A Brand-new James Bond

Blogs are like a diary and journal. It records a person's development in terms of mindset, spirit and emotion changes; Reading them is somehow like reading other's stories but reminds myself who I was and am and what I have been exploring and how to improve ...

26.12.06

Daniel Craig is neither as charming as Roger Moore, nor as sharp as Pierce Brosnan. Likewise; he is not as muscular as Sean Connery and doesn't have as robust, a towering body as all the previous 007s. However, despite my feminine prejudice or preconception, I couldn’t resist going to the cinema to watch the latest James Bond film – Casino Royale, acclaimed as one of the best action films of 2006.

Daniel Craig surprisingly stunning performance proves I was wrong. Instead, he has done a fantastic job. Thanks to his stony face and hit-man image plus the intriguing plot, the conventional spy movie has been revived. We are shown a very different portrayal James Bond as compared with the traditional gorgeous-looking , sweet, upright heroes.

Unlike the previous bond films, the new James Bond gives me a sense of being more humane and real - he is no longer invisible hero or disciplined government spy, but a rather vulnerable, stubborn, playful individual. He makes mistakes, he is tortured to hell and he is even poisoned to near death by his enemies. In spite of his cold killer’s character, the new Bond does have a lovely, heartfelt side when he genuinely falls in love with the bond girl Vesper Lynd, the most beautiful lady among all Bond's series I've ever seen.


Another feature that distinguishes the new James Bond is that there are no any high-tech weapons in the film. Instead, the action part in the film is mainly based on Daniel and other actors’ spectacular stunt skills and his display of martial arts (rather like the stunt master Jackie Chan’s films), which makes the new Bond more endearing, gritty and unusual.


During the two and half hours of breathless fighting, chasing and gambling scenes, the audience experiences a startlingly dark, violent and death-life journey filled with killing suspense and revolting dirty tricks. The contemporary themes featuring the anti-terrorism issue and cutting- edge communication gadgets like mobile phones, lap tops and GPS add a more realistic dimension to the new James Bond.


Casino Royale is serious entertainment and an intelligent thriller. It is a breakthrough in James Bond franchises, introducing a new era of James Bond in the 21 century.