Susan Hated Literature

Dir & Writ: Chris Weitz
Based on book by Philip Pullman

• Dakota Blue Richards … Lyra Belacqua
• Nicole Kidman … Marisa Coulter
• Daniel Craig … Lord Asriel
• Freddie Highmore … Pantalaimon (voice)
• Ian McKellen … Iorek Byrnison (voice)
• Eva Green … Serafina Pekkala
• Sam Elliott … Lee Scoresby

I read, and really enjoyed, Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials a while back, so I was really looking forward to this film, the first of three. Unfortunately it just isn’t very good. It should be. The story is a wonderful one, Kidman and Craig are fantastic, although Craig isn’t really on screen for all that long, and Dakota Blue Richards is wonderful as Lyra. Some of the other kids aren’t too great, but we’ll let them away. The special effects are, for the most part, superb. The polar bears in particular are fantastic.

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Dir: Martin Campbell
Writ: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis based on the novel by Ian Fleming

• Daniel Craig - James Bond
• Eva Green - Vesper Lynd
• Mads Mikkelsen - Le Chiffre
• Judi Dench - M

Before I saw this film I said that I would enjoy it, I just decided, spur of the moment type of thing that I would like it. And I’m glad to report that I didn’t have to lie to myself, because I did enjoy it. It isn’t perfect, it is too long and a little lacking in plot. It isn’t isn’t really a Bond film, although of course technically it is. But it doesn’t have the same gadgets and big bad in the same way as the other Bond films.

Instead we get a Bond who is brand new to the world of being a 00 agent.

Craig makes a great Bond, he isn’t really good-looking, but then again I’ve never thought that any of the previous Bonds were good looking either, and I really don’t get the Sean Connery kerfuffle. What Craig has though is presence. He is an excellent actor and really carries off the coldness of Bond. I’d love to see him play an evil bad guy.

There is some great dialogue, some great action scenes, a wonderful car crash and plenty of violence.

Although perhaps I’m a little too cynical because Show Spoilers ▼

All in all a good film, but not really one you’d want to watch twice. Let’s hope that Craig doesn’t do too many Bond flicks because it’d be a waste of his talent.