bourne Identity came out in 2002. That’s the year Brosnan’s last Bond movie came out. Brosnan believes Bourne Identity played a role in him losing the role of Bond.
I’m not sure yet what I think of Daniel Craig as James Bond. But I’m intrigued to see what he’s like in the next film.
I know I’ve said it before but here we go again. Sean Connery had on-screen flair and magnetism. George Lazenby looked like the boy next door. Roger Moore looked like a British gentleman who didn’t want to miss his afternoon tea. Dalton was gritty and serious. Brosnan was the prettiest of them all. I’ll have to wait and see how I label Daniel Craig. He’s also gritty and serious like Dalton, but I’ll have to wait and see what he’s like in the upcoming films.
James Bond’s Evolution
I started watching Bond because I wanted to see if he ever transforms from a one-dimensional womanizing spy who doesn’t respect women. I saw some transformation when Brosnan became Bond and that’s when Barbara Broccoli came on board as a full-time producer so I credit her for most of those changes. But I felt like Brosnan’s Bond slipped back into some of the common behaviors I thought he’d left behind. Like when Moneypenny put him in his place about sexual harassment. Then in one of the movies that followed, he was sexually harassing her once again.
Daniel Craig’s Bond makes a huge transformation in Casino Royale so it’ll be interesting to see if he maintains the transformation or if he’ll fall back into some of his usual behaviors.