So is 007 a family man, or not?
The Bond movies in general, and last fall’s “Casino Royale” in particular, are not necessarily the first films that come to mind when you’re looking for a good DVD for the whole family.
Guns, gin and G-strings are a given in the British secret agent’s fast-moving world.
But don’t dismiss Daniel Craig’s turn as James Bond when it’s time to make your weekend pick. (“Casino Royale” arrives on DVD today, at a suggested $28.96.) The best Bond in a long time offers something for everybody, from sick stunts, to tense Texas Hold ‘Em, to eye candy in the form of Eva Green. With a thumb poised protectively over the scene-skip button on your remote, “Casino Royale” is a treat for anybody 9 years or older.
Young and old alike might want to jump over the scene where Craig, as Bond, is held hostage and beaten, in a manner that would be below the belt if he’d been wearing a belt or any other clothes at the time. It’s a rare Bond-franchise departure into the geopolitics of torture, and it feels misplaced, not to mention cringe- worthy.
But the rest is tasty PG-13, if you’re used to that rating’s level of profanity and tasteful nudity. In the opening chase scene, director Martin Campbell uses stuntmen to re-create the feel of the free-running parkour physicality of “District B13.” Teenagers even love the long poker game that helps extend “Casino” to an unreasonable 144 minutes – many kids have now played Texas Hold ‘Em with their parents, and they “get” the tension.
DVD extras packaged with “Casino” include an interview with Craig about his controversial casting for the revival of the sagging Bond empire, a review of the various Bond girls and the transition to the smart-sexy Green, and some how-tos on the stunts that made this Bond feel so fresh.
Reviving a faltering icon, though, doesn’t work unless the lead actors hit their marks. “Batman Begins” gave the dark knight new wings because Christian Bale brought a searing intensity and emotional depth to the concept. Ditto for Bond, with Craig adding a forlorn regret to the inevitable violence demanded by an action film.
One amateur Internet reviewer said Craig plays Bond as sophisticated human weapon “more likely to kick you in the groin than serve you a glass of white burgundy.” But Craig is neither humorless nor detached – he tosses off some well-timed one-liners and lets himself fall for Green’s intriguing Vesper Lynd character.
And how about that Ms. Green? I can’t tell you how many times people asked me, “What was she in before?” Admirers will be happy to learn the answer is Bernardo Bertolucci’s sexy, explicit “The Dreamers,” from 2003. Bertolucci supposedly called Paris-born Green “so beautiful, it’s indecent.”
Green’s next big role, presumably with far more costuming than she sported in either “The Dreamers” or “Casino Royale,” is in the highly anticipated juvenile fantasy film “The Golden Compass.”
Staff writer Michael Booth can be reached at 303-954-1686 or at mbooth@denverpost.com; keep up the latest in film at denverpost.com/movies.
