Bondathon Podcast Part 7!!! We did it!!

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Here you go the final Podcast of the challenge at least - Daniel Craig. Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace and SkyFall (NO SPOILERS) Enjoy!!!

Casino Royale (2006)

After watching the previous twenty films, this one is a hard thing to write about. Why? Simply because I really shouldn’t judge it on anything that’s come before it. The film is based on Fleming’s first James Bond book and is rightly so the choice of story to not only launch a new actor, but the producers have deliberately drawn a line in the sand. This Bond is the start of a new canon, for it is a reboot. This is BOND BEGINS!

So, with that in mind, what do we have?  James Bond, a highly trained naval commander, has just made 00 status at MI6. His first mission is to must stop a man called Le Chiffre, a banker to the worlds terrorist organizations, from winning a high-stakes poker tournament at Casino Royale in Montenegro.

With the pre-titles sequence, we know we are watching something very, very different. Shot in black and white, styled like a noir cold war thriller from the Sixties. Daniel Craig is introduced with two assassinations, one brutal fight in a men’s public toilet and the second a quick simple kill. The gun barrel is kind of here!

The film opens with a very impressive stunt sequence; so not everything is new. The producers still use current trends within the Bond film franchise. This time in 2006 Parkour or Free Running was at its height within popular culture and watched mostly on YouTube. The film casts one of the main pioneers of this extreme sport, Sebastien Foucan. He plays a bomb maker that 007 chases down on foot, which leads to an awe-inspiring foot chase through a building site, jumping from high rise crane to crane and to a shoot out at an embassy. A very fresh action scene, but undenably Bondian.

Daneil Craig was a shock casting to fans and at the time it gave to negative press coverage, claiming him to be Bland Bond or Blonde Bond? Yes, I agree physically he doesn’t look like a traditional 007, that being tall, dark and handsome. But after a few minutes watching him as the character, you soon realise why he’s Bond, especially within this rebooted new franchise. They have taken Bond into a modern setting, foregoing the gentleman spy making his way round to megalomaniacs and fellow gentlemen spies from other nationalities. The world we live in is not the 1950s or 1960s, the world we live in is very complex and so are our enemies. This James Bond is a very believable 007, a orphan, Oxford University graduate who joined the navy, a career seaman reached the rank of Commander, would definitely spent time with the SBS regiment, before being recruited by MI6 for black ops. We find him at the start of his 00 promotion and Daniel Craig plays this part perfectly. He owns this Bond, he is a stone cold brutal killer, a highly educated man who can fit in a crowd and disappear just as fast. Ladies and gentleman, Bond is back… or more importantly, Bond has re-begun.

With the rebirth of an icon and also managing to deliver believable Bondian action scenes that thankfully don’t rely on CGI to complete them (see Die Another Day), they manage to get so much wrong, After the Parkour action, we have a fantastic chase/fight across runways of an airport, this brings us an hour into the film and we are introduced to Vesper a HM Treasury Agent, played by Eva Green. She accompanies Bond to the poker match at the casino.

Suddenly we are treated to the most expensive filmed re=enactment of Channel 4’s Late Night Poker! To make a card game exciting for a movie audience is a hard task, which this film proves– even with various distractions away from the game, from fights on stairways and Bond being poisoned. No matter what the script has for us it just never makes the poker scenes punch. However, what happens away from the poker table is interesting, not just the action – more importantly this new franchise, bravely and rightfully shows the effects upon our heroes. They are human, they feel, not everything can be repressed; no man is a robot. A scene where Bond cleans himself up after killing two men in the stairway while Vesper watched is just electrifying. No words are spoken, Bond cleans himself up and it’s just with a look and body movement that Craig delivers exactly what he’s feeling. Taking life is never easy and he didn’t want Vesper to see that side of him.            

Mads Mikkelsen plays the villain. What’s interesting is he is not a top dog, not a conventional villain. However, because of his involvement with various organized crime and terrorist organisations, he is at the top of Bond’s watch list. It’s the information Bond wants from this accountant, who is desperate to replace money he’s ‘borrowed’ from these various unsavoury people and gambled it away. Le Cheffre makes an interesting villain, a man very much desperate, on the edge and very sinister.

The relationship between Vesper and Bond is a complex affair, but completely central to the story. They start as bickering work colleagues, more importantly it’s obviously flirtatious. They smoulder on screen, the chemistry is undeniable – this is why Bond hated her having to see what he can do, especially when he killed the men in the stairway. When Bond is captured and tortured, but survives and spends time recuperating in hospital. Vesper visits him. It’s here in the earliest start of his 00 status that Bond wonders if this is the life for him, he has fallen in love with her. His shield has fallen, he talks of leaving the service, this is the real thing for 007. So, when her betrayal is revealed it is that much more heart wrenching for us the viewer. Finding out that the person you love and trust the most in the world can destroy a man. Or in Bond’s case make a man, the man we know him to be.

The film does everything it should do, for some it didn’t have enough action or Bondian moments –well it shouldn’t, because he’s not there yet. He’s not fully that man yet, that’s to come – but first he must get revenge. Even if she betrayed him and he says he’s glad “.the bitch is dead”. We the audience and M know different. Alas, this is merely Part 1 of this story and for once in the franchises history the story continues directly on, straight after Bond pays Mr White a visit!

One of the best Bond films ever and one of the greatest re-boots ever!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Rhys

Countdown: The Watchers' 10 Worst Bond Villains

Sadly, just as not every Bond film can be a Goldfinger, not every Bond villain can be a Scaramanga. Several of the threats that Bond has faced during his illustrious career are about as threatening as a ride on the Teacups and instil about as much fear as a three month old kitten. Here, then, are The Watchers' 10 Worst Bond Villains.


1. GUSTAV GRAVES
(played by Toby Stephens in Die Another Day)

As written, Graves comes across as a bland posh boy whose utter arrogance comes across as deeply annoying. That's before you factor in the bizarre gene therapy and space laser stuff. Stephens sadly can't do much to redeem such a fundamentally unlikeable character.





2. KAMAL KHAN
(played by Louis Jourdan in Octopussy)

When we were coming up with this countdown, we were both unable to remember this character's name- so we called him 'the villain from Octopussy'. When the best you can come up with is a vague description of a character, it doesn't bode well.

3. CARL STROMBERG
(played by Curt Jurgens in The Spy Who Loved Me)

It's a shame that The Spy Who Loved Me- such a strong film- is cursed with such a weak villain. Stromberg's plan is standard nuclear apocalypse fare and the underwater lair seems ridiculous- even if we do get the underwater Lotus as a result.





4. DR. JULIUS NO
(played by Joseph Wiseman in Dr. No)

Whilst not as bad as some other portrayals in the 1960s (Mickey Rooney in Breakfast At Tiffany's, I'm looking at you) there's something slightly racist about the portrayal of No in the film- he is half-Chinese, half-German- which severely colours any attempts at making him a credible villain.





5. ERNST STAVRO BLOFELD
(played by Charles Gray in Diamonds Are Forever)

Gray is an exceptional character actor, but sadly his performance as Blofeld is flawed. He just doesn't have the menace of Pleasance or the charm of Savalas. He isn't even bald. Plus, the whole scene in drag (whilst funny) is utterly unnecessary.





6. DOMINIC GREENE
(played by Mathieu Amalric in Quantum Of Solace)

Whilst having an environmentalist as a villain is a neat trick, Greene- like Le Chiffre- is never really a major threat due to the Quantum connection. Amalric's performance is entirely underwhelming as well.





7. ARIS CHRISTATOS
(played by Julian Glover in For Your Eyes Only)

Another example of a strong film being landed with a weak villain. Christatos is a standard Russian double agent, which we've seen in the Bond franchise previously and done much better








8. GENERAL BRAD WHITTAKER
(played by Joe Don Baker in The Living Daylights)

Whittaker's as mad as a box of frogs with a Napoleon complex which should make for an interesting character. Sadly he just seems like a tinpot crackpot wannabe-dictator which is difficult to take seriously.






9. LE CHIFFRE
(played by Mads Mikkelsen in Casino Royale)

Crying blood is interesting but it doesn't do an awful lot to differentiate Le Chiffre from many of the other identikit 'sinister businessmen' that Bond has confronted over the years. Plus, Le Chiffre isn't as big a threat as he first seems as he's having his strings pulled by Quantum.

10. LARGO
(played by Adolfo Celi in Thunderball)

Just dull. A dull villain in a dull film (It should be pointed out that this is only Tez's opinion of the film and the villain and not a unilateral one).








So who would you put in this Rogues' Gallery of underwhelming threats to 007? Telly Savalas' Blofeld? Whittaker's compatriot General Koskov, or perhaps Kamal's partner-in-crime Orlov? Let us know in the comments below.

Next week, we countdown the Ten Worst Bond Henchmen.

Ian Fleming: The Father Of Bond

There are several people without whom we would not be taking on the Bondathon challenge. We will highlight some of them in the upcoming weeks, but it seems only right to start with the creator of Bond: Ian Fleming

Fleming was born in London on 28 May 1908 and was educated at Eton College, editing a school magazine whilst there. After a failed attempt to join the Foreign Office, Fleming started working for Reuters News Agency in 1931 as a sub-editor and journalist, spending time in Moscow during 1933. He worked as a banker and stockbroker before becoming personal assistant to Rear Admiral John Godfrey, Director of Naval Intelligence in May 1939. He was commissioned into the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in July of 1939, initially as a lieutenant and then as a commander.

During the Second World War, Fleming worked out of Room 39 at The Admiralty, excelling in administration as Godfrey’s personal assistant and writing memoranda that would have an impact on the course of the war. In 1941-42, Godfrey placed Fleming in charge of Operation Golden Eye which would maintain an intelligence framework in Spain in the event of a German takeover. In 1942, Fleming formed a unit of commandos known as No. 30 Commando, 30 Assault Unit or (more informally) his ‘Red Indians’. The unit would be near the front line of advance in order to seize enemy documents from previously targeted headquarters.

Also in 1942, Fleming attended an Anglo-American intelligence summit in Jamaica and liked the place so much, he decided to live there once the war was over. For a sum of £2000, Fleming purchased land on the north shore at Oracabessa and a house was built, which he named… Goldeneye. Upon his demobilisation in May 1945, Fleming became the Foreign Manager in the Kemsley newspaper group, which at the time owned The Sunday Times. His contract allowed him to take three months holiday every winter in Jamaica. He worked full-time for the paper until December 1959, but continued to write articles until at least 1961

Fleming had mentioned to friends during the war that he wished to write a spy novel, and- in 1952- he achieved this, writing Casino Royale within two months in Jamaica. The main character of Casino Royale was an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and a commander of the Royal Naval Reserve. His name? Bond. James Bond. 

Taking the character’s name from a real-life ornithologist (the author of Birds Of The West Indies), Fleming explained that ‘I wanted the simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name I could find… Exotic things would happen to and around him but he would be a neutral figure - an anonymous blunt instrument wielded by a Government Department.’ Published by Jonathan Cape in 1953, such was the popularity of Casino Royale that three print runs were needed to cope with the demand.

After Casino Royale, Fleming used his annual three-month sabbatical at Goldeneye to complete another Bond novel. The next novels published were Live And Let Die (1954), Moonraker (1955), Diamonds Are Forever (1956), From Russia With Love (1957), Dr. No (1958) and Goldfinger (1959). For Your Eyes Only (1960) is a collection of five short stories- ‘From A View To A Kill’, ‘For Your Eyes Only’, ‘Quantum Of Solace’, ‘Risico’ and ‘The Hildebrand Rarity’- whilst Thunderball (1961) is a novelisation of a film script written by Fleming along with Kevin McClory and Jack Whittingham. 

Further Bond novels included The Spy Who Loved Me (1962), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1963) and You Only Live Twice (1964). The Man With The Golden Gun was published posthumously, along with a collection of stories: 'Octopussy' and 'The Living Daylights'. Originally comprising these two stories, further paperback editions have also included the short stories ‘The Property Of A Lady’ and ‘007 In New York’.

Aside from the Bond novels and stories, Fleming published two pieces of non-fiction- The Diamond Smugglers (1957) and Thrilling Cities (1963)- and the children’s novel Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, which was also published posthumously. Fleming died on 12 August 1964 at the age of 56 from a heart attack; his final recorded words were an apology to the ambulance drivers for inconveniencing them.

Fleming was ranked fourteenth in The Times' 2008 poll of 'The 50 Greatest British Writers Since 1945' and his Bond novels are amongst the best-selling book series in the world. John F. Kennedy revealed that From Russia With Love was one of his ten favourite books. Whatever you may think of his writing style or manner, his literary achievements are undeniable.