Is Craig like Connery?

[Kristatos]

Oh but you're not willing to be fair hey? Cut a guy down before he's even shot a scene. Nice.

Nope, as I said in my review, I went into CR wanting to like Craig, despite my misgivings. There were people who wrote off Craig before the film was released, but not all anti-Craigers fall into that category.

[The Sweeney]

I have since re-read Casino Royale (I recommend this to all of you) and was struck by how exactly Craig nailed the tough, emotionless, not-yet-sophisticated Bond of the book.

Didn't take long, already talking down to us. The alphabet is just so d**n hard, never thought of combining the letters to make words

All he said was that he recommended people re-read the novel. And you think this is talking down to you.....??

[carl stromberg]

I think the subtext of Sundog's post (which was thoughtful - I hope he posts again) was that he is an expert on the Ian Fleming Bond canon, and therefore his opinion is more valid than most others - in particular the "anti-Craigers" on this forum.

But, surprisingly enough, other people have read the Ian Fleming James Bond books (which are available in all good bookshops and public libraries) and have different opinions on how close Daniel Craig was to the James Bond in the Casino Royale novel.

[adam]

Hi, this is my first post. Let me say immediately, so as not to mislead, that I don't agree with the premise of this page; that being said, I'm not here to troll. I'm just curious where all this energy comes from. After all, we're not talking about The Avengers movie or something equally hideous.

Let me first state my bona fides. I have been a Fleming fan since the early sixties, and am far more of a fan of the books than the movies. Just to let you know where I'm coming from, I pretty much reject ALL the Bonds except Connery and Brosnan. I thought Roger Moore was a clown (it tickled me no end that they dressed him as one), and the others are better not remembered at all.

At first I thought the same of Craig, mostly from admittedly froglike photos I had seen. I wondered how this ugly blonde guy could possibly be Bond.

So as not to be offensive, I will not go on and on about how my mind changed after seeing the movie. I have since re-read Casino Royale (I recommend this to all of you) and was struck by how exactly Craig nailed the tough, emotionless, not-yet-sophisticated Bond of the book.

(As an aside, I could never again accept anyone BUT Judi Dench as M. What a performance! I didn't like her until now.)

No feeling? No charm? Come now. "Skewered. One sympathizes." After the ice-cool delivery of that line, he had me hook, line and sinker.

CR is now my FAVORITE bond movie and, I know it's sacrilege, but Craig is now my favorite Bond, topping even Connery. I've seen the movie at least ten times now and can't wait for the next one.

As to the point that, in any way, Craig's Bond is incompatible with the books, I just don't see it, and I have them practically memorized.

Despite the highly aggressive tone of this site, I hope I've said all this in a non-combative way. I really came here to see if this was a stealth Pierce Brosnan site or something, it doesn't appear so. But what an amazing amount of energy has been put into disrespecting a fine actor who took on a hideous challenge, and, in the opinion of the vast majority, nailed it better than anyone yet.

Seen it ten times eh ? I saw it once and have absolutely no desire to see it again. I may watch a few minutes when it comes on T.V. but will probably get bored & turn over.

[paco chaos]

I just finished reading Casino Royale about a week ago, and I was very perplexed by the idea that Craig somehow fits the part of Bond based on the novel. Fleming's Bond was very sophisticated, inmhop. sure, he was cold, but I felt that he had personality that Craig didn't seem to demonstrate. but as I've said before, I feel that the bland portrayal of Eva Green as Vesper, was a big factor in Craig not being able to show the strength of his acting ability.

[The Sweeney]

I just finished reading Casino Royale about a week ago, and I was very perplexed by the idea that Craig somehow fits the part of Bond based on the novel. Fleming's Bond was very sophisticated, inmhop. sure, he was cold, but I felt that he had personality that Craig didn't seem to demonstrate. but as I've said before, I feel that the bland portrayal of Eva Green as Vesper, was a big factor in Craig not being able to show the strength of his acting ability.

I think the parts in CR where I thought the Fleming Bond personality showed most were -

1) Bond hesitating before the crane jump
2) Bond's `Go find Mathis' bellow at Vesper after the stair fight
3) Bond examining his bloody body in the mirror
4) Bond being poisoned and showing his weakened state
5) Bond being smashed up in the Aston, and not flinching when the chip is removed from his arm (due to his state)
6) The entire torture scene
7) Bond recovering in hospital
Bond's look of distraught after seeing Vesper dead
9) Bond's `bitch is dead' chat with M

[paco chaos]

I just finished reading Casino Royale about a week ago, and I was very perplexed by the idea that Craig somehow fits the part of Bond based on the novel. Fleming's Bond was very sophisticated, inmhop. sure, he was cold, but I felt that he had personality that Craig didn't seem to demonstrate. but as I've said before, I feel that the bland portrayal of Eva Green as Vesper, was a big factor in Craig not being able to show the strength of his acting ability.

I think the parts in CR where I thought the Fleming Bond personality showed most were -

1) Bond hesitating before the crane jump
2) Bond's `Go find Mathis' bellow at Vesper after the stair fight
3) Bond examining his bloody body in the mirror
2)4) Bond being poisoned and showing his weakened state
5) Bond being smashed up in the Aston, and not flinching when the chip is removed from his arm (due to his state)
6) The entire torture scene
7) Bond recovering in hospital
Bond's look of distraught after seeing Vesper dead
9) Bond's `bitch is dead' chat with M

1)I'd agree with most of this, except for the fact that the crane jump wasn't in the book, so there is no way to tell if Fleming's Bond would have hesitated or not.
2)also, no stair fight in the book.
3)the mirror part I agree with.
4)Bond didn't get poisoned in the book, so I'm not sure how Fleming's would have reacted . I also found it contrived that the Aston Martin just happened to have the proper equipment for reviving an agent who has been poisoned. sorry, that part is a critique of the film, not of Craig's performance.
5)I think this part would be one we could agree on, although the chip is also a contrivance of the filmmakers.
6)I don't remember Bond asking Le Chiffre to scratch his balls in the book, but this part almost made me like Craig in the role.
7)Bond's recovery in the hospital was close enough to the book that I think Craig nailed it, but I wouldn't have let Vesper sit in my lap.
8)Since they went with the most OTT scene they could to demonstrate Vesper's suicide, I'm not sure it's Craig's fault, but I didn't buy this scene too well. sure he's distraught, but old girl double crossed him. in the book he discovers that she double crossed him while reading her suicide note. also, it seemed as though in the book she had a more noble quality that made her death more tragic. the fiance in the russian prison was a more sympathetic reason for her to double cross him than the algerian plot thread that might be resolved in the next film.
9)The Bitch is Dead. okay, this would have had more resonance if it had been the last line in the film rather than have him pull out a last minute attempt to convince the audience that they have in fact been watching a James Bond film, at least in my opinion.
geez, I almost want to like Craig in the role, despite my misgivings about his appearance, but having just read the book makes me even more confused about his performance. at least now that I'm reading Live and Let Die, I can justify most of the changes there as being a result of having to tone down the racial insensitivity of the book.

[The Sweeney]

I've read all the Fleming novels many times, but just read LALD again recently, and you are right. I forgot how racist the book actually is.

With reference to Craig thinking twice before jumping, this trait isn't something typical of the novel CR. It is something you learn about Bond the more you read the rest of the novels.

It sounds to me that at least you are keeping an open mind to Craig's interpretation though, and who knows. By the end of reading Fleming's last novel TMWTGG, you may actually find yourself liking Craig's take on the character, understanding more the original character that Fleming wrote, and not the one created by EON.

[Kristatos]

I've read all the Fleming novels many times, but just read LALD again recently, and you are right. I forgot how racist the book actually is.

Remind me again, was LALD the one that actually had a chapter entitled N****r Heaven?

[The Sweeney]

I've read all the Fleming novels many times, but just read LALD again recently, and you are right. I forgot how racist the book actually is.

Remind me again, was LALD the one that actually had a chapter entitled N****r Heaven?

Yup! That's the one.

It also has Bond's thoughts on black women drivers, which, according to Fleming are rare in any part of the world.....

[paco chaos]

I've read all the Fleming novels many times, but just read LALD again recently, and you are right. I forgot how racist the book actually is.

With reference to Craig thinking twice before jumping, this trait isn't something typical of the novel CR. It is something you learn about Bond the more you read the rest of the novels.

It sounds to me that at least you are keeping an open mind to Craig's interpretation though, and who knows. By the end of reading Fleming's last novel TMWTGG, you may actually find yourself liking Craig's take on the character, understanding more the original character that Fleming wrote, and not the one created by EON.

I read some of the books as a young teen, but not in order, and that was in the early 80's. I have been starting on a crusade to read the books in order. the constant praise of Craig as Fleming's true Bond kinda sparked it. yeah, i've got an open mind, it's just that I wasn't crazy about CR. I have said that Craig needs more than one film under his belt for him to prove himself, since he is in the shadow of his predecessors. And even if he hits a home run in his next couple of films, I still don't think he could top Connery. It isn't that I think Craig is a bad actor, I just don't like the film as much as I did most of Brosnan's stuff, all of Connery's, some of Moores, Both of Dalton's, and OHMSS. as for being miscast as Bond, I think Craig would have been a better fit as John Constantine, than Keanu Reeves was though.

[Kristatos]

I think Craig would have been a better fit as John Constantine, than Keanu Reeves was though.

Good call.