2008 Woodie Awards
Bond is back, better than ever
Will Thompson
Issue date: 12/8/06 Section: Entertainment
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It could be any cold night in Central Europe, but on this particular night in Prague, Czech Republic, an atmosphere of danger is heavy in the air. A nondescript middle-aged man in a heavy coat parks his automobile outside a hyper-modern office building and enters. He makes his way into his office, where immediately he senses something amiss. In the shadows of the room, he notices a figure patiently waiting in an armchair. It is none other than Bond... James Bond.
After the travesty of "Die Another Day," Pierce Brosnan's final interpretation of 007, Bond purists such as myself were eager to see a return to the days of Bond movies sans invisible cars, cheesy one-liners and baffling plots with dull, forgettable heroines and villains. Granted, Brosnan's Bond ably carried the torch of the Ian Fleming's vision (until "Die")---possibly the brightest since Sean Connery---but where Brosnan was at best a bright candle, new 007 Daniel Craig is a flamethrower, brutal, artless and explosive.
"Casino Royale" borrows heavily from Ian Fleming's novel of the same title, and follows the story of Bond's beginning as a "00" agent in the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS, or more commonly, MI6).
Bond, recently assigned to the double-0 section (authorized to kill), is sent to uncover a group of arms dealers who have been supplying insurgencies and terrorists around the world. After gathering evidence in Madagascar, the Bahamas and Miami, Florida (and leaving a considerable body count on the way), Bond finds himself in southeastern Europe.
His main target is Le Chiffre (played by the sinister Mads Mikkelson), international terrorist banker, who has recently set out to pay off losses to his organization by playing in a high stakes no-limit Texas Hold 'Em poker game at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. Bond, as the best gambler in the Service, is assigned to break him and win the $150 million that the tournament promises.
To further complicate matters, a beautiful MI6 treasurer, Vesper Lynd (the lovely Eva Green) is sent to accompany Bond and ensure that he has the proper capital. In keeping with Bond's ladies-man persona, Lynd is not the only woman 007 beds. As the plot unfolds, a darker, haunted Bond comes out, keeping consistency with the film's premise as a reboot of the series.
After the travesty of "Die Another Day," Pierce Brosnan's final interpretation of 007, Bond purists such as myself were eager to see a return to the days of Bond movies sans invisible cars, cheesy one-liners and baffling plots with dull, forgettable heroines and villains. Granted, Brosnan's Bond ably carried the torch of the Ian Fleming's vision (until "Die")---possibly the brightest since Sean Connery---but where Brosnan was at best a bright candle, new 007 Daniel Craig is a flamethrower, brutal, artless and explosive.
"Casino Royale" borrows heavily from Ian Fleming's novel of the same title, and follows the story of Bond's beginning as a "00" agent in the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS, or more commonly, MI6).
Bond, recently assigned to the double-0 section (authorized to kill), is sent to uncover a group of arms dealers who have been supplying insurgencies and terrorists around the world. After gathering evidence in Madagascar, the Bahamas and Miami, Florida (and leaving a considerable body count on the way), Bond finds himself in southeastern Europe.
His main target is Le Chiffre (played by the sinister Mads Mikkelson), international terrorist banker, who has recently set out to pay off losses to his organization by playing in a high stakes no-limit Texas Hold 'Em poker game at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. Bond, as the best gambler in the Service, is assigned to break him and win the $150 million that the tournament promises.
To further complicate matters, a beautiful MI6 treasurer, Vesper Lynd (the lovely Eva Green) is sent to accompany Bond and ensure that he has the proper capital. In keeping with Bond's ladies-man persona, Lynd is not the only woman 007 beds. As the plot unfolds, a darker, haunted Bond comes out, keeping consistency with the film's premise as a reboot of the series.
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