Movie Review: Casino Royale B-

While I thought that "Casino Royale" was pretty good, it ultimately garners a B-. *** Before discussing what I did not like, let met begin by mentioning what I did. Daniel Craig definitely gets an A as Bond. The locations are spectacular, and the action scenes are pretty good (in particular, the chase in Africa and the collapsing building in Venice stand out). The screenplay, while containing a convoluted story and lacking the so-bad-its-good double entendres of the past, has some particularly clever lines. *** That said, here are the shortcomings I found with the movie. (1) Not enough gadgets and the absence of Q. While I don't want the characters to be outshined by the gadgets, at least impress me with something new and creative. Part of the fun of the older movies is when he is given the device near the beginning with the audience's knowledge that, at some point later on and in some unforeseen way, it will indeed be used. The implanted tracking device (variants of which have been around for, like, ever) and the defibrilator in the car are insufficient. (2) Lack of a Compelling Villain. Yes, the guy who cries tears of blood is a financier of terrorists and, undoubtedly, a bad guy. However, where are the nefarious schemes for world domination, or diabolical plots to pit nations against each other in a way that will somehow benefit the bad guy? Though the Cold War is over, that should not prevent one from thinking big in terms of plot. (3) Where are the Bond Girls? Above publicity photo notwithstanding, the movie suffers from serious shortcomings as to screen (and skin!) time of Bond girls. One promisingly appears early on but, disappointingly, disappears quickly. While the British government woman who accompanies Bond to the card game in Montenegro is attractive and interesting, I want foreign, mysterious women to grace Bond with their presence. Also, related to No. 2 above, a hot villainess is a nice touch as well. (4) The Card Game Strains to Hold One's Attention. While the card game which takes place at the title locale is stylishly shot, I have seen more compelling card playing drama on the World Series of Poker on ESPN. (5) The Previous Bond Films Were Not So Bad. Lost in all the accolades for the new movie is the fact that the most recent one (and the last featuring Pierce Brosnan), "Die Another Day", was quite good. Halle Berry, an amazingly entertaining fencing fight and the villain's ice palace are just a few parts of a pretty enjoyable Bond movie. The point here is to counter any implicit criticisms of the most recent films that are arguably present in some of the more gushing favorable reviews.