Rick's filmBlog

I really loved the first 1/3 of this movie, but it eventually fails.  The performances are great but I thought it was eventually crushed under the weight of the "seriousness" it was trying to achieve.  It simply goes on for too long, and feels extremely out of its own depth.  The obsession with food (preparing, sharing, eating), violence, and sex just comes off as...sophomore year of film school.

So after being called out in comments on my "huh?" post about this film *ahem* : ) I will report that I loved this movie. The trailer had me worried, but that fear clearly misplaced. It's funny how much power a trailer can have in setting expectations. Anyways, I loved the pace of this, the touch of realism that only enhanced its sexy sheen, and Daniel Craig as Bond. He just works on screen, and as much worry and mocking there was before this came out he pulled it off. As somewhat of a connosieur of Bond movies, I was left satisfied. I'm a guy that embraces the kitschy camp of The Spy Who Loved Me while simultaneously reviling the cheesy action camp of Die Another Day. To be sure, Casino Royale certainly has cheese. It's a Bond movie, it's inevitable. But by making Bond just a touch more human, I think they've saved the franchise. If this had been another Die Another Day, I'm not sure I could have gone back for another heaping spoonful. Now hopefully the producers and everyone involved in this take the right lessons to heart and don't return to those days.