Movie Review: Casino Royale

What is the sort of things that come to mind for a Bond Movie? I think of Roger Moore never taking his suit off during action scenes, villains that are stranger looking than menacing, crazy gadgets, and many Bond actors come and go. I also think how the Bond character is not a real multi-dimensional character. Well, Casino Royale is different. Daniel Craig gives us a new look for an older character. He is athletic and rough around the edges, he sweats, feels pain, and loves. We see how he first started in the business as he gets his double-O status. By the end of the film, we begin to see the cool, calculated spy machine that we know so well. He is hard-core right from the start, but we sense it is not his training but his personality that in large part brings him to this level. There are gadgets in this film but they are useful not as destructive tools for Bond’s enemies, but to save his own life. The fast cars are here, great locations, and a Bond woman who gives James a run for his money. It will be interesting to see what happens after this film. Will Daniel Craig and the writers still give him different reactions or move back into the gadgets and babes? The action scenes are good and the movie seemed well-paced. This is a good (not great) movie for those Bond and non-Bond fans to enjoy.

--Bryan

Crabtree Falls

In October, we hiked Crabtree Falls, a popular destination spot near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Here we are at one of the stops along the way. It was an unusual hike since the falls are really a series of cascades on the side of a mountain. One moment you hear and see a water fall, then the trial snakes away from the water to only come back to it. The path itself seems to be cut from the mountainside, since it is quite rocky.



The above picture is one of those cascading waterfalls. It was stunning. So, what is the purpose of hiking up the mountain? Here is the view:



Need I say more? A picture is worth a thousand words.

--Bryan

Virginia Beach

This was our view from our hotel in Virginia Beach. I tagged along to one of Myla's talks. She gave a talk on "how to talk to your neurologist" and I decided to sit in and she was great. After that, we checked into the Ocean Beach Club Hotel, a new facility on the Atlantic. The rooms were nice with two (yes, two) TV sets and a kitchen suite. This would be ideal if you were staying a week. Since we were on the Atlantic, we wanted seafood. We dined at Catch 31 just down the street. We started out with very tasty mussels and I had local white fish and great scallops, while Myla had a crab stuffed halibut.

The next morning we headed out to the Virginia Aquarium to see sea turtles, stingrays, sharks, and otters. It has two buildings with a nice trail along Owl Creek where we saw an Ospry and a warbler. All in all, a nice trip!

--Bryan