Latest Bond film...

Agreed Andy, I am going to see it again tonight, it gripped me right the way through.

I am sure there will be critics, but i thought it was very good, apart from the ford focus scene - Are ford really in need to show more of their cars, in that they own Aston Martin and Jag I thought showing the ford focus was a bit tacky IMO.

I thought it was a Mondeo....

The Aston Martin was 'drool' loverlly...

Chaps,

Andy is correct - it was a Mondeo - didn't any of you see Film 2006 the other week?!

It was, at that time, the only working example of Ford's new range of Mondeos due to come out early next year (I believe) and the company built it specially for use in the film. Product placement or what?!

I was fortunate to go and see it on Friday night and thought it was superb. The verbal interplay between Bond and Vesper was a particular highlight, but yeah as for the fight scenes - he really had to earn those victories!!!

Good to see two Danish actors making it onto the English-speaking big screen, Mads Mikkelsen and Jesper Christiansen. Bravo!

I watched this yesterday and realy enjoyed it.

Craig makes you realise how annoying Brosnoan realy was. Whilst I enjoyed some of the Brosnan Films, Goldeneye particularly, Brosnan was a bit irritating..

Simon

Simon,

agree with you - Craig has the physical and mental skills to carry it off - i like his attitude...

theres only one sean connery
theres only one sean connery

True but Craig is the first Bond since who has an equivalent air of menace which is what Fleming always intended. The new film is flawed but very watchable IMO, with Craig being the highlight. The interplay between Vesper and Bond is excellent as already posted.

I catching it on Sunday as it's only coming out here tomorrow.

Paulo

Daniel Craig has great screen presence - in anything he does.

The late great Eric Morecambe's expression springs to mind:-

'High class rubbish'. And that's not intended as a negative comment BTW. I look forward to seeing the film.

John.

Just saw it tonight.
Well done overall.
The physical abuse that Bond takes (and, of course rebounds) is way over the top in my book, but that doesn't really detract from the enjoyment of the film.
Go see it if you like Bond films. It has all the elements of Bond.
David

quote:

Originally posted by andy c:
...I thought was very good - far more 'incoming' for our James to deal with, and he actually gets injured. There is one scene that really makes your eyes water, but I'll leave that to those who have not seen the film yet to discover...

Looking forward to seeing it ... in the book, I seem to remember he gets strapped, naked, to a wicker chair which has a large hole in the seat so his, um, manhood dangles ... and the villain proceeds to use a carpet beater on his family jewels?

Is this what they show?

Regards,

Andy

Andy
We wouldn't want to spoil it for you!
Saw it on Wednesday evening. Craig is an excellent Bond. The plot is a bit murky and the pace slightly uneven but it's a good yarn. The action sequences are pretty good.
I did find all the product placement a bit irritating. Ford, Omega, A-M, Sony Viao, Sony Ericsson all plugged shamelessly, but presumably they paid handsomely for the privilege.

quote:

I did find all the product placement a bit irritating. Ford

In the last one, every model made by Ford, including Volvos, seemed to be parked outside that strange place called "Island". Still, better than when Bond had to drive around in a German car...

JohanR

quote:

Originally posted by Right Wing:
Agreed Andy, I am going to see it again tonight, it gripped me right the way through.

I am sure there will be critics, but i thought it was very good, apart from the ford focus scene - Are ford really in need to show more of their cars, in that they own Aston Martin and Jag I thought showing the ford focus was a bit tacky IMO.

I think the Ford was very clever, kind of showing that Bond can operate in both the mundane and the extraordinary of situations.

Overall I thought the film was excellent. The Director did a marvelous job, as did Daniel Craig - who doesn't mess around during the extremely well choreographed fight sequences.

Also thought the Richard Branson cameo was fun, I had to do a double-take when I saw that.

The interweaving of the Bond intro (down the barrel of the gun) into the story at the start was class. Also the video for the Casino Royale theme tune was outstanding!

Andrew

I saw it earlier and can report that we have an exceptional new Bond and that we can now sleep peacefully knowing the Empire is safe and that Mick Parry need not come out of retirement. God save the Queen.

ps - the vodka martini joke was hilarious.

quote:

the vodka martini joke was hilarious.

Well, the main difference between a shaken and a stirred Martini is that there is more water in the shaken one. But what do you expect from someone who drink feminine drinks like champagne and likes to have a massage. From a male masseur...

JohanR

Saw it this evening and thought it was toe-curlingly awful. The dialogue is a joke and some of it (eg the finger sucking shower scene) made the whole cinema hoot with laughter. It just went on and on and on. Craig is laughable. He spends mnost of his time mincing about, sucking his cheeks in.

The slow, charmless death of this inane franchise continues, with the odd bit of eye candy thrown in. It was camp in the seventies, dire (with the exception of Timothy Dalton) in the eighties, dull and cliched in the nineties, and now just a bad joke. Bring back Harry Palmer.

Tim J

And you expected what?
Should have asked for your money back.
I didn't expect anything other than a Bond film. And I got what I expected...
David

quote:

Originally posted by JohanR:
feminine drinks like champagne
JohanR

I won't have that!!

Pink Champagne may veer towards the pretty, but proper Champagne is a man's drink. "The wine of kings". Churchill used to drink a pint (specially bottled) of Champagne (Pol Roger) every day during the way, or so they say.

I thought the Bond film was great, really enjoyed it.

The product placement of both Bollinger (vested interest) and Ch Angelus (am a wine geek) was subtle and sophisticated compared to the mildly in-your-face obviousness of Ford and Sony Eriksson.

Hi Tim,
Got to disagree I'm afraid. i thought it's the best offerimg since Connery left the role behind. Gritty, violent and great fun.
And you were joking about Dalton right?
Regards,
Steve O.

I'm more or less with Tim. Some decent sections but the basic problem with the movie was the plot, ridiculously overcomplicated and by the final 'twist' I really could not be bothered any more. The central Casino scene also lacked any tension, in fact was mainly risible.

Some reasonable set pieces but overall a messy wasted opportunity. Not sure I agree with Tim that Craig 'minces' about but he is quite astonishingly narcissistic in the movie.

I guess I prefer my Bond with a whiff of irony, if it is going to be gritty and realistic then I suggest the writers watch the 'Bourne' films. Tight, punchy, and well written.

Bruce

My favourite bit of the film by far was the opening titles, unwisely raised my expectations...

I enjoyed the Bond film, but do also agree with the comments above re the Bourne series... They are a 'must' have in my library...

quote:

Originally posted by Bruce Woodhouse:
... if it is going to be gritty and realistic then I suggest the writers watch the 'Bourne' films. Tight, punchy, and well written.

... and a travesty compared to the original books!

Duncan

I read the Flemming books as a younster, and even Connery is smoother than the 007 in the novels. Though it is a film, and not so similar to what I remember of the books, Craig seems to have more of the earthy (if slightly misogenistic) side of Flemming's original character, and the film certainly was very complelling for me this afternoon [at the Vue Cinema in Worcester], not least because it lacked the rather silly special effects nonesense of the more recent films in the series. If you never see another Bond film after this, I would recomend it. The last film I saw at the pictures was 'Titanic,' during which I went to sleep!

[Non film critic by profession Smiley]! Fredrik

PS: I had to stick my fingers in my ears during the considerable number of louder bits, so I guess that everyone else is going deaf! Sorry to those who think it is I who is going deaf!