Thursday, February 23, 2006

IMDb: Anti-Craig Bond Fans Call for 'Casino Royale' Boycott


Daniel Craig

Disgruntled James Bond fans have set up a website campaigning for new 007 Daniel Craig to be stripped of the iconic movie role. Craig was announced as the successor to Pierce Brosnan's superspy last October and shooting began on new film Casino Royale last month. But die-hard fans of the franchise still hope to oust the British actor and replace him with a more worthy Bond - by urging cinema-goers to boycott the film when it is released. A statement on craignotbond.com reads, "Eon Productions angered fans around the world when they fired Pierce Brosnan at the height of his popularity as Bond. To add insult to injury, Eon cast a short, blond, odd-looking Daniel Craig in the role of Bond. Craig, described by The New York Times as having a 'pale, flattened face and large, fleshy ears' is a terrible choice for Bond. If Eon Productions and Sony Pictures will not accept they've made a big mistake, then Bond fans promise to boycott Casino Royale!"

Why the pre-performance hate? I didn't particularly like Roger Moore or George Lazenby as Bond, but if the movies are to continue—I'm not sure they should, but it has nothing to do with the lead actor—someone has to play the part.

My cousin, a bigger Bond fan than I, found Brosnan unconvincing in physical and fight scenes. Much as I liked Pierce—my third favorite Bond behind Connery and Dalton—it was time for a change. I'll admit Craig strikes me as physically thin, but the only thing that counts is how well he gets into character. Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman are both short and have played some larger-than-life roles.

2 comments:

John DuMond said...

Roger Moore weighs in:

Former 007 Defends Daniel Craig

Gerald So said...

From IMDb:

Bond Star Sinks Teeth Into Role

Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan has expressed sympathy for Daniel Craig, the current Bond, who reportedly had two teeth knocked out during a fight scene being filmed for Casino Royale in Prague. Interviewed in London at the premiere of his new film The Matador, Brosnan remarked, "I got stitched up and sewn up a few times, it just didn't get in the papers. ... There's going to be mishaps." Asked about the growing complaints by Bond fans about the casting of Craig in the new movie, Brosnan replied, "I think Daniel is a very fine actor. These are rocky waters and they're going to get him one way or another, but I think he will have the last laugh at the end of it."