There isn't much bad I can say about the latest James Bond film.
It has a bit of everything - cars, explosions, epic hand to hand combat sequences and an evil mastermind - and leaves no stone unturned in its quest to celebrate 50 years of Bond, whilst also producing one of the best films in the franchise.
We first meet Daniel Craig's Bond as he and an agent named Eve (played by Naome Harris) track down a mercenary named Patrice (Ola Rapace). An action sequence involving construction vehicles aboard a train and hand to hand combat on top of it as it speeds down the track ensues, thrusting the viewer right into the heart of the action. As the train nears a tunnel, Eve has a shot at Patrice but could take out Bond in the process. With no time to relocate, and on orders from M (Judi Dench), she takes the shot - and doesn't miss Bond.
If the pre-title sequence was entertaining, the rest of the film is enthralling.
There are so many great scenes in this film - it's difficult to choose the best.
From the fight between Patrice and Bond in a Shanghai building - which shows only their silhouettes to create an awesome effect - to the sequence leading up to the confrontation at Westminster, the whole film is a rollercoaster I'd happily ride again and again.
Ralph Fiennes (Mallory) plays a fantastic role, while Javier Bardem's Raoul Silva is one of the creepiest Bond villains in the franchise.
Add to that the appearance of the Aston Martin DB5 - whose first appearance is accompanied by the famous Bond theme that sends shivers down the spine - and an absolute belter of a song from Adele, and you have the ingredients for a Bond film that could very well be ranked as one of, if not the, best.
Skyfall (2012): 143 minutes
Bond Songs: Skyfall by Adele
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
Monday, April 01, 2013
Quantum of Solace
The less said about this one the better.
After such a great film in Casino Royale, the quality of the newer Bond films took a nosedive.
The opening scene, which was simply a car chase, was mind-blowing. It started the film at break-neck speed as Daniel Craig's Bond attempts to outrun several bad guys in his Aston Martin DBS. An awesome scene, and one of the better opening sequences to a Bond film as you are thrust straight into the action.
The only other scene of note is when Bond discovers the body of MI6 agent Strawberry Fields (played by Gemma Arterton). Her appearance is similar to that of Jill Masterton (Shirley Eaton) in Goldfinger, her prone body lying on the bed covered in oil, as opposed to Masterton's gold paint.
Apart from that, the film is a bore and adds absolutely nothing to the Bond franchise.
There is some minor character development as Bond helps Camille Montes (a Bolivian agent played by Olga Kurylenko) exact personal revenge, and as Bond defies M and the MI6 organisation to hunt Dominic Greene, a wealthy businessman attempting to seize control of Bolivia's water supply (and played by Mathieu Amalric) - which effectively made Bond a target.
There is nothing wrong with Craig's performance as Bond, but the film itself isn't too great.
If you enjoy explosions it is mildly entertaining, but not many other positives can be said about it.
Quantum of Solace (2008): 100 minutes
Bond Songs: Another Way to Die by Alicia Keys and Jack White
After such a great film in Casino Royale, the quality of the newer Bond films took a nosedive.
The opening scene, which was simply a car chase, was mind-blowing. It started the film at break-neck speed as Daniel Craig's Bond attempts to outrun several bad guys in his Aston Martin DBS. An awesome scene, and one of the better opening sequences to a Bond film as you are thrust straight into the action.
The only other scene of note is when Bond discovers the body of MI6 agent Strawberry Fields (played by Gemma Arterton). Her appearance is similar to that of Jill Masterton (Shirley Eaton) in Goldfinger, her prone body lying on the bed covered in oil, as opposed to Masterton's gold paint.
Apart from that, the film is a bore and adds absolutely nothing to the Bond franchise.
There is some minor character development as Bond helps Camille Montes (a Bolivian agent played by Olga Kurylenko) exact personal revenge, and as Bond defies M and the MI6 organisation to hunt Dominic Greene, a wealthy businessman attempting to seize control of Bolivia's water supply (and played by Mathieu Amalric) - which effectively made Bond a target.
There is nothing wrong with Craig's performance as Bond, but the film itself isn't too great.
If you enjoy explosions it is mildly entertaining, but not many other positives can be said about it.
Quantum of Solace (2008): 100 minutes
Bond Songs: Another Way to Die by Alicia Keys and Jack White
Casino Royale
Daniel Craig takes the lead role in the 21st film in the James Bond franchise.
After a few years in the wilderness, Bond is effectively rebooted as we meet the character before he is given double-0 status and has to earn his license to kill. This is covered in the opening sequence of the film, which is displayed in black and white - a move that makes it all the more interesting.
From the opening exchange where Bond gets double-0 status, to the parkour chase through a construction site in Madagascar, and up to the final sequences in Venice, Casino Royale is nothing short of an adventure that viewers are all too keen to experience.
When first watching the film it's easy to think the high stakes poker game is a lull. In a later viewing, the tension between Bond and the main villain Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) builds up to until a minor spark could set it off. It is at this time we meet CIA agent Felix Leiter, who in this carnation of the Bond films is a hard-edged, black man (it is the first time Felix is a black man, and is played by Jeffrey Wright).
The first woman Bond seduces is the wife of a previous target, who unintentionally reveals information to Bond. Solange Dimitrios, played by Caterina Murino, is killed by Le Chiffre in retaliation. The second is Vesper Lynd, an agent from the Treasury played by Eva Green, who the young Bond falls in love with.
As with most other Bond films, his car (this time an Aston Martin DBS V12) is destroyed, but in this case quite spectacularly. In fact, the stunt where his car is totalled was confirmed by the Guiness Book of Records as a new world record for the most rolls by a car in a film - seven.
Overall it is a great film. There aren't many points that can be raised against Casino Royale, as it is a more than worthy addition to the franchise.
Casino Royale (2006) : 138 minutes
Bond Songs: You Know My Name by Chris Cornell
After a few years in the wilderness, Bond is effectively rebooted as we meet the character before he is given double-0 status and has to earn his license to kill. This is covered in the opening sequence of the film, which is displayed in black and white - a move that makes it all the more interesting.
From the opening exchange where Bond gets double-0 status, to the parkour chase through a construction site in Madagascar, and up to the final sequences in Venice, Casino Royale is nothing short of an adventure that viewers are all too keen to experience.
When first watching the film it's easy to think the high stakes poker game is a lull. In a later viewing, the tension between Bond and the main villain Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) builds up to until a minor spark could set it off. It is at this time we meet CIA agent Felix Leiter, who in this carnation of the Bond films is a hard-edged, black man (it is the first time Felix is a black man, and is played by Jeffrey Wright).
The first woman Bond seduces is the wife of a previous target, who unintentionally reveals information to Bond. Solange Dimitrios, played by Caterina Murino, is killed by Le Chiffre in retaliation. The second is Vesper Lynd, an agent from the Treasury played by Eva Green, who the young Bond falls in love with.
As with most other Bond films, his car (this time an Aston Martin DBS V12) is destroyed, but in this case quite spectacularly. In fact, the stunt where his car is totalled was confirmed by the Guiness Book of Records as a new world record for the most rolls by a car in a film - seven.
Overall it is a great film. There aren't many points that can be raised against Casino Royale, as it is a more than worthy addition to the franchise.
Casino Royale (2006) : 138 minutes
Bond Songs: You Know My Name by Chris Cornell
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