James Bond: A Review - The Daniel Craig Movies
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the 007 franchise based on and inspired by the novels by Ian Fleming. Fleming wrote 14 books starring the character Commander James Bond of Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Two of those are short story collections. There are 25 films in the franchise, 17 of them are based on Fleming’s stories and novels. Seven men have portrayed the character since 1962.
I plan on reviewing and ranking each of the films in a series of articles broken down by one or two different eras at a time, totaling 5-7 films each. I will conclude with an article that will also break down and rank all of the elements of the James Bond movie: the pre-title sequence, the opening title sequence, the theme song, the Bond girl, the villain, and the henchmen. I hope to determine the best and the worst of these elements in the final article.
We started with a look at the Connery and Lazenby films, then the Roger Moore era, and then looked at the films starring Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. Now we have finally arrived at the latest era: the Daniel Craig years.
Casino Royale (2006)
So, after Die Another Day was released producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson came to understand that film was way off the beaten path and lost all sense of reality. Casino Royale was the only novel Eon Productions had yet to adapt. Part of the reason was they didn’t have the rights to it until 1999. Another reason is Casino Royale was the first novel, so telling the story well would require either making a prequel or a reboot of the series.
In the meantime, two films were released that had a great impact on the direction the next Bond film would go: The Bourne Supremacy and Batman Begins. Batman Begins inspired the producers and writers to craft something more grounded and darker than recent entries. Paul Greengrass’s direction in The Bourne Supremacy, the way he shot fights and action scenes influenced the genre for several years. Director Martin Campbell had previously directed GoldenEye. But with Casino Royale, he took a page from Greengrass’s playbook and made a very different Bond film than his previous one.
It’s worth noting briefly that Craig and Henry Cavill were the front-runners to take over the role of James Bond. However, much like Timothy Dalton in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Cavill was considered too young. Craig was cast, but many fans judged Craig’s talents by his blonde hair and blue eyes, making Craig the most controversial actor to take on the role.
But did it all pay off? Was the film any good?
The answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’. Casino Royale stuns with incredible action scenes like the foot chase after the title sequence, the black and white pre-title sequence that earns Bond his Double-O status, and an emotional arc that is stronger than those with Tracy (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) or Pam (License to Kill). And yet, it’s a film where at least an hour of the film revolves around a poker game and what happens during that game’s one-hour breaks!
Mads Mikkelsen plays Le Chiffre, ostensibly the main villain of the film. The character is nothing more than a money manager for very powerful and dangerous men. Yet Mads makes Le Chiffre one of the most memorable and intriguing villains of the past 10 films in the series. Eva Green stuns as Vesper Lynd, the primary Bond Girl, a Treasury agent assigned to assist Bond in said poker game. She matches wits with Bond and falls in love. Jeffrey Wright brings CIA agent Felix Leiter back - and quickly becomes the best and most memorable actor to play Bond’s colleague and friend.
Overall, Casino Royale isn’t just one of the best James Bond films. It was one of the best action films of its decade. Period.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
So, Casino Royale was a huge hit in every possible way. How did Eon Productions follow that up?
The stakes were very high and what was apparently decided - even before Casino Royale was filmed - was to serialize the next era of Bond films. Quantum of Solace acts as a direct sequel to its predecessor, something that had never really been done before. Previous Bond films had made reference to their predecessors, especially From Russia With Love and especially with regards to Bond’s marriage to Tracy in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. But none really had plots that were so interwoven or connected to a previous film like Quantum of Solace would.
Bond basically is out for revenge for events that took place during the third act of Casino Royale - and he wants to find those responsible.
There are a few interesting ideas here: the idea that revenge can bring solace, the idea that the real evildoers of society blend in and sometimes seem to use their power for magnanimous reasons, and the idea that crippling a natural resource is a more effective means of world domination than space lasers, etc. But none of those ideas are executed in interesting or effective ways. In fact, Quantum of Solace may have the most difficult Bond plot to follow or care about.
The biggest strengths of this film are its action sequences - especially during the first half. While the foot chase a few minutes after the title sequence does feel conceptually derivative of the one in Casino Royale, it is no less intense, as are the prologue’s car chase and the boat chase a third of the way through the film. The climactic action sequence fails to one-up the previous sequences mentioned, but is also notable.
Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough that works here. Marc Forster directed the film and he was hired primarily for the character work the material required. But his films always fail to fully create emotional resonance and are always short of greatness. He’s able to direct action well enough, which is surprising, given his resume consisted of mostly dramatic work prior to his Bond film. But everything else is ineffective and forgettable.
Skyfall (2012)
Eon Productions celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Dr. No and the James Bond series a number of ways, including a Blu-ray box set and the theatrical release of Skyfall. Skyfall is about a former agent (Javier Bardem) who seeks revenge on M for abandoning and discarding him long ago. It basically accomplished everything Die Another Day failed to do as an anniversary picture: it nodded to the series while also telling a compelling story that coalesced all of the elements that make up the James Bond character and films we know so well.
Rather than getting bogged down in a convoluted plot regarding a secret organization and double-crossing agents, director Sam Mendes and final writer John Logan keep things simple, with a villain that has ties to the past and compares to Bond’s past. It’s like if GoldenEye’s 006 went after M instead of Bond. As a result, we get the best villain in the series since 006: Raoul Silva. Bardem lets his dialogue hang in the air, dripping with malice and dread. Yet he allows room for a hint of intelligence in his delivery, suggesting he is not to be underestimated. All the while, it is clear Bardem is having fun playing the villain. And the cyanide-infected jaw reveal nods to the freakish characteristics traditionally found in Bond’s best villains and henchmen. It is an unforgettable moment and helps solidify Silva as a top shelf Bond villain.
Skyfall completes the arc started with Casino Royale of the new Double-O agent becoming the man we’ve known so well for generations. It can’t be overstated how significant this is - especially since it is executed so well here. The Aston Martin, absent in Quantum of Solace, returns with a nod to the ejector seat we know from Goldfinger. After three movies, Bond finally gets his signature cocktail perfected. Bond gets his signature Walther PPK, only with a technical modification. Speaking of tech, Skyfall introduces Q Branch and the beloved Quartermaster (Ben Wishaw) to the Craig era. And we get a new Moneypenny here (how and who I’ll let you discover for yourself). The film even ends with a Bernard Lee-like figure taking on the mantle of M. Skyfall completely resets the status quo, but with such a degree of ingenuity and freshness that it is astonishing.
One of the primary characteristics of the Craig movies is the minimalist presence of tech and gadgetry. Upon their first meeting, Q says at one point, “Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don’t really go for that anymore.” It’s a brilliant nod to a previous Bond film, a mission statement for this series of films, and a sort of reflection of what audiences desired in their action films at the time. As such, there’s only two devices Bond is equipped with in this film.
It’s important to also point out a couple of quick things. First is the cinematographer Roger Deakins. It’s because of him that we get gorgeous sequences like the Shanghai sniper. There are a lot of stunning shots here any one of which outdoes entire entries in the series.
Also, Daniel Kleinman was absent for Solace and returns for the title sequence here. Kleinman has done consistently excellent work since GoldenEye and has yet to disappoint with his title sequences up to this point. And Adele provides one of the greatest theme songs in Bond history, one that is slightly reminiscent of Shirley Bassey’s ‘Goldfinger’.
Skyfall isn’t a hundred percent perfect (maybe 95%). A Scottish character with ties to Bond’s past is introduced in the third act played by Albert Finney. That character feels like he was supposed to be portrayed by Sean Connery. The way the scene plays everything about it feels like it’s supposed to be a significant reveal. Apparently, Connery was briefly considered by the producers, but quickly dismissed, fearing his presence would serve as a distracting bit of stunt casting. Who knows if Connery would have been willing to come out of retirement for the part. But this was a miscalculation on the producers’ part, because Finney feels so much like a second choice, regardless. The part just feels like it was written for Connery and nobody else.
Also, it should be noted that French actress Berenice Marlohe plays a character who seems positioned to be the next Bond Girl. It turns out she’s a red herring, as M is the actual Bond Girl of Skyfall in a clever twist. But Marlohe has about as much screen time as Teri Hatcher in Tomorrow Never Dies and is probably less memorable. Perhaps that is intentional. Maybe not.
Overall, there’s a lot to be said about Skyfall. It is an exceptional film that completes the origin arc of our favorite British agent and lays up an opportunity for a delightful series of new missions for the iconic character. Does that work out as well as promised?
Spectre (2015)
So, now Craig’s Bond has become the Bond we have loved for decades. He can now go off on exciting missions, encounter unforgettable villains, and kick ass. What Sam Mendes and screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade decided to do instead of an episodic outing is re-introduce the organization Spectre and the big bad Blofeld - and tie all of the previous films and Bond’s past to them.
The thing is the first half of this 2hr 28min movie is actually pretty good. The action sequences are thrilling. A new henchman, Mr. Hinx (Dave Bautista), is introduced. There’s quite a bit of decent bits about government surveillance and whether secret agents are relevant in today’s world. Even Lea Seydoux’s Madeleine Swann is a solid Bond girl.
But once Bond and Swann get to Blofeld’s secret base everything falls apart. Attempts to… bond Blofeld and James are strained at best and the retcon that claims Skyfall’s Silva was part of Spectre is downright irritating. Even Christoph Waltz’s performance as Blofeld fails to become the definitive Blofeld performance, which is very disappointing since none of the four other actors really gave the character his due either. Blofeld remains a character that is exciting in concept more than in execution.
The missed opportunity of reviving Spectre and Blofeld for the 21st century is reason enough to make Spectre the film a disappointment, but the contrived attempts to tie Bond and Blofeld together and Spectre to Skyfall leave an upsetting aftertaste that is arguably worse than being largely forgettable like Quantum of Solace.
No Time to Die (2021)
We finally end Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond with a film that acts as both a conclusion to story elements introduced in Spectre and an adventure of its own that concludes the James Bond story.
Essentially, the incarcerated Blofeld tried killing Bond via nanobot technology. But a scientist reconfigured the weapon to kill all Spectre agents instead. However, there is a greater villain (Rami Malek) - with ties to Swann’s past - who is interested in the weapon for mass destruction.
This entry checks all of the boxes for a satisfying Bond film AND a satisfying finale for a Bond portrayal. It has thrilling action sequences, superb visuals by Linus Sandgren, and the introduction of a couple of excellent characters: 00 agent Nomi and CIA agent Paloma. The film essentially passes the torches from respective established agents to respective new agents and does so satisfactorily.
Rami Malek’s villain is also one of the coldest, most memorable villains in franchise history. He is mysterious, calculating, and a touch terrifying.
No Time to Die does look back to Casino Royale in ways that feel somewhat clumsy and unnecessary, given how the previous film and this one focuses so much on Bond’s relationship with Swann. It also features a rather sedate theme song by Billie Eilish, the melody of which is difficult to recall.
But this is probably the most spoiler-heavy film of the series that, even now, a year later, causes one reluctance to go into too much of the details. Regardless, what director Cary Fukunaga, and writers Purvis and Wade have managed to accomplish here is here-to-fore unseen: an emotional Bond film that will cause one to shed tears. Despite its audacious runtime that nears three hours, No Time to Die isn’t just the most satisfying farewell for anyone playing James Bond, it is a satisfying farewell to the character himself.
So, taking a look at the whole of Craig’s tenure as Bond, we have a run where every other film were disappointments. Thankfully, there are only 5 and the odd-numbered films are the good ones. We have an era that serialized the series for the first time with each film relating to one or all of those that came before. That story met with mixed results, as some attempts to tie things together were more convoluted or unnecessary than others. For majority of the series’s history, Bond only ever had one love, which added a dose of tragedy to his character development. The Craig era reset and reintroduced that concept in much more sophisticated ways with Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. It is probably a story element that was best leaving behind as an integral plot point with Quantum of Solace, especially since the creative team decided to introduce a new serious relationship in the mix. As such, it is unclear if we’re supposed to feel Madeleine Swann is to be the actual love of Bond’s life, particularly since No Time to Die begins by suggesting Bond isn’t quite over Vesper. Regardless, it is safe to conclude this is one of the best overall periods in franchise history.
The Ranking
Skyfall
Casino Royale
No Time to Die
Quantum of Solace
Spectre
So, where should it go from here? For years there’s been equal amount of talk between Idris Elba taking over the role and a woman taking over the role. After concluding No Time to Die, the most logical and best course of action would be to continue on with Nomi as 007, working occasionally with Paloma as the new Felix. It would otherwise be a complete waste for those characters to be discarded immediately after being introduced. Also, No Time to Die sets the stage well for someone else to take over the 007 designation and there’s been attempts before to create a Bond-related film with a female lead. So why not take full advantage? The series might be better for it, as this would be the best way to move it forward in creative and interesting ways we’ve never seen before. Let the fans riot. They did so before and ended up eating crow more often than not.
What are your thoughts?
That brings us to the date on the Bond movies. Now it’s time for concluding thoughts and - most importantly - ranking the best in the series. Be on the lookout for that final entry in this series of articles real soon.