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From a woman's perspective he is neither sexy nor charming.
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Casino Royale (2006) Review by marsipan Rotten Tomatoes discussion forums
OVERRATED! New Bond Film Lacks Wit and Charm
I am surprised by all of the good reviews I have read thus far. This film is completely overrated.
The first thing that stands out is the lack of consistency and believability in the storyline. The generic terrorist plotline is weak and shallow. This movie lacks the wit and charm of some of the previous Bond films. The filmmaker and writer leave nothing to the imagination. Between all of the action and useless clichéd Hollywood explosions, there is no real plot intrigue that makes the viewer question things and stimulates them to wonder about character motivations and alternate plot possibilities.
The fight in the washroom though intended to give off emotional realism, functioned to separate this Bond from previous Bonds as a rough around the edges brute. He came across as a criminal rather than the smooth iconic Bond. The whole charm of Bond is his sophistication and allure - even during a kill. I felt like I was watching a greasy mafia hit man instead of Bond.
The first action scene, on the construction site was ridiculous at first. Didn't Bond mention that he wanted him alive? Not to mention that he callously risked countless innocent construction workers by creating havoc with crashing pipes and beams just to get his guy. This falls into the territory of the racist tradition of big Hollywood pictures in exotic locations where the locals lives are regarded as irrelevant. Had this been a building with white construction workers being smashed by beams and run over by a bulldozer in America instead of the third world I am sure the filmmakers would have been more thoughtful. It is in the same mentality as the Hollywood racist cliché that the first person killed on the safari is usually the dispensable black native character rather than the white hero. The over the top crashing Bulldozer and falling pipes actually made me laugh. I will say that the chase scene with the bomber though completely unbelievable was great to watch. The athleticism and agility in the stunts, especially of the young bomber were impressive and thrilling. It does make me wonder how many 8 year old kids are going to try jumping from buildings inspired by this film.
I would have liked to see a true archrival or villain in this film. The one that was featured, apart from being effectively creepy in a Hollywood Nazi way, didn't really have a chance to show his motivations apart from the poker scenes. I would have liked to see some real investigation in the plot thorough this character. The Blond girlfriend was boring. Again, I would have liked to see some more development there. Why not a tryst with Bond? After all, he said he preferred attached women. What better challenge than to sleep with your rival's girlfriend? Here the filmmakers could have harked back to the great femme fatale of former Bond films were he seduces the enemy or they seduce him only to try to kill him by poisoned lipstick or some other clever trick.
This film really lacked sex appeal. There was no real seduction or sensuality in this film. The two brunettes were stunning, however, there was no sexual chemistry or tension between Bond and any of the women. In order to be a true Bond film there really needed to be a sex scene. I feel like this was skipped for fear of the PG rating being lost. Again, artistic integrity in Hollywood is sacrificed to please the mundane tastes of the American public. There was no nudity or even partial nudity and this film really called for it. This just shows the twisted state of the film industry and censor groups. God forbid that you show real intimacy between people or nudity which is natural but you can show all the gratuitous violence you like.
There was no believability in the romance between Bond and his lover. There was a hilarious scene where Bond's love interest says that even if he had just his smile and little finger left he'd be more of a man than anyone she had known. TOTAL CHEESE!!!!! The corny music during the "romance" parts was laughable and indeed half the audience was laughing at this scene.
A few of the costume choices were clichéd and obvious as well. The one that stood out the most was the clichéd Venetian striped shirt Green wore in Venice. Let's sledgehammer the viewers over the head and tell them "We are in Venice now. Everyone in Venice wears striped shirts". Also, the S & M rubber outfit the villain’s girlfriend wore during the ball crusher scene was unnecessary.
Overall the acting was good. It was the writing and direction that caused the major problems in this film.
As for Daniel Criag, he wouldn't be my first choice but he is a good actor, a believable fighter and he pulled it off. Overall, he was OK but his constant strutting made me think of the Zoolander catwalk and Ben Stiller's hilarious "Blue Steele" expression. It could have been more subtle. He is not as attractive or charismatic as some of the other Bonds which was a disappointment but he was likeable. He was macho & athletic for a middle-aged guy but that's about it. From a woman's perspective he is neither sexy nor charming. It is total fantasy that two sexy twenty-year-old women would catcall and oggle a middle-aged guy as in the scene where he arrives in the Bahamas.
I would have liked to see more inventive gadgets as well. The fun of Bond films is to see him use his inventory of amazing espionage gadgets.
I was irritated by the constant in your face brand advertisement in the film. I am certain Sony, Virgin, Body Worlds, Omega and Ford paid big bucks to have their products and logos prominently repeatedly displayed in the film. This cheapened the film's integrity for me. When Bond drives the Ford, I felt like it was a Ford commercial, prominently displaying the logo, showing the car from all angles going down a winding country road. I do not appreciate paying to see a film and having obvious branding advertisements like the continuous Sony Vaio laptops and Sony Ericsson phones thrown in my face. It is really distracting since it takes anyone who is half perceptive out of the storyline and the film experience. Perhaps the filmmakers thought the public would be too stupid and never notice that they were being subjected to a continuous commercial that they paid money to see. Keep the commercials out of the film!
This is definitely what one would call a "guy film" and a " 35 year-old going on 13 year-old guy who lives in his mother's basement film" at that.
Overall I was disappointed due to the true potential of a Bond movie. It really lacked clever dialogue and wit. All said, it is an OK film. Mediocre at best. It is fun in a big action movie way. But don't expect anything clever or interesting.
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