Casino Royale [Blu-ray] DVD
Amazon Products

 Rating: - Daniel Craig: Definitive, Delicious Double-Oh
A confession: back in late 2006 before the opening of "Casino Royale", I was one of the clamoring pack of doubters. Could blond indie thug Daniel Craig REALLY step into the rarified shoes of Connery, Moore, Brosnan, et al to portray one of the most beloved and long-running icons of cinema? Though I respected Mr. Craig's acting ability in gritty British drama, at first blush his fit for the role of Bond was not apparent. I attended a screening with very low expectations, prepared to hate a movie that had booted my beloved Pierce Brosnan out of the franchise. Well. To say that Mr. Craig blew me away would be an understatement. He totally owns the part now and we have to stretch all the way back to Sean Connery to find a Bond with such confident physicality married to a dangerous edge. Mr. Craig is not "handsome" in the classic sense. But he's compelling, virile and relentlessly watchable--a potent combination that's way better than mere "handsome". Though I submit that those blue eyes are one of the wonders of the cinematic world, and when Mr. Craig smiles (not often enough as Bond, alas), it's like the sun breaking out over the Aegean, and he is handsome, indeed. His physicality is unsurpassed, even by Connery; his rising up out of the surf is an iconic moment in the Bond canon--Ursula Andress as beefcake. The reviewer who labelled Mr. Craig 'effete' must have had a long doze, because the man drips masculinity from every pore. The stunts, locations and set pieces are all spectacular, but the overriding reason to purchase this on DVD is to appreciate, with repeat viewings, the nuances of Craig's performance. I have found reason to be fond of all the previous Bonds, but Craig is hands-down the most skilled actor to ever take the role. Bond is by definition, 'larger than life', but in Craig's hands, we are not watching a caricature of a superman in a tuxedo, but a real man in a dangerous occupation who sweats and bleeds and suffers, who makes mistakes and learns from them. He moves Bond beyond the one-note sexism and gadgetry and actually creates a fully-fleshed person who seems almost real. Mr. Craig has definitively silenced his critics, and has become a Bond for the ages. Whether his sophomore effort can maintain the high bar he set here remains to be seen, but "Casino Royale" has captured his Bond at the height of his considerable powers, and is a must-own.

Search: