New Bond battles the evil media, Broccoli - `I am doing this for my dad`

The most successful film franchise in movie history is going back to its roots with Casino Royale -- the first James Bond novel, written by Ian Fleming in 1953 -- as it lays the groundwork for who will become the world's most famous and deadliest secret agent - reports the Globe & Mail.

"The way we look at it, it's 'Classic Bond,' " explains producer Barbara Broccoli, daughter of founding 007 producer Albert (Cubby) Broccoli. She's between camera setups on the beaches of Paradise Island, where 007 makes an entrance from these sparkling blue waters, echoing Ursula Andress's indelible introduction in Dr. No.

Helping lend a retro feel to this Bond rebirth are these sun-drenched shores of the Bahamas. From the posh Bahamian restaurant Café Martinique and the electric Junkanoo parade made world famous in 1965's Thunderball, to the spectacular -- and sometimes treacherous -- coral-reef dives, this opulent oasis has played host to five previous Bond films and it duly credits the 007 phenomenon with elevating it to a jet-set destination in the 1960s. Sean Connery, that era's 007, still maintains his primary residence here on Paradise Island.

So with most of Casino Royale being shot on soundstages in Prague, the few weeks of location work have provided cast and crew a much needed breath of fresh air -- and an invaluable chance to reconnect with Bond history. "Casino Royale is the definitive Bond story," says Broccoli about the only Bond novel that her father and producing partner Harry Saltzman did not have the rights to produce. "It was always an ambition of theirs to be able to make this story, but sadly, they were never able to. So when it finally became available to us, we leapt at the chance..."

She pauses. "I like to think that I'm doing this for my dad," she adds softly, with a crack in her voice.

Broccoli considers Casino Royale a major turning point in the evolution of the series, a bold decision of which her father would be proud. "James Bond is a very dark, complex character the way he was originally conceived by Fleming," she notes. "So this film is going to explore elements of the character that have not been seen before. It will really surprise people when they see it."

But the decision to reboot the series -- which to date has grossed more than $4-billion (U.S.) worldwide since the premiere of Dr. No in 1962 -- is tricky business. Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his licence to kill, forgoing the trademark fantastical elements in favour of a more realistic narrative and grittier characterizations, all spiked with painful doses of tragedy and loss. Also gone are such beloved Bond hallmarks as gadget-guru Q, lovelorn secretary Miss Moneypenny, over-the-top supervillains, and, of course, fan favourite Pierce Brosnan.

Considering that Brosnan's last outing as 007 in 2002's Die Another Day grossed nearly $450-million -- the highest take for a Bond film to date -- the obvious question arises: Why mess with success?

"Well, I think we've seen Bond films go through different periods of change," offers Michael G. Wilson, who produces the Bond films with Broccoli, his stepsister.

"In the 1970s, they got bigger and more fantastic until we reached Moonraker [1979] in outer space. And we realized that it was going in the wrong direction and we brought it back to basics with For Your Eyes Only [1981].

"And what we saw with Die Another Day is that we got to the same point," continues Wilson. "We started getting too high in the sky -- outer space, invisible cars -- the technology began to overwhelm the story and the characters. We felt it was very important to bring it back down to earth."

Wilson admits that tinkering with a proven formula can have financial repercussions, but after 20 films, he and Broccoli agreed that Bond Redux was a gamble they were willing to stake the series on, as well as their family legacy. "Whether Casino Royale will make more money or less money, I don't know," he says. "But because we needed to re-energize ourselves, it's going to be a better film than we would've made had we just gone along on the track. Because after Die Another Day, we were confronted with a situation where we said, 'We'll have a guaranteed winner if we just do the same thing over again.' But I think we would've lost a lot of what we think is important [to this series]."

Though 007 has tangled with the world's worst villains and megalomaniacal madmen over the last 44 years, Casino Royale's greatest nemesis has proven to be the media. SMERSH, SPECTRE, Auric Goldfinger and Blofeld were all paper tigers compared to the Fleet Street tabloids that have targetted new Bond Daniel Craig firmly in their cross-hairs since the little-known 38-year-old British actor was named to replace Brosnan. Hounded by scathing criticism over his seeming lack of necessary Bond attributes, Craig has taken the relentless attacks all in stride.

"The truth is, if you're not getting bruised when you're doing Bond, you're not doing it properly," quips Craig. "Quite honestly, I didn't really expect it," Craig says of the critical press, whose recent credits include Munich and The Jacket. "I mean, I've been acting a while now and I've been in some big movies before, but nothing on this level. And I've learned that you can't believe the good stuff and you can't believe the bad stuff."

Still, the furor has upped the ante. "I'm giving everything I can," he states. "We're making a fabulous movie here, and therefore, I think, we're going to make a fabulous Bond movie. So once that's all done and dusted, and once we've got the movie out, people can say what they want."

In what Broccoli describes as the franchise's most faithful adaptation of a Fleming novel since Goldfinger in 1964, Casino Royale introduces Bond in black and white before converting into colour once he makes his first two kills and is elevated to "00" status. His first licence-to-kill mission means facing down Le Chiffre (played by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen), who is banker to the world's terrorist organizations. It is a far cry from the comic, 1967 version of Casino Royale that starred David Niven, Peter Sellers and Woody Allen, all as Bond.

The Bond Girls include Italian stunner Caterina Murino as femme fatale Solange, and French beauty Eva Green (Kingdom of Heaven) as Vesper Lynd, a representative from the British Secret Service sent to keep tabs on Bond during his assignment. "It's a very special, unusual relationship, because Vesper is the only woman who really gets to Bond's heart," explains the smoky-eyed Green, relaxing waterside between takes.

She realizes that Vesper is not only the film's pivotal character, but a key to unlocking the enigmatic character of James Bond. Green emphasizes that Vesper is not the steroytypical Bond Girl. "They really fall in love," says Green with a smile. "She has a big impact on his life and he will later become the Bond that we all know because of that one relationship."

Under the direction of Martin Campbell -- who had the similar task of introducing Pierce Brosnan as the new James Bond in 1995's Goldeneye -- Casino Royale has been fully maximizing the island locales, as the Bahamas are also doubling for both Madagascar and Montenegro in the film's key action scenes. The next day's shooting on Coral Harbour includes a spectacular foot chase through the jungle and then through the alleyways of a specially built shanty town, culminating in a showdown 10 storeys up across narrow steel girders in an abandoned construction site.

Craig, who works out for two hours every night after shooting wraps, has the athletic prowess necessary for the role. "You see how physical this job is for me," says Craig, catching his breath between takes and wiping the sweat from his brow. "I got a personal trainer for this film, which has been an absolute godsend.

"I knew I had to be in the best shape I could be," he adds with a laugh, "otherwise I would never survive it. Because at the end of the day, there isn't any painting-it-in for this movie. These stunts aren't going to be helped by CGI [computer-generated images]. What you're seeing is the real thing."

For Campbell, it's all about making the 21st James Bond film "the most realistic and emotionally involving" film of the series. "I mean, how many control rooms can you blow up? How many madmen can take over the world? How many space stations can you take over?" Campbell shrugs. "The argument is simply we've taken Bond as far as we can with the formula . . . so let's see if we can shake it up a little bit."

Thanks to `Gravity's Silhouette` for the alert.

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