The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

The last time I enjoyed a Bond film was probably Goldeneye. Pierce Brosnan came across as a solid 007 agent, good story, great action with the classic villains we all come to enjoy, and of course it was also the best Nintendo 64 game released. Yeah. But the series became so cookie-cutter afterwards. With titles like Tomorrow Never Dies, Die Another Day and The World is not Enough, I stopped caring. I couldn't tell you the difference between one and the other...which one is the film where Denise Richards is the nuclear physicist (yeah, like I'm buying that)? This franchise desperately needed a fresh makeover.

Despite the fact decades of Bond films have been made and the producers are trying to sell this as a prequel, it decides to use present day technology and gizmos. I never understood the reasoning. Wouldn't you set a prequel in the 60s or 70s or something? I guess they sort of want the audience to buy into the fact the other Bond films didn't really happen so they can continue churning out movies for as long as they can.

Anyway, I digress. Daniel Craig is the new 007 and he's fantastic. Cool, edgy, assured...the sort of agent we'd expect someone who holds a licence to kill to be. But of course, he has a soft side, if the right woman can reach it. But that would lead to a spoiler, so we'll stop there.

The chief villain, Le Chiffre, sort of made me smile each time his name was mentioned as I couldn't help but think of Top Secret's character Latrine every time it was spoken. It was an unintentional laugh maybe, but sort of a wink wink homage to the cartoony villains of past Bond films. But the intensity of the action scenes and the tension of the story give Casino Royale a serious look that it needed. The Brosnan films got quite silly for me after Goldeneye, so hopefully they'll continue with the style of the 21st Bond feature.

Of course, my enjoyment was augmented by having Texas hold 'em as the game of choice for the movie. As a poker purist, I sort of didn't like the way the players would push their chips all-in (Don't splash the pot!) and some of the defining hands were a bit ridiculous...c'mon, a nut flush, a full house, a larger full house, and a straight flush all in the same hand (you might think that's a spoiler, but I saw it coming a mile away)? Not likely. But seeing them check their hole cards and play with their chips was enjoyable for a poker fan like myself.

Bond is definitely back, a movie that is tons of fun with great action & chase sequences. And poker. Watch it in theatres. 8 on 10.