The recent unwarranted backlash against Daniel Craig as the new James Bond has highlighted the mob rule mentality of James Bond fans. The site craignotbond.com is a blog-styled site run by people who want to dethrone Daniel Craig from the position of James Bond even before the film Casino Royale (not to be confused with the 1960’s version starring Woody Allen) hits the cinema.
I really don’t understand this mentality. “We don’t want Craig, we want X” (either Clive Owen or Pierce Brosnan depending on who you listen to). Well, firstly depending on who you listen to, Owen either didn’t want the part or he was tried and he just didn’t cut it.
In fact there were over 10 actors who all went to screentest as Bond. As for Brosnan, well he was a good Bond in a sort of playboy kind of way, but he suddenly lost interest in the role after GoldenEye (which I think was his best Bond film) and he wanted a big sum of money, money which the producers weren’t willing to pay.
Secondly, Brosnan was a constantly outspeaking against the writers, and his frustration at not getting good scripts was often reflected on the screen. What’s ironic is that whenever Brosnan was given meaty parts, quirky roles or industrous parts he still couldn’t cut it. He might cite himself as an actor, but he always seems to play the used-car salesmen trick one too many times and I for one welcomed his end as Bond.
Finally, Daniel Craig’s role in stylish-gangster tale Layer Cake was a really enjoyable film and he did look Bond-like. So I don’t understand the fuss.
But whether Craig becomes another George Lazenbury or does more than 1 movie will rest with the movie going public. I think we should all see what Casino Royale is like when it comes out, not call for the head of United Artists the moment they pick somebody the “fans” don’t like.
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