So the family arrived Thursday night to spend my Thanksgiving break here with me. It was so good to have someone else around for a change. Kevin stayed here with me, mom and dad in a hotel. Kevin brought along Guitar Hero 2 and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance which made for video game fun. Much to my chagrin Colossus was taken out of the PS2 version, but I had a good time as Deadpool, another Wade.
A lot of the time we all spent together was spent on the board game Shadows Over Camelot, which I'd never played before and which is very complicated, but turned out to be a whole lot of fun once I finally understood what the hell was going on.
But the highlight of the weekend (besides seeing the family, which is a given) was probably Casino Royale. I finally saw it and it was just what I was hoping for. I had wanted a tougher, more hard-edged and ruthless Bond, and I that's what I got.
The WC Review of Casino Royale
It's a departure from the series much like Batman Betgins was. It goes back to the beginning, showing us Bond's ascension to his famous double-0 status. The title animation (one retained aspect) was well done. I knew I'd love this movie from the initial chase scene, one of the best I've seen (and completely on foot!).
Without going into the plot too deeply, I'll say that this movie packed a much-needed punch. There is no Q (I don't much care for John Cleese in the role anyway) and no ridiculous gadgetry, and I didn't miss it. There were also no cheesy one-liners. I'm the first to appreciate a good groan-inducing pun - I love 'em to death - but this lends to the more serious tone of this entry into the Bond series and I find myself glad they avoided them this time around. Ooh! Also, Bond is finally back in an Aston Martin instead of a BMW. And what a car it is.
True to form, there's an absolutely gorgeous girl in this film. Can't say I'm sorry. Feminists, though, will no doubt be happy to find that she's not a helpless bimbo whose chest measurements surpass her IQ. She's smokin', yes, but she's smart and self-reliant as well.
Then there's Mr. Bond himself. I liked Daniel Craig in Road to Perdition and Munich, but hadn't really seen him in anything else besides Layer Cake, which was, in a word, strange. He capably handles the role. Speculation will continue about who is the best Bond, and I have my own ideas about that, but I'll see if Craig continues in the series before making any final judgment. I put him right up there with Brosnan and Dalton (especially the latter, who also made for a more intense, less playful Bond). I completely bought his performance and he did an admirable job in every aspect (including the torture scene that almost made ME scream in pain).
Some reviews I read said it dragged on too long, but I disagree (of course, two of my favorite movies are The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, so I guess I have a high tolerance for lengthy movies). Clocking in at 2 hours and 24 minutes, it takes its time and develops the story as it should (I think moviegoers are too impatient, but that's another topic) and doesn't leave any annoying unanswered questions. My brother, much more the Bond fan of the two of us, tells me much of the movie, including dialogue, was taken right from the book of the same name. Seems to me that that's a good thing.
All in all, I think this movie gives a much-needed shot of adrenaline into a series that's been in a constant downhill trend since GoldenEye breathed new life into it. It's got the best of the old (good action, espionage, hot cars...and heck, who am I kidding, hot girls) and brings it up to speed to compete in the no-nonsense world of Jason Bournes and Ethan Hunts. I'll be buying this when it comes out on DVD, and maybe going back to see it again before then.
Song of the night is Matchbox Twenty's "The Difference." Beautiful.
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