Ohhh, goodness...Merrick shouldn't have eaten that burrito...

A French television site has posted some behind-the-scenes footage from the forthcoming James Bond film, CASINO ROYALE.

This footage is similar to the recently posted BBC material, but appears to be a bit more extensive. More of the LAYER CAKE guy in action. And, it features a brief interview with Caterina Murino. I have absolutely no idea what she's saying, but...Damn!

Personally, I don't know what to make of Daniel Craig as James Bond; I'm neither enthusiastic or apprehensive about his casting. One of the ingenious qualities of the role is that it leaves so much room for interpretation - as long as certain conceits remain in place. He can be loving, cruel, sensitive, hard, apparently broken but ultimately indomitable…all within the same film. That's a lot to work with. It'll be interesting to see what kind of personality (plural?) Craig brings to the table.

In this footage, there *is* a shot of Bond looking predatory...almost possessed...while in action. This is an element I thought Brosnan pulled off well in his films; it's nice to see the characteristic carried into this reboot.

However, I'm not 100% comfortable with the "real world" retooling of the franchise. Bond should work to establish a more distinct identity, rather than (apparently) dive into the same general domain occupied by Jason Bourne and Jack Bauer. Whether this could have been accomplished through greater attention to artistry, amping up the concept/taking more chances, or *really* broadening the scope of the franchise (like the much-maligned MOONRAKER tried to do) I can not say. But, given the style and "vibe" of series like 24 (and the BOURNE movies), I'm worried that the rebooted 007 will arrive already feeling derivative of other material - instead of seeming unique on its own merits, which was the point of kick-starting it in the first place.

We'll see what happens...

You can take a look at the behind the scenes footage HERE! PLEASE NOTE: The footage is (mostly) in French. Also, when you arrive at the site, an entire news cast will automatically spool up. There's a scrollable sidebar to the right of the video window...scroll down and find the heading: "Tournage du nouveau James Bond". CLICK ON IT, and the newscast will jump to that segment.

Thanks to Stuartned for the heads-up on this. And, enjoy!