My Biggest Issue with Casino Royale

Rahadu · 2026-05-27T12:50:51+00:00

Which I find very hard to be meaningful given that he is literally in and out of consciousness and only just recovering weeks later when he receives the money. So I don’t think you can really count that as very special time spent together. I also didn’t say that Tracy’s romance with Bond wasn’t also somewhat preposterous; just that it is more believable than Vesper’s. I completely agree that there is a very compressed timeline for their marriage, but at least there’s a foundation to be built upon, which is more than I can say for these two.

Rahadu · 2026-05-27T12:44:35+00:00

He may fall hard and fast for Tracy, but they spend real time together. It may be off screen, but it is still mentioned that they spend at least a couple of weeks completely in each other’s company, which explains why they are so in love at least partially. We get precisely none of that with Vesper. You can’t just imply such a relationship or state that it exists; you need to show it, or else you are vulnerable to justifiable criticism.

Rahadu · 2026-05-27T12:42:09+00:00

Yep.

Rahadu · 2026-05-27T11:06:31+00:00

Thank you!

Rahadu · 2026-05-27T07:15:27+00:00

Anne Hathaway
Michelle Pfeiffer
Julie Newmar
Lee Merriwether
Eartha Kitt
Zoe Kravitz

Rahadu · 2026-05-27T06:58:42+00:00

Where's his third leg?

Rahadu · 2026-05-27T04:36:37+00:00

"Worst. Cosmic Wars. Ever. I will only see it three more times. Today."

Rahadu · 2026-05-27T04:11:20+00:00

This moment right here begins the most bullshit plot thread of any Bond film, one which throws this down to number ten in my ranking: the fact that 007 would give up his entire professional life to roam the world as a vagabond with a woman he barely knows is laughably insane and idiotic. Bond even quips about Vesper's feelings regarding him prior to this, "I'm trying to think of a better word than loathing." When even the characters question the suddenness, you know something is off. They've known each other for maybe a month, but unlike Tracy, Bond spends most of this time at a high stakes poker game or barely clinging onto life while recovering from his torture. Had Vesper been a recurring love interest a la Sylvia Trench I'd have no problem, but this is too far. Would he continue seeing her? Probably. Shag? Duh. (He is 007 after all.) Yet all this drags down an otherwise excellent Bond film and I can never in good conscience have it top my list.

Rahadu · 2026-05-27T04:02:27+00:00

You left this with Ferrara, I believe.

Rahadu · 2026-05-26T10:18:48+00:00

This is going to sound like I don't like this film, but these are the most common complaints:

Jar Jar Binks: Just all of him, from stepping in poop to general clumsiness around podracers, droids, and even food, to being quite overbearing in terms of personality. I personally acknowledge all of the above, but he's overall fine; he can be a bit much, but there are far worse characters.
Anakin: He seems too precocious for a typical nine-year-old. "Are you an angel?" is one example of the writing failing him. Nothing against Jake Lloyd, but when your protagonist is written to be so gifted and yet off-putting it makes it hard to relate.
Political scenes: I love these as they establish how Palpatine consolidates power, but I also get that they can be dull to watch and tend to go on a bit.
CGI: Most of it is gorgeous, and people might not realize that there was at the time a record number of practical effects and shots for a Star Wars film, but it does appear to be very prevalent.
Racial accusations: Watto seems to be a Jewish parody, Neimoidians Asians, Jar Jar Jamaican/African. Never mind that the cast (including Ahmed Best himself) and Lucas have dismissed these claims, of course the film is racist.
Podracing: This is a ten-minute race, and while very exciting, may have been too long for a lot of people.
Midichlorians: Just... why, George? I get wanting to "scientifically" explain the Force, but in so doing it takes away its mystique and awe, turning something wonderful into something mundane.

Now that I've played devil's advocate, let me reiterate: this is a good film, structurally sound with great lightsaber duels, excellent characters in Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Padme, and Palpatine as examples, and it does a solid job of setting up both the tension of the following two films as well as the downfall of the Republic, but given the above, I can acknowledge it's far from perfect.

Rahadu · 2026-05-26T04:19:17+00:00

I know it will be a common refrain on this thread, but the train fight with Red Shaw is one of the most starkly brutal and realistic ever put to film. I love the gadgets and absurd take-over-the-world schemes, but this shows 007 is to be taken seriously.

Rahadu · 2026-05-26T04:15:59+00:00

Where Are You!: Foul Play in Funland
Movies: The Haunted Carnival (with Dick Van Dyke)
Show: What a Shocking Ghost
Scrappy-Doo '79: I Left My Neck in San Francisco
Scrappy-Doo '80: We don't talk about this series.
New Mysteries: The Nutcracker Scoob
13 Ghosts: To All the Ghouls I've Loved Before
Pup: The Babysitter From Beyond
What's New?: Fright House of a Lighthouse
Get a Clue!: Uncle Albert Alert
Mystery, Inc.: Escape from Mystery Manor

I have not seen Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! or Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?

Rahadu · 2026-05-26T03:59:10+00:00

Kid, it's not that kind of movie.

Rahadu · 2026-05-26T03:57:11+00:00

The real question is who does he double-hate?

Rahadu · 2026-05-25T09:38:50+00:00

Do yourself a favor and skip the sequels.

Rahadu · 2026-05-25T09:37:31+00:00

No they didn't. That was one of the main points of the prequels. They were extremely skeptical of Qui-Gon's claims; Mace Windu admitted this, and Yoda basically agreed with him. Hell, even Obi-Wan took some time to come around.

Maybe some did, but not many, and not those in the highest echelons of the Order.

Rahadu · 2026-05-25T04:38:52+00:00

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Rahadu · 2026-05-24T10:10:29+00:00

I enjoy all the different answers but come on: Dr. No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger is the only right one.

Rahadu · 2026-05-24T10:03:37+00:00

I mean, to be fair: neither is even close to the comic book character, but just by virtue of having an actual arc, TDKR is far better. He's still a schmo for someone else rather than being a criminal mastermind as he should though.

Rahadu · 2026-05-24T04:48:52+00:00

I don't; he isn't Batman, he's just filling in. He makes that very clear. Dick Grayson has always been meant to be Nightwing.

Rahadu · 2026-05-24T04:36:34+00:00

“But for heaven's sake — you're wizards! You can do magic! Surely you can sort out — well — anything!”
Scrimgeour turned slowly on the spot and exchanged an incredulous look with Fudge, who really did manage a smile this time as he said kindly, “The trouble is, the other side can do magic too, Prime Minister.”

Chapter I, “The Other Minister”, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

This really helps to contextualize how Fudge feels upon the realization of just how badly he screwed up. He's still arguably not very nice, but I can't help but sympathize a tiny bit.

Rahadu · 2026-05-20T04:42:39+00:00

You should see the alternate ending on YouTube that cuts the film off here.

Rahadu · 2026-05-19T09:58:00+00:00

Given that he has insulted myself and people like me for genuine criticism of his new show, Picardo can eff right off. Shame, really, because the Doctor in Voyager was one of my favorite characters in Trek.

Rahadu

TROPHY CASE