Shaken or Stirred?

I love the new Bond. 

We went to see Casino Royale  on Sunday and I’ve been trying to figure out when I can go see it again.  I liked Pierce Brosnan as Bond, and had the same doubts about a blond Bond as many other people — but I thought Daniel Craig was superb.  And I really like the move away from the technological toys and special effects, and back to character — although the plot still required a lot of willing suspension of disbelief. 

The opening  credits were visually clever, but disappointingly unsexy.  But the opening sequence made up for that — it’s a stunning scene of  parkour, or urban steeplechase, and exemplifies the move away from high tech and back toward grittier action.  Beautifully done..

A small fun moment was the cameo appearance by Richard Branson.  Maybe he loaned them the airplanes for the shooting?

The card playing scenes went on too long for my taste, but I don’t watch Celebrity Poker or the World Series of Poker on television either — and apparently a lot of people do.  I’ll discuss later why poker is a game and not a sport..

The most post-modern moment in the movie comes when Bond orders a martini and the bartender asks "Shaken or stirred?"  He responds "Do I look like I give a damn?" 

This is a 21st century Bond, and I’m looking forward to more..