There has been a storm raging over the new James Bond and the remake of Casino Royale (see the trailer above.) There are sites calling for Daniel Craig’s removal, complaints about the Blonde Bond abound and tabloids and gossip sites snicker at his abilities.
On the other side there are fans behind the rethink of the franchise who are looking forward to a younger, harder Bond and are solidly behind Craig (or are at least willing to give him a chance.)
But why do we care so much? I’ve found myself caught up in the debate and have written over a half dozen entries about it. And I’m hardly an obsessive. Craig himself has felt compelled to respond to the criticism. It has to do with the longevity of the franchise.
There were six Bond films before I was born. Moonraker was the first film I ever saw at a drive-in when my teenaged aunt took me their when she was supposed to take me to Return from Witch Mountain. Watching A View to a Kill was my treat on the last day of school one year and a lot of the earlier films I watched on TV with my dad.
What other series has that kind of history? Lord of the Rings happened over a few short years. Star Wars has wrapped up after only six films and Harry Potter will be finished after seven. Casino Royale is the 21st in the 007 franchise and has become part of the pop culture firmament.
People feel like they have a vested interest in the character and the films. I realize that the debate, good or bad, is really just publicity for the film, but I don’t care, because Bond matters to me.
Previous Bond Posts:
Licence to Whine, Royale Flush, My Gossip Runneth Over, Shaken and Stirred, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Bond is Dead, Long Live the Bond
No comments:
Post a Comment