Bond is back in the franchise's first straight sequel. This film picks up right where the last one left off with a dizzying car chase sequence. Those who did not see CASINO ROYALE might be lost from the start in this adrenaline-high action flick. Bond fans looking for a lighter installment will be disappointed, but those who fancy the edgier Bond films such as FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE or FOR YOUR EYES ONLY will really enjoy how the franchise is slowly developing the character.
At the end of CASINO, Bond (Daniel Craig) sought revenge on those that killed his beloved Vespa by gunning for secret organization bigwig Mr. White (Jesper Christensen, ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS). MI6 head M (Judi Dench, MRS. BROWN) is concerted that 007 is now blinded by rage and will go to any extreme to find those behind the conspiracy. Following leads, he trails environmental exec Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric, THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY), whom is involved in a shady deal with exiled Bolivian general Medrano (Joaquin Cosio).
Once M cuts off Bond's access, he must enlist help from former questionable allies, as well as new questionable foes of his enemies. This includes: Camille (Olga Kurylenko, MAX PAYNE), a scarred beauty with a grudge of her own; pretty agent Strawberry Fields (Gemma Arterton, ROCKNROLLA); and CIA operative Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright, BROKEN FLOWERS), who has problems within his agency as well.
Director Marc Forster is better known for dramas such as MONSTER'S BALL, FINDING NEVERLAND and THE KITE RUNNER. This is his first action film and he shows a "follow the trends" attitude when it comes to the action. Just like the move from Doug Liman to Paul Greengrass in the BOURNE franchise, the great action and fight sequences of the first film are muddied up in the sequel with tightly shot and hyper edited action. What is the point of staging elaborate car chases and fight choreography if you can see it? The style doesn't create a heightened drama only a headache. It disorients the viewer and pulls us right out of the scene. When you hire a story director to do an action film make sure they actually like action sequences and don't just want to rush to the next character moment. The viewer likes to see action in action films. Take a page from Asian action directors and classic dance movies, pull the camera back and let the choreography drive the thrills.
That's really my only beef with the film. And the action sequences are less frantic toward the end. Forster, along with screenwriters Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, hint at the darkness that has grown in the heart of Bond, a man whose job it is to kill people, and what it does to him when someone he cares about is killed. The parallel between he and Camille is compelling and I liked how they dealt with some of the trademarks of the character, like his way with women and choice of drinks, in more personal ways. His adversarial relationship with the female M is different than Sean Connery's male bosses. Connery's Bond liked to show who had the bigger… guts, while Craig's Bond and Dench's M's relationship has an overprotective mother feel. Even more so than CASINO, the duo have some nice dark humor between them.
When I was done with QUANTUM OF SOLACE, I respected CASINO ROYALE more. For a franchise that desperately needed a revitalization, the direction this new film shows is promising. It's quick and tight in both good and bad ways. Non-fans will be a bit lost, but in a way that will make them want to see the preceding film, not wish they hadn't come to see the new film. Craig proves again that he is a great Bond, even if he has less to do this time around. In judging the film, it's hard to remove the film from its place in a series. As a story, it's a three star affair, but in the larger context of re-defining an iconic character it's a great step in the right direction. It retains some of the promise of CASINO ROYALE and moves the franchise into an open direction to develop more of the Bond characteristics, while giving them an emotional place to be born from.
I once ticked off a classic Bond fan by calling him metrosexual, noting the character's attention to style and a sexuality that was more refined than macho. With this new Bond, he might have a suave exterior, but that's just a front for the tortured beast that lies within. Bond has never been more macho.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
