Casino Royale
Director: Martin Campbell

Synopsis:
Actor Daniel Craig assumes the role formerly occupied by such screen greats as Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan to set out on the character’s very first 007 mission. James Bond has earned his “00″ status by masterfully executing a pair of death-defying professional assassinations. Now assigned the task of traveling to Madagascar to spy on notorious terrorist Mollaka (Sebastien Foucan) for his maiden voyage as a 007 agent, Bond boldly goes against MI6 policy to launch an independent investigation that finds him traversing the Bahamas in search of Mollaka’s notoriously elusive terror cell. Subsequently led into the company of the mysterious Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian) and his exotic girlfriend, Solange (Caterina Murino), Bond soon realizes that he is closer than ever to locating well-guarded terrorist financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), the man who has personally bankrolled some of the most prevalent terrorist organizations on the planet. When Bond learns that Le Chiffre is planning to partake in an upcoming high-stakes poker game to be played at Montenegro’s Le Casino Royale and use the winnings to establish his financial grip on the globe, M (Judi Dench) assigns beguiling agent Vesper (Eva Green) the task of watching over the fledgling agent as he plays against Le Chiffre in a covert attempt to destroy the nefarious gambler’s well-established monetary stronghold in the underworld once and for all. Bond will need more than his legendary gambling skills in order to win this dangerous game, though, and after allying himself with local MI6 field agent Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini) and CIA operative Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), the endlessly suave super-spy puts on his poker face for a high-stakes game of cards in which the stakes are not measured in dollars, but human lives.

My Thoughts:
So we finally come to Casino Royale and the new James Bond…Danial Craig. At first thought I wasn’t sure how to take this movie since it is such a departure from the rest of the Bond films. Though Martin Campbell returns to the directors chair and since I am a huge fan of Goldeneye I had my hopes up. In Casino Royale the franchise finally tackles Bond’s first mission as a 00 and Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel. In all honestly this was the perfect time to reboot the series.

And that is the real heart of this film. Casino Royale  is not a “prequel” or “sequel” it’s a total re-envisioning of the Bond Franchise. United Artist took the liberty to start the series over from scratch and they hit the ball out of the park. If you ever get the chance to watch the special features there is a really cool documentary following the odd journey this Bond book/film has taken to get to this point. Ironically, the last official Ian Fleming novel to be made into a movie…was the first Bond book he wrote. Talk about taking the long way around, but it was well worth the wait.

Casino Royale is not the typical over the top carnival action the franchise had been known for. There’s no Q branch, there aren’t explosions every five minutes, no odd villains with absurd characteristics like a guy that can’t feel pain or a giant with metal teeth. Honestly it’s closer to the Jason Bourne movies than the previous films of the series.

I thought I would really miss the lack of gadgets…but to my surprise, I didn’t miss them at all. It’s so raw and honest in it’s portrayal of Bond. It’s a much more serious portrayal of the character making him easier to connect with. There is more emotion in this film, and it makes the twists and turns feel that much more personal. That’s what makes this film so much different. As a result it makes me totally forget that there are no “gadgets” in this movie. In fact if it did have gadgets they could easily become distracting and detract from the more serious and emotional tone that makes the film one of the best in the series. Casino Royale  gets 5 stars out of 5.

So, agree…disagree? What was your reaction to Casino Royale and the new direction of the Bond franchise?

Die Another Day

Synopsis:
Pierce Brosnan makes his fourth appearance as suave super-spy James Bond in this espionage thriller, the 20th film in the official Bond series. While on assignment in North Korea, Bond is captured by government agents, where he’s imprisoned and tortured for over a year. When Bond finally wins his freedom, not everyone is certain 007 is still capable of doing the job, but after Zao (Rick Yune), the North Korean operative who snared Bond, is discovered to be in cahoots with unscrupulous entrepreneur Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens), Bond is back on the case, and he finds the two men have sinister plans which could decide the fate of the world. As Bond hops from England to Cuba to Korea to Iceland in pursuit of his quarry, he (as usual) makes the acquaintance of two beautiful and mysterious women, Jinx (Halle Berry) and Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike). Judi Dench and John Cleese return in Die Another Day as, respectively, Bond’s superior M and gadget-master Q; Madonna contributes the film’s theme song and makes a cameo appearance as a fencing instructor.

My Thoughts:
So had I written this review in 2002 I probably would have given this 2.5 stars. Watching it again, this Bond film has really surprised me! It seems to be a really under rated Brosnan Bond film. After the disaster of the last film I can imagine many people thought the series was loosing its mojo. I know I did, thus I didn’t really give this film much of a fare shake when it originally released. However, it aged much better than many other Bond films and is now tied with Tomorrow Never Dies for my second favorite Brosnan Bond film.

The villain is done in the spirit of classic bond bad guys and the car is absolutely amazing! It’s not exactly the most realistic…but amazing none the less. John Cleese makes a nice addition as the new Q bringing the right amount of wit and humorous banter that is required when shooting the breeze with James Bond. It also takes a wink at several of the classic gadgets in prior Bond films.

Halle Berry brings a nice addition to the role…some of the time. She is a far better actress than other Bond Girls, but she isn’t the most dynamic character in the movie, but that isn’t exactly her fault. Several lines come off as corny and I don’t know how anyone could deliver them without it sounding bad. In particular I’m thinking of a “your momma” line. That just made me shake my head.

Great villain, great car, great action, but the best part of this film has to be primary plot point of Bond working as a disavowed agent. Conversations between M and Bond almost hint at similar conversations during Licence to Kill but are far better and far more serious with better actors and better dialogue.

When thinking of Brosnan Bond films Die Another Day rarely seems to come to mind but it is well worth the watch. It’s a hidden jem in the Bond films that often gets overlooked. I’m giving it 4 stars.

The World Is Not Enough

IMDB.com Synopsis:
James Bond is back. An oil tycoon is murdered in MI6 and Bond is sent to protect his daughter. Renard, who has a bullet lodged in his brain from a previous agent, is secretly planning the destruction of a pipeline. Bond gains a hand from a research scientist, Dr. Christmas Jones who witnesses the action which happens when Bond meets up with Renard, but Bond becomes suspicious about Elektra King, especially when Bond’s boss, M goes missing. Bond must work quickly to prevent Renard from destroying Europe.

My Thoughts:
Well…I’m getting back into the blogging world. Done with school…no full time job…what else am I doing. LOL.

So on with the review!

This is not my favorite Brosnan Bond Film. In fact I’d say it’s probably my least favorite. Equally, it’s probably in my top ten list of worst Bond films of all times. Maybe even the top five.

Why is it so bad? Well it starts with the acting. Above all Denise Richards is horrible in this movie. She can’t say a single line without it sounding forced. The only reason she is in the movie is to run around in a white wet t-shirt as a ditsy bond girl. Easily the worst performance in the whole film and quite possibly the worst in the entire James Bond franchise.

Also, the villain is just stupid! Some guy who has a bullet in his head?…can’t feel pain?…so what. He should have less of a role and been reduced to a mindless muscle guy like Od Job or Jaws. There is another villain in the movie that adds a little bit more credibility…and could be considered the “brains” behind the plot, but it isn’t enough to redeem the whole movie. Combining the two together still make for a week villain.

Lastly…they barely used the car!!! The only reason it was in the movie at all is because BMW signed a deal with United Artist to have a new BMW featured in 3 consecutive Bond films starting with Goldeneye. As I understand it there was a bit of a falling out between the two companies by the time this movie came along and UA used this movie to stay in the legal parameters of their agreement while simultaneously sending a message.  As it turns out this was number 3 and in the next film Die Another Day the car an Aston Martin Vanquish is used a lot more and is a whole lot sweeter.

Perhaps the saddest thing about this movie is that it is the last time we see Desmond Llewelyn as the legendary Q as he will pass away before the film is released. I only wish the movie better. It wasn’t exactly the best Bond film to say good by. Though I have to admit, his moments on screen are among the best in the whole movie. He has fitting last moments on screen and a fine farewell.

I’m giving this one 2 stars.

Tomorrow Never Dies

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Agent 007, the unstoppable action hero must prevent a tremendous disaster ripped from tomorrow’s headlines. Someone is pitting the world’s superpowers against each other – and only James Bond can stop it. When a British warship is mysteriously destroyed in Chinese waters, the world teeters on the brink of World War III – until 007 zeros in on the true criminal mastermind. Bond’s do-or-die mission takes him to Elliot Carver, a powerful media mogul who manipulates world events as easily as he changes headlines from his global media empire. After soliciting help from Carver’s sexy wife, Paris, Bond join forces with a stunning yet lethal Chinese agent, Wai Lin, in a series of explosive chases, brutal confrontations and breathtaking escapes as they race to stop the presses on Carver’s next planned news story: global pandemonium!

My Thoughts:
So, it’s been FOREVER!!! I know…I know. Lets just say that James Bond did me in…that was a LOT of Bond. I mean come on…a whole month! On top of that I had to drop my internet, so…yeah…it’s been a while.

However…I’m back! It may not be at a once a day pace like before, but on a weekly basis I will be updating on a movie or two that I have been watching. Because I am still watching them…a lot. So let’s get this started!

Picking up where I left off we have the second Brosnen Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. Arguably my favorite. It’s neck and neck with Goldeneye. Why is that?…again I have to go back to the villan. I am a HUGE media junky so the concept for this villan was right up my alley.

On top of that, I am a huge ninja/kung-fu fan…so the Chinese element is awesome as well. By far, the best car in the Brosnen era is showcased in this film. An innovative and modern take on integrating a cell phone with the car in that way was a perfect modern gadget update for a modernized bond film.

The acting is also spot on…for a bond film. In particular Teri Hatcher is a pleasant surprise along with a fantastic job by Johnathan Pryce as villan Elliot Carver. This villan almost is reminiscent of various other screen portrayals of an Anti-Christ  figure…without all the religious/demonic/spiritual elements added to it. He does a great job.

Last but not least, I have to give mention to the music. Techno/House DJ Moby got his hands on the Bond Theme and gave this technology driven Bond modernization a well needed update. His version is perfect for the feel of this much needed update. In addition, the films theme song “Tomorrow Never Dies” by Sheryl Crow is probably my favorite Bond theme song to date.

So…where do I stand on this one? You probably guessed it…4 stars.

Goldeneye
Director: Martin Campbell
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco

IMDB.com Synopsis:
9 years after infiltrating a chemical weapons facility in Russia, where friend and fellow M:I-6 agent Alec Trevelyan 006 was killed by corrupt Russian military officer General Ourumov. Seductive British secret agent James Bond 007 is assigned by his new boss, a female ‘M’ to recover “GoldenEye” the access key to a top secret space weapon orbiting the Earth which fires a electromagnetic pulse which shuts down all electronic equipment. The “GoldenEye” has been stolen from the Severnya space research station by General Ourumov and the lethal and deadly Xenia Onatopp and slaughtered everyone at Servernya. Helped by Russian computer programmer Natalya Siminova, who was the sole survivor of the Servernya massacre and witnessed Ourumov and Xenia steal the “GoldenEye”, Bond learns Ourumov and Xenia are working for Alec Trevelyan, now a renegade M:I-6, and 006 plans on using GoldenEye to wipe out London. 007 and Natalya set out to Cuba where Bond faces Trevelyan in a thrilling showdown as 007 sets out to save London from destruction.

My Thoughts:
Arguably the BEST Brosnan Bond film of them all. This film got an incredible amount of attention because of the success of the N64 video game by the same title (which is being updated and re-released in November). To this day I still consider it (the movie and the game) one of the best Bond products ever released. Certainly Brosnan’s best Bond film…hands down.

This film revived the Bond series in a huge way. It breathed new life into a dying series and gave it a much needed makeover/update. It really took the series out of the rut it was in.

The acting is spot on sassy sarcastic over confident Bond…with a 90′s attitude. The addition of Judi Dench as M was a particularly nice touch. She’s perfect and a perfect parallel to Brosnan’s Bond.

Also, I think this has one of the best Bond villains of all time…which just makes the film that much better. What better villian is there than a former friend who knows Bond’s every move?

This one gets 5 stars out of 5.

Licence to Kill
Director: John Glen
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell & Robert Davi
Rated: PG-13
Length: 133 min.
Released: July 14, 1989
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
After attending the wedding of friend CIA agent Felix Leiter and his bride Della Churchill, seductive British secret agent James Bond 007 disobeys orders and turns in his license to kill, when ruthless drug lord Franz Sanchez (After helping Feliex and the DEA capture Sanchez) tortures Felix and leaves him for dead and kills Della. James sets off on a personal vendetta against the drug lord, and arrives in Mexico City. Helped by cocky and beautiful CIA agent and pilot Pam Bouvier, Sanchez’s sexy mistress Lupe Lamora and Bond’s friend and fellow quartermaster ‘Q’. Bond plays on both sides of the law, as he infiltrates his organization by bringing Sanchez down. Where 007 embarks in the ultimate confrontation and he will not rest until he kills Sanchez and those responsible for torturing Felix and murdering Della.

My Thoughts:
Posted from my phone while on the road. Ha ha! I love technology!

Probably the better of Dalton’s two Bond films…in my opinion. The reason for that is it`s got an intresting idea for a plot. It`s only one of two Bond films where he goes “rogue” and becomes an “enemy” of the state to get the job done.

Also, the villian is rather sick…and brutal. Probably one of the darkest of all the Bond villians

Still…with all that said it`s still an aweful movie. It really is. It embodies a lot of cleche action movie cheese that`s just hard to except. They reach a new level of unbelievability with this one.

I`m giving it 2.5 stars out of 5.

The Living Daylights
Director: John Glen
Starring: Timothy Dalton
Rated: PG
Length: 130 min
Released: July 31, 1987
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
After Bond helps Russian officer Georgi Koskov make a daring defection to the West, the intelligence community is shocked when Koskov is abducted from his remote hiding place. Bond leaps into action, following a trail that leads to the gorgeous Kara, who plays Bond as easily as she plays her Stradivari cello. As they unravel a complex weapons scheme with global implications, they are forced into hair-raising chases, a riveting jailbreak and an epic battle in the Afghanistan desert with tanks, airplanes and a legion of freedom fighters on horseback.

My Thoughts:
So most people seem to agree that the Timothy Dalton Bond films are the worst ones ever made…and I would have to agree. They are darker and WAY too over the top. The are so far over the top they are just plain unbelievable…ridiculous…just ridiculous.

The Living Daylights (and the next film Licence To Kill) embody everything that’s wrong with typical pointless styalized action movies…and no real plot. Bad villians and deplorable storyline.

It’s got some awesome action/chase sequences, but for the most part…it’s great for a good laugh, and that’s about it.

I’m giving this one 2 stars out of 5.

A View To A Kill
Director: John Glen
Starring: Roger Moore, Christopher Walken & Tanya Roberts
Rated: PG
Length: 131 min.
Released: May 24, 1985
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
007 returns from the USSR with a new computer chip; one that is invulnerable to the magnetic pulse of a nuclear explosion. The chip is being manufactured by Zorin Industries, headed up by a sociopathic businessman named Max Zorin who is planning to corner the world microchip market by using explosives to cause an earthquake in the San Andreas fault that will wipe out Silicon Valley – and the millions who live and work there! Bond must face not only Zorin himself, but the equally twisted May Day and Scarpine, another one of Zorin’s henchmen. Assisted by San Francisco City employee Stacy, Bond goes after the would-be computer magnate in a series of frightening confrontations – including fire in the SF City Hall, a wild chase through the city with Stacy at the wheel of a fire department ladder truck, and finally in a hand-to-hand fight atop San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

My Thoughts:
This Bond marathon is really taking it’s tole. I’m getting so sick of James Bond…you have no idea. I just need to push through the two crappy Timothy Dalton films and I’ll be on the home stretch. They get much better in the 90s.

So, A View To A Kill. Up until I purchased this movie I had no idea that Christopher Walken had been in a James bond movie! I was so excited!!! This was Roger Moore’s final Bond film and he really goes out with a bang.

There are several parts that seem a bit over the top…typical James Bond style. Like driving half of a car?…yeah right. I want to see that one busted on Mythbusters. Then there’s the henchman..err…henchwoman May Day?…creepy, butch and kind of ugly. Like a female Jaws with ninja skills. I wasn’t a fan, but then again…I find female body builders frightening.

Still, it’s a highly entertaining movie. Not Moore’s best, but certainly not his worst either. Not to mention Duran Duran sings the theme song! Heck yeah!!!

Also, Walken is a fantastic villian! He has such a unique style that makes for an intresting dynamic when it’s contrast against Moore as James Bond. I’m giving this one 4 stars out of 5.

Never Say Never Again
Director: Irvin Kershner
Starring: Sean Connery, Max von Sydow & Kim Basinger
Rated: PG
Length: 134 min.
Released: October 7, 1983
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Using an astounding array of weapons, Agent 007 has singlehandedly wiped out an army of Her Majesty’s enemies. But when a lovely captive slips a knife into 007′s ribs, the superspy’s boss decides it’s time his top agent sharpen his lethal edge. So James Bond is off to a health spa. However his “vacation” is cut short by Largo, a power-mad mastermind set on carrying out his plan for worldwide nuclear blackmail. On Largo’s side, the murderous femme fatale Fatima Blush and vile SPECTRE chief Blofeld. But Bond does have an ally though, Largo’s girlfriend, the willowy Domino, who falls for Bond.

My Thoughts:
This film is a major anomaly in the Bond films. It’s a remake of Thunderball that stemed from all the controversy surounding that film and it’s not considered an “official” Bond film. One watch and you can tell why. The title is based on a conversation between Sean Connery and his second wife, Micheline Roquebrune. After initially retiring from the role following Diamonds Are Forever (1971) he told the press he would ‘never’ play James Bond again; her response for him was to never say “never” again. She is credited at the end of the film for her contribution. As a result, it was the first Bond movie to use a non-Ian Fleming originated title.

I would have to say this is the strangest  Bond film of them all. Why is it so strange? For starters it’s Sean Connery’s last film as Bond…and he looks soooo old. It was not released by EON Productions, so it doesn’t have the music, the typical opening credits, the gun barrel looking at bond and then him shooting and the red dropping down on the screen…no Q…nothing! It tries to replace all that stuff, but it just falls short. The gadgets are okay, but the music is horrendous. The opening sequence would have been so much better if it didn’t have that awful song starting out the movie.

It does have some fun moments though. For example, there is a memorable sequence regarding a rather insane idea for a video game and a pretty cool motercycle Bond uses to avaid hs enemy. It’s also intresting to see Connery and Basinger share the screen.

There’s also a small debate over if this film fits into the chronology of the rest of the Bond films. As explained on Wikipedia:

“As a standalone film, it takes place in an alternative timeline compared to previously released films. Specifically, while the portrayal of Connery as Bond is true to the fact Connery played Bond for 6 of the 7 first films, most involving SPECTRE, this film ignores the events of those films, as Blofeld is active and apparently previously unknown to Bond and MI6.

Several fans however, those of whom decide to place the film’s story within the EON Bond series, have speculated that the events depicted show a failed attempt from Blofeld and Largo to bring back SPECTRE from the dead, without obviously counting at Bond’s resurgence from retirement. Even in this scenario, the whereabouts of Blofeld remain unknown.”

This is the main film that made me dicide to watch the Bond films in release date order rather than the story’s chronological order. It’s hard to place this one.

At any rate, it was a valient attempt by Connery…but he should have stopped with Dimonds Are Forever. I’m giving this one 3 stars out of 5.

Octopussy
Director: John Glen
Starring: Roger Moore & Maud Adams
Rated: PG
Length: 131 min.
Released: June 10, 1983
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Bond must investigate the murder of a fellow agent who was clutching a priceless Faberge egg at the time of his death. The trail leads to the mysterious Octopussy, whose traveling circus features a company of luscious, athletic women. Bond and Octopussy share a passionate affection, but soon 007 discovers that the elegant Kamal Khan is working with a mad Russian officer to hurl mankind into World War III! As Bond tries to stop the nightmarish scheme, his exploits will include a riveting chase through the streets of India, a deadly brawl on top of a speeding train, and a breathtaking midair knife fight on an airplane wing.

My Thoughts:
This one is probably my least favorite Bond Film by Roger Moore. It came out the same year as Never Say Never Again (the last “Bond” film by Connery) which also wasn’t very good. 1983 just wasn’t a good year or Bond (though the films to come would get worse…much worse).

If you can get past the awkwardness of the title it’s an okay film. But there isn’t a whole lot about it that sticks out about it besides the name. There are some entertaining chase sequences, most memorable is the fights/chases on top of a speeding train. Other than that it doesn’t offer much. Typical Russian villain that wants to destroy the world…women seriously objectified, and over the top action one sequence after another.

After following such a good film in For Your Eyes Only…this one just doesn’t measure up at all. It’s getting 3 stars out of 5.