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Craig's performance in SP
Aziz_Fekkesh
Royale-les-Eaux
If this is duplicate thread, I apologize. I want to make one that focuses on him only.
I quite enjoyed him in SP. Some people say he looked bored, but what I picked up on the second viewing were lots of subtleties. He nailed the one liners. Also remember that he's playing an experienced, world weary Bond. I think he was better in SF, but this was a strong performance all the same.
I quite enjoyed him in SP. Some people say he looked bored, but what I picked up on the second viewing were lots of subtleties. He nailed the one liners. Also remember that he's playing an experienced, world weary Bond. I think he was better in SF, but this was a strong performance all the same.
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Comments
I admit I never thought it possible that Craig can be as witty and humorous in words, gestures and facial expression as Moore or Brosnan.
I was wrong.
He has been given the opportunity to finally show all aspects of Bond in Spectre.
He succeeds spectacularly and it is by far his best performance.
Needless to say, he never looked better, especially compared with SF.
The way he moves smoothly and with coolness and ease through Spectre is a whoopee! :))
I dare to say his performance in Spectre is as good as Connery's in FRWL or GF.
Objectively speaking and after 4 viewings of Spectre I now even think it might be possible that Craig has surpassed Connery, even if only by a hair.
I'm quite ashamed of myself that I didn't realise this earlier, but Skyfall really had thrown me into a negative spiral in general with this era and Craig.
I really don't like Skyfall, even more than some years ago, now that I have seen what Sam Mendes could have given us in 2012 had he decided to make SF a bit more Bond-like.
I respect though that SF hit the right buttons with the general audience as can be seen in the BO result. But I rather have the Bond franchise under the billion USD mark if movies like CR or SP are the result than having another SF or even several of those kind only to make over a billion at the BO.
Craig was in pure boss mode. Confident, cool, magnetic, self assured and running the show. There hasn't been such a top form Bond performance this sublime since Connery in TB.
Craig took his performance to a whole new level; in fact I think he employed his early CR performance upto the part where he swaggers through the casino and into the section where he and the other players are waiting to start the poker game...he took that character disposition and maintained that self satisfied swagger and used it throughout the entirety of SP.
Craig was just beyond magnificent and he demonstrated why he's so damn good in the role and why he isn't going anywhere.
Gone is the angstfull agent of the reboot - DC is now calm, confident and swaggers about like Connery in SP. Dan shows what he can do when given a true 007 vehicle in which to perform.
It's a very good performance. Very subtle character intonations throughout, drawing from his experience from CR/QoS & SF. He sort of brings it all to the table in this one.
I originally felt he was channeling Moore on first watch. That's how it appears initially, but on closer watch this is not the case. This is DC through and through.
I also noticed a lot more DC from CR this time around and that's a very good thing. There is that sparkle that he only last showed in that film.
Although I currently rate this film 3rd among his lot (behind CR/SF), I think this is his 2nd best performance as Bond (behind only CR).
Very good work by him here. He is still way behind #1 ranked Connery from my standpoint, but has closed the gap somewhat, and distanced himself from 3rd place Moore in my rankings.
Relaxed,self assured and dangerous as ever.
No quibbles and I do have quibbles with all of Moore, Dalts and Broz.
Good job!
I have elevated DC into Connery Laz territory.
These are the 3 Bonds that could fight and move
well.
Agreed!! He shocked me with how good he was.
Me too in shock and in total awe !
I actually rate him higher than Brosnan now!
...wait...hey...no, did I really just say this! @-)
Damn :)) why had Spectre to be that good? Sorry Pierce... X_X
Yes, especially considering all the anti-DC negativity flying around back in '05/'06.
My own opinion is that DC's acting performance was one of the highlights of SP. I think that any lesser actor playing Bond would have caused this movie to tank.
However, it's unclear what DC's contribution to the scriptwriting was to earn him a co-producer credit, but I suspect that there were many irons in the fire here because this movie has all the hallmarks of a committee-written script, namely: too many ideas vying for dominance; thematic elements compromised by "box-ticking" formulaic mentality; set-action pieces compromising character conflict, and many more. If DC's contribution to the scriptwriting process helped to bring this about, then he has, in many ways, shot himself in the foot because SP has the potential to be one of the truly great Bond movies, but fails because it's trying to do too much all at once.
I was nervous to see how Craig was going to pull pff the lighter version of this character since he has always been quite intense and serious in the previous installments.
But he did a great job and now i like him as Bond much more than i used to. He finally stopped being the rookie agent and now he is finally James Bond in this film.
Great performance and he made me now doubt bteween him and Dalton as my favorite hard egde Bond.
Before this i said with no doubts that Dalton was better as the darker Bond but now im not sure anymore
Connery in Thunderball and Dalton in Licence to Kill are the best Bond performances in my book, though Craig's in Spectre would be a top 10 contender for sure.
In CR we get 'New Bond,' in QoS we get 'Vengeful Bond,' in SF we get 'Broken Bond' and in SP we get 'Bond, James Bond.'
I think Craig's time in the role and the ease he has with Mendes has allowed him to have a little more fun in the role. I'm sure the little wave he gives to the SPECTRE henchmen during the funeral scene was improvised on the day.
We're lucky to be blessed with an actor who has given us a true evolution of the character.
This is just my impression, so feel free to disagree, but I prefer Craig and Bond in general when there is a focal point in his character development. I've often slighted Connery in Thunderball for coming across as casual (better put: natural) and Craig grasps that concept thoroughly in Spectre. While this is a small level of criticism stemming from personal preference, I'm framing it respectfully because he is so good at what he does. My cup of tea will be more aligned with the Bond performances in Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Casino Royale, and Skyfall.
I can't quite seem to figure out the one aspect of his character that bothers me in Spectre. Its primarily focused on the point in the third act:
Why I have a problem with it: The narrative is walking a fine line here between the literary portrayal of Bond being a cold-hearted assassin and the individual modern story arc of the Craig era. The reason why it ultimately matters to me is because I feel like the momentum of their relationship regressed in this moment. When it's rekindled at the end, it comes across to me as being more slapped on than if it was allowed to take its natural course. For instance, when he falls in love with Vesper, the connection they make can clearly be felt and it breaks your heart to see their final embrace. At this particular moment in Spectre, I don't feel their connection is nearly as broken. When it's completed at the end and they leave together, it seems to come more out of thin air. To elaborate, I can put the dots together and infer the meanings and reasoning of their actions, but a relationship isn't meant to be confused with the plot. You don't need to feel the plot, but you need to feel the relationship.
With only seeing it once thus far, I can't determine if it has anything to do with his cinematic performance or the way the character is scripted. Spectre is a unique Bond film because it is the first time the lead has been credited for co-producer. If it is indeed a flaw in the script, should his performance not receive the same scrutiny as if it were an on-screen shortcoming?
Dalton in LTK
Craig in SP
Connery in TB
...and they're all so close they might as well be ties. :)>-
Bond is certainly unique for that and why I love the series so much.
In regard to
First word that came to mind after seeing his performance was "swagger". Anyone who thought he seemed bored this time around is kidding themselves.
As much as I have issues with SP it's not with Craig's performance, he's on top of his game.
Though he was just as good exploring Bond's psyche in CR, QOS & SF, I like seeing this version of the character as much but I did want him to progress to what we got in SP, just a pity he's hampered with all that brother nonsense.