You have probably all heard the hype. “Best Bond movie in years”, “Daniel Craig is the best Bond since Connery”. I am here to tell you it is largely true! “Casino Royal” rocks! The naysayers and haters owe Daniel Craig a huge apology. While at first glance his looks are not typical for Bond he is handsome enough with well a toned body and rugged face. He also brings a much-needed infusion of youth to the character.
Forget the plot. Craig’s Bond is a bad ass and is a man of few words. The term often used is a “blunt instrument” and it fits. He brings a hard edge and a bit of sadism to the role. While the movie is not devoid of the trademark Bond humor it is toned down. Gone are the glib quips. If I had to compare his portrayal I would say it is most reminiscent of that of Timothy Dalton.
Like all Bond flicks there is a good deal of violence. Unlike its counterparts the violence in “Casino Royal” is less comic book and more realistic and brutal; on several occasions Bond kills with his bare hands. Off hand I cannot recall another Bond killing in such a personal and brutal way.
No Bond movie would be complete without jaw dropping action. “Casino Royal” delivers on that promise. There are some remarkably exciting action set pieces. One of the best is a nearly fifteen minute long chase, early in the movie, through an African construction site. This movie is so well done it even makes Texas Hold ‘Em breathtakingly exciting.
If, and I do say if, I have any criticism of “Casino Royal” it is that it is about 20 minutes too long and the opening teaser which is usually hyper kinetic is quite tame.
Lastly, the closing moments are a love letter to Bond fans and definitive proof that Daniel Craig is now the man.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Notes and Asides........
With appropriate kudos and apologies to William F. Buckley Jr. I present these Notes and Asides on recent events.
The Election:
The GOP got its clock cleaned on Tuesday night. Say hello to Speaker Nancy "Stretch" Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid, or as Rush Limbaugh calls him "Dingy Harry". However, in the final analysis the GOP had it coming. The GOP Congress became soft and corrupt. They failed to use their majority to produce meaningful conservative legislation. Social Security remains a ponzi scheme, tax cuts were not made permanent and the border continues to leak like a sieve. What did they produce? Campaign finance reform, endless mountains of pork, insane increases in federal education spending and a general bloating of the federal government. Do I expect the new majority to be any better? Hell no. They will be infinitely worse but I hope the president with discover his VETO pen and frustrate all efforts.
It’s so funny I have to laugh. Liberals believe that rabid conservatives have occupied the White House and the Congress these past six years. To this I can only respond "If only"! Nothing could be further from the truth. Was that the case we would not be looking at a new liberal majority.
In the final analysis Tuesday’s results might be for the best. For one thing the incompetent leadership of Denny Hastert, Bill Frist and Tom DeLay are all history. A new more principled, truly conservative leadership will hopefully take their place. Secondly, very little meaningful legislation will pass with such a partisan divide and the less Washington does the less they can screw up. That is of course if the President cowboys up and frustrates the will of the new majority (more on that later). Third, the liberals will go insane (they cannot help themselves). They will attempt to impeach Bush, raise taxes, increase spending more that even the worst Republican and generally do everything in their power to increase the size and scope of the Federal government. Lastly, this defeat makes it more likely that the GOP will retain control of the White House in the 2008 election (which begins now, by the way). If the GOP learns it lesson from this defeat it will emerge stronger as a result.
Bye, Bye Rummy:
In an act of extreme cowardice and political stupidity President Bush responded to Tuesday’s election results by giving the lib’s a present; the scalp of Donald Rumsfeld. Why now, why not six months ago when it could have done some good? What was he thinking? Is this any indication of what the next two years will bring? "Stretch" Pelosi and the New York Times OpEd say "jump" and the President says "How high?" Is this some misguided effort at bi-partisanship? If so I have news for President Bush. The Democrats have zero interest in working with you and finding common ground. They are out to destroy you and your entire administration on the path to what they hope will be the election of a Democrat President in 2008.
If capitulation is what is in Bush’s heart then why not go all out. I say replace Rumsfeld with Wesley Clarke. While he is at it he should ask VP Cheney to step down and make Hillary the new VP so as to give her a leg up as she pursues her own megalomanical dreams of power. As a cherry on the top of the sundae announce that he himself is now a Democrat.
It is time for the President to grow a spine, stop trying to be nice and stand up to these people. He has turned the cheek too many times.
RATS:
That sound of scurrying you hear is the sound of rats leaving a sinking ship. According to a Vanity Fair article linked on The Drudge Report many of the neoconservatives that sold President Bush on the idea of invading Iraq are now letting him twist in the wind. They are not saying that they were wrong but that the President did not properly execute the plan. I say again RATS. As the old saying goes "with friends like these who needs enemies". For years the president was warned not to be too trusting of the neocons. Old time conservatives like Pat Buchanan must be laughing their tails off at the betrayal.
Finally:
With more and more of President H.W. Bush’s associates finding their way into the administration of President W. Bush might this become the second term the first President Bush never had?
PS:
Anyone else notice how leftist, socialists, terrorists and American haters world wide were all celebrating Tuesdays election results??????
One final thought, what happened to the tradional liberal whining about voter supression and rigged voting machines? Notice how the GOP doesn't cry foul when it loses??
The Election:
The GOP got its clock cleaned on Tuesday night. Say hello to Speaker Nancy "Stretch" Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid, or as Rush Limbaugh calls him "Dingy Harry". However, in the final analysis the GOP had it coming. The GOP Congress became soft and corrupt. They failed to use their majority to produce meaningful conservative legislation. Social Security remains a ponzi scheme, tax cuts were not made permanent and the border continues to leak like a sieve. What did they produce? Campaign finance reform, endless mountains of pork, insane increases in federal education spending and a general bloating of the federal government. Do I expect the new majority to be any better? Hell no. They will be infinitely worse but I hope the president with discover his VETO pen and frustrate all efforts.
It’s so funny I have to laugh. Liberals believe that rabid conservatives have occupied the White House and the Congress these past six years. To this I can only respond "If only"! Nothing could be further from the truth. Was that the case we would not be looking at a new liberal majority.
In the final analysis Tuesday’s results might be for the best. For one thing the incompetent leadership of Denny Hastert, Bill Frist and Tom DeLay are all history. A new more principled, truly conservative leadership will hopefully take their place. Secondly, very little meaningful legislation will pass with such a partisan divide and the less Washington does the less they can screw up. That is of course if the President cowboys up and frustrates the will of the new majority (more on that later). Third, the liberals will go insane (they cannot help themselves). They will attempt to impeach Bush, raise taxes, increase spending more that even the worst Republican and generally do everything in their power to increase the size and scope of the Federal government. Lastly, this defeat makes it more likely that the GOP will retain control of the White House in the 2008 election (which begins now, by the way). If the GOP learns it lesson from this defeat it will emerge stronger as a result.
Bye, Bye Rummy:
In an act of extreme cowardice and political stupidity President Bush responded to Tuesday’s election results by giving the lib’s a present; the scalp of Donald Rumsfeld. Why now, why not six months ago when it could have done some good? What was he thinking? Is this any indication of what the next two years will bring? "Stretch" Pelosi and the New York Times OpEd say "jump" and the President says "How high?" Is this some misguided effort at bi-partisanship? If so I have news for President Bush. The Democrats have zero interest in working with you and finding common ground. They are out to destroy you and your entire administration on the path to what they hope will be the election of a Democrat President in 2008.
If capitulation is what is in Bush’s heart then why not go all out. I say replace Rumsfeld with Wesley Clarke. While he is at it he should ask VP Cheney to step down and make Hillary the new VP so as to give her a leg up as she pursues her own megalomanical dreams of power. As a cherry on the top of the sundae announce that he himself is now a Democrat.
It is time for the President to grow a spine, stop trying to be nice and stand up to these people. He has turned the cheek too many times.
RATS:
That sound of scurrying you hear is the sound of rats leaving a sinking ship. According to a Vanity Fair article linked on The Drudge Report many of the neoconservatives that sold President Bush on the idea of invading Iraq are now letting him twist in the wind. They are not saying that they were wrong but that the President did not properly execute the plan. I say again RATS. As the old saying goes "with friends like these who needs enemies". For years the president was warned not to be too trusting of the neocons. Old time conservatives like Pat Buchanan must be laughing their tails off at the betrayal.
Finally:
With more and more of President H.W. Bush’s associates finding their way into the administration of President W. Bush might this become the second term the first President Bush never had?
PS:
Anyone else notice how leftist, socialists, terrorists and American haters world wide were all celebrating Tuesdays election results??????
One final thought, what happened to the tradional liberal whining about voter supression and rigged voting machines? Notice how the GOP doesn't cry foul when it loses??
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