007 ALERT: Bond Beats Chinese CensorsPic First in Franchise To Get Bigscreen Release

Variety ^ | Wed., Nov. 15, 2006 | By CLIFFORD COONAN

[fight_truth_decay]

James Bond appears to have won over one of his toughest adversaries yet - China's film censor. The Film Board has passed 007's latest outing "Casino Royale" for release in China - the first time Ian Fleming's master spy has been seen in Chinese cinemas. Pic will screen on January 30th, according to Sony Pictures in China.

"We are extremely pleased that the film has passed and expect it to be one of the highest grossing films next year in China," said Li Chow, Sony Pictures' general manager in China.

Chinese auds are familiar with 007 through pirated copies, but none of the earlier films in the franchise have had a bigscreen release and getting approval for the pic marks a major success for Sony in China.

007's "license to kill" maverick attitude, violence and sexual peccadilloes are anathema to the kinds of values China embraces in its pics. His penchant for espionage in other jurisdictions or "third countries" has meant he has failed to make it past the censors until now.

This is, later than expected and there had been hopes that "Casino" would get a day-and-date release in China, but it was pushed back because of a "blackout" -- two or three times a year, China puts a freeze on the release of foreign films in order to promote patriotic domestic fare and propaganda movies.

The release of the Bond pic may change the scheduled release of other foreign movies slated for January, including French helmer Luc Besson's animated pic "Arthur and the Minimoys", local media reported. ENDS

[fight_truth_decay]

"Christ, I miss the Cold War," Judi Dench's spymaster M mutters at the beginning of "Casino Royale," the 21st James Bond picture and the most raw, intense film of the franchise - reports SF Gate.

Just as the superspy was created as a product of his times and thrived at the height of U.S.-Soviet tensions, so too is the latest Bond in the series. In his debut in the iconic role, Daniel Craig functions as a post-9/11 007, the enemies being terrorists from throughout the world.

Dastardly commands are given by cell phone text message, one of which involves blowing up a plane. And the ultimate showdown between Bond and the biggest bad guy of all, a crafty financier who invests terrorists' money, takes place at a multimillion-dollar Texas hold-'em poker match — like something you'd see over and over on ESPN. (In Ian Fleming's 1953 book "Casino Royale," the game was Baccarat; the filmmakers changed it to poker to make the movie more contemporary.)

The foes may sound vastly different from the ones Sean Connery fought in 1962's "Dr. No," when moviegoers first met the sexy secret agent of Fleming's novels. (Though "Casino Royale" is a prequel that introduces us to the character as he receives his double-0 status, orders his first martini and drives his first Aston Martin, it takes place now.)

But even from the beginning of the series, Bond (with the frequent help of the CIA) never battled traditional enemies of the West "but rogue, aberrant, maverick villains who don't represent communist governments, but often seek in their own way to make the Cold War worse for both sides," said Stephen J. Whitfield, author of "The Culture of the Cold War."

"Even though Bond is a Cold War hero, he transcends the official conflict by dealing with villains who are even more salacious or devious than the KGB or communist China," said Whitfield, a professor of American studies at Brandeis University. "In my take of the films — the earlier films, the films that Sean Connery starred in — what they're really trying to say is, they tend to make the actual communist adversaries seem less hostile and less dangerous."

In 1963's "From Russia With Love," for example, Lotte Lenya's character is a former KGB agent who has broken off on her own, which makes the KGB seem less menacing by comparison. In that sense, Whitfield added, the longtime enemies in the Bond world are similar to the bad guys in the real world today.

"Osama bin Laden, he is the realization of what Ian Fleming had imagined of the billionaire who is both a crackpot and truly dangerous in the scale of his ambitions of violence," he said. "It's very, very different from a Khrushchev or a Brezhnev, different certainly from the conventional communist foes that America was supposed to be very, very wary about."

The sixth and latest Bond, Craig, has met his intellectual match in French actress Eva Green as the smart, stunningly beautiful Treasury official who arranges the money for his "Casino Royale" poker match. She's no Bond girl strutting around poolside in a bikini, and while she does fall for him (and he for her, in a rare, early example of the spy being consumed by his emotions) it takes awhile.

But from the minute Craig was announced as the next actor to wear that famously tailored tuxedo, he's been slammed for everything from his blond hair and looks (which are rougher than those of the elegant Bond to which we've grown accustomed) to his filmography ("Sylvia,""Layer Cake,""Munich").

"I always said when the criticism started coming through, wait and see what the movie is about because I knew from the very beginning we were going to try and do something," the British actor told AP Television News. "I wouldn't have set in on this if we weren't trying to make a great movie. That was the intention. I was always going, 'See the movie. If you don't like it, that's fine, but wait and see.'"

Regardless of who's playing Bond, some things have remained constants — the elaborate sets and fashionable costumes, the lavish, jet-set lifestyle and the aura of sexuality, said longtime documentary maker Laurent Bouzereau, author of "The Art of Bond."

More MI6 News : Casino Royale

Casino Royale - November 17th 2006

[fight_truth_decay]

The Bond we meet in "Casino Royale" is very much a man of his time. He smokes three and a half packs of cigarettes a day (a custom blend of Balkan and Turkish tobaccos) and has a sharp eye for ethnicity (large earlobes are a giveaway that their owner is Jewish). He also has a strictly utilitarian view of women, or "blithering women," as he puts it. They were "for recreation," he muses. "On a job they got in the way and fogged things up with sex and hurt feelings and all the emotional baggage they carried around ... Why the hell couldn't they stay at home and mind their pots and pans and stick to their frocks and gossip and leave men's work to the men?" (Whether or not this attitude was in any way connected with Bond's enthusiasm for cold showers, Fleming doesn't say.) Unlike many Bush-phobic Brits of today, however, 007 is fond of his transatlantic cousins — some of them: "Bond reflected that good Americans were fine people and that most of them came from Texas." --'Casino Royale': The Bond Book That Got Away, By Kurt Loder for MTV

[james500]

Dr. No was entertaining and Jack Lord's CIA guy was professional. After that, it seemed like there was a pathological need to portray American military/intelligence as either unnecessary, wrong, or in the way. They degenerated into a collection of dumb gadgets and one-liners and I lost interest. I don't know if they're still like that though.

[Criminal Number 18F]

Uncanny. The professor who talks about how the Bond series is all about imaginary Hollywood type villains (like when Clancy's The Sum of All Fears morphed its bad guys from Arab jihadis to... European Neo-Nazis in its slimy progress from page to screen), apparently has not read the books. While the books often did create fanciful villains, there is never a moment's doubt as to whether the Russkies were good guys or not. (Come to think of it, this prof, like most of his kind, probably came through the cold war without a moment's doubt as to whether the Russkies were good guys or not -- of course, his answer would be "good guys.")

As far as the film goes, I'll skip it. This actor Craig seems like a lightweight compared to Connery or Moore. Heck, he's a lightweight compared to George Lazenby.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[pawdoggie]

I've seen Daniel Craig in other films. He's actually not a bad actor, and he looks a bit like Terrence Stamp. He went on a bit of an anti-gun rant that didn't endear him to fans of the Second Amendment, nor did it help to identify him with his role (Bond loved his Walther PPK, after being forced to give up his "ladies' gun" .25 caliber Berretta). I'll go see it, better Craig than Moore or that great Metro-Sexual Brosnan.

[Eurotwit]

As for Craig, I think it is the exact opposite.

The first manly Bond since Connery.

Cheers.

[Armedanddangerous]

I actually took off this afternoon to see it.

It started out totally different than any other Bond film Ive ever seen, and Ive seen them all (have them all on DVD).

This is probably one of the top three in terms of action, humor and dialogue.

One of the good parts is the relationshipe between 007 and M..his boss. She starts out believing him to be a dangerous rogue, and as time goes along she realizes that the man is probably the best operator in the service.

He starts out as a cocky, arrogant agent, and through a series of failures, learns to put his ego away and become the 007 we grew up loving..

The very last line uttered in the film makes you realize this guy has nailed the role of James Bond...and I want to see it again this weekend.

Even if you never liked Bond and liked the Bourne movies, you will like this one.

Pay attention to the scene at the Miami airport for the fastest cameo in movie history..pay attention to the metal detectors..


I even went to the movie figuring I'd hate that new theme song called YOU KNOW MY NAME..but it really fit in with the opening credits..pay attention to the opening credits by the way, they tell you how 007 got his license to kill, and the back story is really sort of different than his history in the novels.

[KillTime]

I'm looking forward to this one. The only Bond film I haven't seen is the origional "Casino Royale" with David Niven as an older Bond...some sort of spy spoof back in the 60's I think.

[KillTime]

I'm looking forward to this one. The only Bond film I haven't seen is the origional "Casino Royale" with David Niven as an older Bond...some sort of spy spoof back in the 60's I think.

[KillTime]

"where is that delete second post button?"

[Jmouse007]

I just returned from Casino Royal, all I can say is

O U T S T A N D I N G! Don't miss seeing this on the silver screen.

It was nice for the franchise to get back to basics after all of the gimmicks, bad one liners and predictable plots/scripts. The action is intense, Bond gets "shaken not stirred". He actually bleeds and has scars for quite a while after his encounters with people bent on his destruction (I don't even want to tell you what the other guys look like) and there are enough twists and turns in the story to keep the audience captivated. The writers did an excellent job

Mr. Craig has a tremendously lethal yet sexy screen presence and he nails Mr. Flemings Bond to a tee. All I can say is with this performance he will have the role for as long as he wants it.

Sony took a tremendous gamble rebooting the series and they came up with a Royal Flush!

I went into the film not wanting to like it because of Craig's gaffs with not knowing how to drive a stick and "hating guns", all of the critics and bad pre publicity but everything works, and I mean everything, except the opening title song. It lacks that certain "something" that makes for an outstanding song like Goldfinger or Goldeneye. Some people may also be let down by the opening titles because they are not the usual bill of fare, but they work with the title of the film and it's main theme/location.

Mr. Craig brings a certain ruggedness, killer survival instinct and yet a hint of vulnerability (that is soon quashed by the end of reel three)to the screen and character that has been unseen for decades.

This is a vanity thread and I am just a paying customer like everyone else here on FR but I just have one word of advice; don't listen to the naysayers! Give Daniel Craig a chance and go see Casino Royal for yourself. Not only will you be surprised and entertained, you will get to see Flemings Bond in action! Something few actors have nailed and many would say has not been seen since Sean Connery first brought him to life and gave us something special to look forward to every two or three years.

For "professional" critique check out what the critics have to say about CASINO ROYAL on

www.rottentomatoes.com

If you have seen it please post your comments here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1740548/posts

[Jmouse007]

I just returned from Casino Royal, all I can say is

O U T S T A N D I N G! Don't miss seeing this on the silver screen.

It was nice for the franchise to get back to basics after all of the gimmicks, bad one liners and predictable plots/scripts. The action is intense, Bond gets "shaken not stirred". He actually bleeds and has scars for quite a while after his encounters with people bent on his destruction (I don't even want to tell you what the other guys look like) and there are enough twists and turns in the story to keep the audience captivated. The writers did an excellent job

Mr. Craig has a tremendously lethal yet sexy screen presence and he nails Mr. Flemings Bond to a tee. All I can say is with this performance he will have the role for as long as he wants it.

Sony took a tremendous gamble rebooting the series and they came up with a Royal Flush!

I went into the film not wanting to like it because of Craig's gaffs with not knowing how to drive a stick and "hating guns", all of the critics and bad pre publicity but everything works, and I mean everything, except the opening title song. It lacks that certain "something" that makes for an outstanding song like Goldfinger or Goldeneye. Some people may also be let down by the opening titles because they are not the usual bill of fare, but they work with the title of the film and it's main theme/location.

Mr. Craig brings a certain ruggedness, killer survival instinct and yet a hint of vulnerability (that is soon quashed by the end of reel three)to the screen and character that has been unseen for decades.

This is a vanity thread and I am just a paying customer like everyone else here on FR but I just have one word of advice; don't listen to the naysayers! Give Daniel Craig a chance and go see Casino Royal for yourself. Not only will you be surprised and entertained, you will get to see Flemings Bond in action! Something few actors have nailed and many would say has not been seen since Sean Connery first brought him to life and gave us something special to look forward to every two or three years.

For "professional" critique check out what the critics have to say about CASINO ROYAL on

www.rottentomatoes.com

If you have seen it please post your comments here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1740548/posts

[fight_truth_decay]

Returned from Casino Royal. Enjoyed every minute of it.
The foot chase between Bond and the terrorist had me shoving pop corn (shaken with peanut M&M's) into my mouth faster than the norm. Super display of athletic ability' Super charged with action, Super footage!

This film has more depth of character, superb acting and a more intelligent film content than other Bond films. Daniel Craig has the rugged look of a spy that has endured torture instead of the slick playboy image of previous Bonds.

French actress Eva Green is most compatible with Craig and offers more depth to the roll as "the Catholic" sorta, kinda Bond girl. M hasn't aged and has more prime time then experienced in her previous famous The "Boss" roles.

If Casino Royal were not marketed under the 007 or James Bond series, I could easily visualize this film a Vince Flynn spy thriller with the ever popular Mike Rapp character. Flynn, Bell, DeMille fine-tuned the Bond roles for their successful spy-thriller novels.

Craig did an incredible job and I can see him continuing as "The" Bond in upcoming films, as Toby McQuire continues to be accepted as the only actor to successfully portray "The" Spider-man.

Lot of subliminal "supers" I've used here. Definitely, a Super movie!

[fight_truth_decay]

Check some of the reviews here. Now, I have actually seen this Bond film can offer my recommendation.

[the scotsman]

Mate,if you think he is a lightweight,you aint seen the film.

Craig is the toughest Bond since Connery and in parts FAR more brutal...he is excellent in the role.

I really do recommend it,like the rest of us here.

Criminal,you WONT be disappointed.I know a few 'anti-Craig for Bond' people and EVERY ONE has admitted to me this week that they were wrong..

WELL WORTH your dollars,mate.

[Criminal Number 18F]

Thanks, Jock, and all those who recommended the film. I am working like a coolie but will try to see it early this week.

You have persuaded me to give Mr Craig a chance.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F