Casino Royale

Well, at first I was not that excited to go see the movie Casino Royale. But, now that I have been seeing the trailers, I actually want to catch this movie on the big screen. The main reason -- and probably the biggest one for most people going to see the movie -- is to see how Daniel Craig performs as the "new" James Bond. When they announced the new Bond, I was a bit surprised. Craig looks nothing like what I thought Bond would look like. Connery is still the Bond and Brosnan is second. My pick for a new Bond would have been Clive Owen. Oh well, Craig is the new Bond and from the trailers, he looks like he is going to be OK. James Bond is one of those characters that ... needs a revival. There are a lot of action characters out there and none of them seem to be as tied to the past as Bond is. Hopefully, the writers and producers of Casino Royale know this and have put together a film to bring Bond into the present. And again, from the trailers, I does look like they are. More action, more action and more action. Will I be in a theatre opening day/weekend to see Casino Royale? No. But, I am definitely planning on seeing it on the big screen. Do I have my doubts? Yes, and my doubt are not with Daniel Craig. My doubt about this movie is with director Martin Campbell (The Mask of Zorro, Beyond Borders, The Legend of Zorro). Campbell was the director of Goldeneye, the movie that introduced Brosnan as Bond. It was not a bad effort. But his lastest films have shown that he is not quite up-to-par with directing action. The Legend of Zorro was particularly...bland. And Beyond Borders (which started Clive Owen) was a big snooze. Lets hope that Campbell brings some energy and excitement to Casino Royale.