‘Casino Royale’
The James Bond franchise has experienced a rapid decline in quality over the past three films. Pierce Brosnan’s tenure as 007 started off in remarkable fashion with ‘Goldeneye’, but hurtled steadily downhill with each subsequent outing, bogged down with sub-par scriptwriting and ‘kitchen-sink’ action scenes, completely removing any element of danger from situations in which the (now) super agent may find himself.

The forty year old mega-franchise had become tired and veered dangerously toward self-parody, of almost Austin Powers-like proportions.

Something had to be done. The producers, although retaining many of the same creative team, realised a fresh take was needed for Bond, the need to take the character back to basics, to have Ian Fleming’s James Bond up on the screen, and not some non-actor spewing one cringe-worthy punch-line after the other. (Take a bow, Roger Moore).

‘Godeneye’ director, Martin Campbell, was hired to make ‘Casino Royale’, the tale of James Bond’s debut outing as a double 0 agent, now licensed to kill. While series regulars Neal Purvis and Robert Wade wrote the screenplay, Oscar winner Paul Haggis was brought in to polish it up.

Daniel Craig simply is James Bond. The actor brings a dangerous edge to the character that only Connery really got close to before, complete with an ice cold, no-nonsense stare that would give Charles Bronson nightmares.

The film itself delivers in every respect. It’s a more realistic take on the Bond universe, not entirely dissimilar to the Jason Bourne films, yet still manages to throw in a couple of gadgets, the Bond girls, the Aston Martin, and of course the hilarious new take on the ‘shaken, not stirred’ catchphrase.

The action scenes are never over-the-top, yet are infinitely more enjoyable than what we’ve seen with recent Bond films, simply because they are based in a world with almost the same rules of physics as our own! For the first time since ‘Goldeneye’ in 1995, the end credits promise that ‘James Bond will return’ is exciting again.
4 out of 5

‘The Prestige’
Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Borden (Christian Bale) are two rival magicians in the London of about 1900. Lifelong rivals, the two men become obsessed with out-doing one another, no matter what the cost. Christopher Nolan’s follow up to ‘Batman Begins’ is an absolute master class in direction and misdirection. He leaves clues everywhere, in fact, showing the plot twist in the opening scenes if you look hard enough. And, what a twist it turns out to be.
4.5 out of 5

‘Borat’
The big-screen adaptation of Sascha Baron Cohen’s Channel 4 comedy skit, ‘Borat’ (below) is utterly compelling satire, unleashed on the hapless U.S. of A. It really has to be seen to be believed. The finest ‘mockumentary’ since ‘This is Spinal Tap’. Yes, it’s that good.
4.5 out of 5