CASINO ROYALE Pre-release Discussion - Page 2

Bond has been through many interpretations and incarnations onscreen, and one more won't hurt. I like the idea of an enlisted Bond, it gives him something to prove maybe, and especially with the casting of Craig, a much tougher feel. Bond is charming and confident, which can come from many different upbringings and in different forms.

And it's not just a British class system thing, it's the classic officers vs. enlisted thing. In this day and age especially, it simply makes more sense for Bond to be ex-SAS. Officers, especially ones in the Navy, simply don't do the types of things that SAS and in this country, Delta Force, do.

Live and Let Die (the novel) starts with a passage about how "sometimes a secret agent has to project the image of a wealthy man" or somesuch, and it alludes to Bond enjoying the opportunity, as some sort of fringe benefit of the job. I like that angle.

Exactly.

There are other mentions throughout the books about Bond coming from a mindset of having a 50/50 chance of dying on any given mission. So when he can, he eats well, he dresses well, he indulges in the finer things, and he spends his money as fast as he makes it. Since he assumes he'll one day be killed on the job, he has no need for savings.

I wonder if the Craig Bond will smoke.

Those are scenes from For Your Eyes Only.

Might this be the clip you were thinking of?

And here's part one to the BBC Special you posted (the quality is horrible and audio is out of synch):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD338gVDNKo

Whoops. Got my links all mixified. Thanks for setting it straight. The BBC thing I posted has better stuff than that first fistfight.

As another poster said, it's odd being excited for a Bond flick again...

AICN's "Merrick" has posted a new review of the CR script.

Even though reviews of the script have started to trickle out on a regular basis, this one is worth reading because of the detail in which it examines the tone and themes of the prospective film. Merrick has migivings about some aspects of the script and the wisdom of the reboot concept, but he still manages to make it sound very intriguing.

"For better or for worse, this James Bond is a very human, extremely flawed, and utterly sympathetic character. There is no stoicism here, no square-jawed resolve. He’s lost, and alone. M is implied to be a mother figure for him, as well as a safe-haven - though neither is clearly stated. And Bond could use a little help, because CASINO ROYALE sends him through the ringer – physically and emotionally – over and over again."

I'm fairly sure that early on Campbell said he wouldn't.

That's so weak. Bond should smoke, and if they still look at him as this clean cut role model type guy, then they're still looking at it all wrong. There's plenty of smoking movie icons already, and do they really think 007 is going to tip the balance one way or another?

I agree. Why is seeing Bond smoke a problem?

That's what he's doing the first time we meet the guy in Dr. No.

Maybe it's another origin element. Getting my testicles thrashed and mashed by some Eurotrash gambling addict would be enough to make me start smoking, too.

It doesn't matter if he smokes or not. That doesn't affect his personality in any important way.

But the script sounds good so far. Interesting concept, though this is gonna tank. Huge. If they keep all the violence and nudity in, this is gonna be R - and people don't wanna see a nihilistic Bond. They wanna see a warm and colorful charming guy with funny lines.

DIE was a huge success and CASINO is the complete antithesis of it. I wonder who came up with the idea of killing this winning concept.

The worst that could happen is deciding to make it family-friendly in the last minute, with CUTs here and there and an action- & oneliner-packed trailer.

I agree that CASINO ROYALE's box office prospects don't look all that rosy...but for different reasons. I think Bond fans actually do want to see a hard-edged Bond film. The mainstream will go see whatever they're told to see. One potential problem here, and I hate to say this, is Daniel Craig -- through no fault of his own. He's an unknown quantity for most people who looks more like a background thug than the new 007. The other big problem is that this is a prequel/reboot. Even BATMAN BEGINS, as well-received as it was, didn't hit a grand slam at the box office.

DIE ANOTHER DAY is also the second-worst Bond film in history, having been overwhelmingly lambasted for its painful unoriginality and laughably fantastical second half, not to mention terrible dialogue and over-the-top gadgetry. It was a hit because people genuinely like Pierce Brosnan, were probably curious about Halle Berry, and were sold on this being a big Bond film. CASINO ROYALE, for better or worse, has none of that going for it.

I think the best thing to have done would have been to come up with an edgy original script in the darker vein of what they're doing with CASINO ROYALE, keep Brosnan for one final appearance, and get a more exciting director.

I don't care if it affects his personality. If smoking weren't at least a little badass and cool, kids wouldn't start and every famous badass movie character wouldn't have had had a lit cigarette in his mouth. Just the facts. I watched "The Living Daylights" the other day and forgot just how cool it used to be to see Bond smoking.

See, this is why I'm a whole lot more excited about Campbell behind the cmaera than anyone else. The man knows how to make one rough as hell PG-13, and that's most assuredly still the mandate.

Take the murder of Diego's wife in "Mask of Zorro" coupled with the beheadings, stabbings, impalings and the overall gritty tone throughout. "Goldeneye" had some punch behind 006's head shots in the beginning, not to mention getting away with more overt sexuality than any of the other Brosnan films. The final fight, the fall of 006 and the usually unseen impact, Campbell knows how to make a rough movie within the confines of the rating. And he shoots for the PG-13, so he doesn't have to do any distracting and weak cuts in editing to get it that way.

Sure it does. Smoking is cool, damn you.

"Batman begins" made over $200 million coming off "Batman and Robin". That's pretty darn good for any film, let alone a franchise with that kind of baggage. More importantly, like "The Bourne Identity", it has sold incredibly well on DVD and in rentals so that by the time the sequel comes out, you have the "Austin Powers" effect where a modest hit the first time out turns into a juggernaut.

I have no doubt that "Casino Royale" is going to gross less than DAD. But that's okay, and I think it's very okay with Sony, the poppa studio for the first time. Back when MGM had it, Bond had to be a huge blockbuster because those grosses were the only thing keeping the studio afloat. He doesn't have that monkey on his back anymore.

All they need to do is have a hit, even a modest hit, but one that's very well-respected and people actually like. Get the fans excited again, make a good movie, and people will eventually see it. We all got fooled once by DAD, the problem is that if they make another huge turd, it's soon going to be over anyway.



It's all in how they choose to sell it. Do like the first "Goldeneye" teaser, show the new Bond, let audiences get a peak at him and then just knock their socks off with the action and grittiness of it. That first "Goldeneye" looked way too sexy and slick to be Bond, and it got people excited. Plus, Craig is starting to be a face, so I think if they played up having nabbed this up and coming thespian, people might be intrigued.

Maybe. But that's kind of a tall order. Brosnan, for all his noble interviews, was asking for an absolute shit ton of money by all accounts. Something $25 million plus grosses. If you're going to scale it all back and make a smaller film, that's a hell of a lot to pay out before shooting even starts. Plus, I think their ability to land a really unique director sharply declined after DAD. I think they've done pretty god actually, seeing as how we're all very excited about the newest film despite the last one being the worst in the series.

Honestly, I think BATMAN & ROBIN's failure is one reason BB did so well, because everyone was dying to see a Bat-movie that wasn't utter shit, and BB sort of succeeded in that way, so you have instant cash.

I think fans of Batman, the ones who were so incensed by B&R, knew enough going in and followed the much different approach that by the time the film came out, they needed no convincing that BB was going to be entirey different. I heard some uninformed types going on about, "but the last one was so bad" because they don't follow movies enough to know the pedigree of the people behind the camera. That's why I think the fans turned out, but mainstreamers who turned out in droves for "Batman Forever" weren't as motivated to see it in theatres.

This is nice:

Yeah, that poster is pretty slick.

Shit, nice. Thanks for posting. Is there a bigger version somewhere? I'm old.

Well, it's better than the DIE ANOTHER DAY posters, that's for sure. Actually, it kind of reminds me of the Dalton teaser posters, and that's not a bad thing.

Oh shit, that is sweet. That is going on the wall, such a very cool and understated poster. Love that he's at the casino table. I think I hear those "Enemies of Craig" retards starting to eat crow.

Now that is gorgeous and a must-have. That image is from the Scandinavian distributor's site so it's legit (also, it looks too damn good to be fake).

It seems everything they've done with the project so far with the exception of Judi Dench's return has made me see this film more and more.

Damn, that is a nice poster. Of course, I have a rule about not buying any movie merchandise until and if I see and enjoy the movie in question. Fingers crossed anyway, so we'll see if this one actually resonates with me as a fan of old-school Bond.

Editing to add that I just watched that French Teaser about eight times and now I'm super excited.

OH MY GOD.

I just creamed my pants.

Casino Royale just became my most anticipated flick of the year. Fucking awesome.

I like what I'm seeing. No space lasers or ice palaces so far. What the Bond franchise and I personally as a fan need at this point is one major step in the right direction. Just make a good film that works. And it looks like we've got a good chance of getting that. And Daniel Craig looks just great in action.

Damn impressive teaser trailer. I'm still withholding judgement on Craig until I see the film but this teaser certainly delivers the goods, for now. Hopefully an English version will appear soon.

I also agree about Judi Dench's unfortunate return as M. I mean, I love Dench and thought she was a formidable M. But this could have been a total, clean reboot, whereas now, it's just a messy step both forward and back in the 007 timeline.

Been saying this same thing since the beginning, and it's really the only thing that bugs me about the movie...and that supposedly he wins the Aston Martin from Goldfinger in a card game.

But yes, both the teaser poster and teaser trailer are quite excellent.

The trailer looks great. I'm sold.

However, is the public going to warm to Craig? Hard to predict that one.

Oh man, I'm now through the roof excited.

That trailer looks awesome, I just want to hear the dialogue. But it looks so good. I loved the black and white, the fights looked brutal, and Craig looks badass. Pretty sweet having the gunbarrel shot in a bathroom, seemingly after the precredits sequence, which I like.

The action looks good, though I knew Campbell would nail that part, and I love the shot of Craig at the table.

Yes, I wish they had gotten a new M, but it doesn't bother me. They can always recast, they might as well get another nice turn from Dench and then replace here. She gives at least a little bit of consistency which I'm sure they wanted. Just like Bernard Lee stuck around.

I'm excited. As a Bond fan, this is now my most awaited film.

I don't think it's going to matter from a standpoint of getting asses in the seats. It's Bond. That teaser is great, very fast-paced and exciting, very Bond but cooler, and Craig looks pretty damn sweet. However, if the movie is disappointing to people, I'm sure he'll bear the brunt of it.

But from that trailer, I think our high hopes have been well placed.

Sure it's Bond, but Lazenby and Dalton both had trouble at the box office, even though they debuted in strong films. I like Craig, but his appearance doesn't say "movie star" like Brosnan's. Action fans won't care, but Joe Public might.

What a well-made teaser. The brutal, jagged fight footage stands out, the crane stunt looks as spectacular as promised, the abundant flesh and sun-flooded locales help dispel the idea that this is any sort of Bourne knockoff, and care was even taken to light Dame Judi flatteringly. I'm very excited.

Guys, they've obviously taken a lot of risks with this one. But there is no way they were ever going to chance pissing off the Judi Dench fans.

In 1969, when people had only known Connery in the role, the public was a lot less likely to accept someone else in the role. Now it's become a constant, an ever-changing role with ever-changing stars. We expect it, and it's half the fun of these "first" films for the given actor. Dalton had a decent opening with "The Living Daylights", and was well-recieved. It all went to hell in "Licence to Kill" because the film was shot for a measly $30 million due to Eon financial troubles, and it was subsequently hardly promoted at all, and got crushed in one of the biggest summers in movie history, 1989. Then the legal issues arose, and Dalton never got a chance to be in another.

You might be right, but I just think if they sell the Bond aspects of this and keep churning out adrenaline pumping trailers like this, people will go to the theatre. It's up to Craig from there whether or not he makes the ole his own, but I think he will.

Looks good. The Bourne influence is clear.

I don't think it's Craig's shoulders the flick rests on, but Haggis, who despite the Crash-hate should turn out a decent script.

Craig has charisma to burn. He'll do just fine, methinks.

That teaser kicked ass man! I now officially can't wait for this film. I'm gonna miss Pierce Brosnan, but Daniel Craig looks FUCKING COOL.

Pierce who? Seriously though, I thought he was fantastic in his first two outings, but I had stopped being excited about him long ago. Craig remedies that, big time.

I just got the double-O 7 reference in the poster.

Nice.

Casino Royale has always been a shadow in the background, promising something good... With that teaser, WAPOW! Bond is awesome again, with a spinning jawbreaker kick to the kisser.

sold.

I am very very glad that this teaser looks good. I only watched Die Another Day once because I hated it so much, but I have been enthused about nearly everything regarding this one (although i still wish it was set in the past), this teaser gives me ammo for convincing people that this movie will be at the very least exciting/watchable.

Meh. Looks like another generic action flick.

Well, it is a teaser, and in reality, the Bond films are action flicks. Plus we didn't get the dialogue. If a large part of the "action" is a card game, then I think that will be pretty unique.

Generic my ass.

looks very good