Director: Martin Campbell; Stars: Daniel Craig, Eva Green; Release Date: March 13, 2007
After a great deal of discussion--on the part of fans and producers alike--over Daniel Craig's (THE MOTHER, MUNICH) suitability for the role of James Bond, he more than proves himself in this explosive revamping of the franchise. Under the direction of Martin Campbell (THE MASK OF ZORRO) and with Paul Haggis (CRASH) helping with the re-writes, this addition to the Bond canon manages to hold true to the essence of the stories--the villainous villains, the fabulous sets, the beautiful women, the fast-paced action--while updating the formula with subtlety and humanity. Trading in the Cold War era for a new, post-9-11 landscape, the tale unfolds in locations that span the globe, including the Bahamas, Venice, and the Czech Republic. It opens in Madagascar, where Bond pursues a guerilla bomb-maker in one of the most breathtaking chase scenes ever--and it all takes place on foot. Botching that assignment, Bond goes to Montenegro to square off against terrorist baddie Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelson), an...
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Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no less dangerous and with two professional assassinations in quick succession he is elevated to "00" status. "M" (Judi Dench) head of the British Secret Service sends the newly-promoted 007 on his first mission that takes him to Madagascar the Bahamas and eventually leads him to Montenegro to face Le Chiffre a ruthless financier under threat from his terrorist clientele who is attempting to restore his funds in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale.
"M" places Bond under the watchful eye of the Treasury official Vesper Lynd. At first skeptical of what value Vesper can provide Bond's interest in her deepens as they brave danger together. Le Chiffre's cunning and cruelty come to bear on them both in a way Bond could never imagine and he learns his most important lesson: Trust no one.System Requirements:Runtime: 144 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: PG - 13 UPC: 043396148598 Manufacturer No: 14859.
The most successful invigoration of a cinematic franchise since Batman Begins, Casino Royale offers a new Bond identity. Based on the Ian Fleming novel that introduced Agent 007 into a Cold War world, Casino Royale is the most brutal and viscerally exciting James Bond film since Sean Connery left Her Majesty's Secret Service. Meet the new Bond; not the same as the old Bond.
Daniel Craig gives a galvanizing performance as the freshly minted double-0 agent. Suave, yes, but also a "blunt instrument," reckless, and possessed with an ego that compromises his judgment during his first mission to root out the mastermind behind an operation that funds international terrorists. In classic Bond film tradition, his global itinerary takes him to far-flung locales, including Uganda, Madagascar, the Bahamas (that's more like it), and Montenegro, where he is pitted against his nemesis in a poker game, with hundreds of millions in the pot.
The stakes get even higher when Bond lets down his "armor" and falls in love with Vesper (Eva Green), the ravishing banker's representative fronting him the money. For longtime fans of the franchise, Casino Royale offers some retro kicks. Bond wins his iconic Astin-Martin at the gaming table, and when a bartender asks if he wants his martini "shaken or stirred," he disdainfully replies, "Do I look like I give a damn?" There's no Moneypenny or "Q," but Dame Judi Dench is back as the exasperated M, who one senses, admires Bond's "bloody cheek." A Bond film is only as good as its villain, and Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre, who weeps blood, is a sinister dandy.
From its punishing violence and virtuoso action sequences to its romance, Casino Royale is a Bond film that, in the words of one character, makes you feel it, particularly during an excruciating torture sequence. Double-0s, Bond observes early on, "have a short life expectancy." But with Craig, there is new life in the old franchise yet, as well as genuine anticipation for the next one when, at last, the signature James Bond theme kicks in following the best last line ever in any Bond film. To quote Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin , now I know what I've been faking all these years.
--Donald Liebenson Stills from Casino Royale (click for larger image) Beyond Casino Royale on Amazon.com On Blu-ray CD Soundtrack Why We Love Daniel Craig The Amazon.com James Bond Store Where Have I Seen Daniel Craig? Bond on Set: Filming Casino Royale Book .
Directors: Martin Campbell
Stars: Daniel Craig
Actors: Ivana Milicevic
Genre: Dramas
Subgenre: Terrorism, Terrorists, Gambling
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (MPAA)
Available Formats: DVD: 2-Disc Set; Full Frame
UPC: 043396148628
Release Date: 2006
Running Time: 2hr 24min
Original Language: English
DVD Editions: DVD: 2-Disc Set; Widescreen2hr 24minSony Pictures Home EntertainmentMarch 13, 2007PG-13 (MPAA)043396148598
Professional Reviews: (11/30/2006, p.122, Peter Travers): 3.5 stars out of 4 --"There's one whopper of a reason why CASINO ROYALE is the hippest, highest-octane Bond film in ages, and his name is Daniel Craig."
Of course it's James Bond on Blu-Ray
Author's Rating:
If you are reading this review then you must be one of the few people who are not James Bond fans or have not seen a Blu-Ray movie.
Simple review = Must see in Blu Ray, must own this movie. Anytime you want to show off your HD setup to your friends, just pop this baby in!
Fantastice movie, fantastic format!
Buy it today you won't regret it.
Jul 03, 2008
Casino Royale
Author's Rating:
What a great 007 - Daniel Craig is the best since Connery. Awesome movie!
Arrived brand new, still in wrapping, with quick delivery. Thank you!!
Jul 03, 2008
Best Bond!
Author's Rating:
Hands down the best James Bond ever seen! Blu-Ray has spectacular quality and the movie has surprising twists and interesting development. Great for anyone, really, not just Bond fans.
Jun 24, 2008
Rebooting Bond
Author's Rating:
Not since the glory days of "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball" has a 007 film received the kind of sterling reviews that greeted 2006's "Casino Royale." Roger Ebert gave it a whopping four stars, and Entertainment Weekly recently included it in a countdown of the best movies of the past 25 years.
Is it that good?
Although it was produced by EON productions, the same company founded by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman in 1961 to produce the Bond films and now in the hands of Broccoli's daughter Barbara and stepson Michael Wilson, "Casino Royale" is what's known as a "rebooting" in the same vein as Warner Bros.' "Batman Begins." Based on Ian Fleming's first Bond novel published in 1953, it begins with Bond earning his double agent status then embarking on his first mission. However, the film has a contemporary setting with Bond and his cohorts using laptop computers and cell phones. In other words, 007's previous adventures against such adversaries as Dr. No, Goldfinger, and Ernst Stavro Blofeld have yet to take place. Does this mean that remakes are in the offing?
Daniel Craig, the sixth Bond of the official series, also represents a break with the past. He brings to mind Steve McQueen more than Sean Connery. You get the impression that Craig's Bond could hold his own in a fight with Connery but feel less confident, intimidated by Connery's cooler, more sophisticated manner. On the other hand, he would probably mock Roger Moore's gentlemanly agent and regard Pierce Brosnan as more playboy than killer. Craig's Bond is more of an alley cat, more at home in the gutter than the casino at which he stares down the villainous LeChiffre. He may be heroic, but he's far from fearless. He perspires and faces death with genuine terror. When he tosses off a witticism, as he rarely does, it's not with the nonchalance we have come to expect but with a sigh of relief, a means of breaking the tension. When this Bond's car flips over multiple times, he's bloody and barely conscious as his enemies drag him from the vehicle for a hair raising session of torture. Roger Moore would have calmly climbed out of the car, tightened the knot in his tie, and moved on.
The critical acclaim accorded this new Bond is justified. It's an all-together excellent show, but I can't help but detect a certain amount of condescension toward the earlier films, as if to suggest this one is superior and more innovative than the more fantasy oriented adventures that, with few exceptions, preceded it. It is nothing of the sort. While the earlier Bond films with their megalomaniacal madmen plotting the takeover of the world did grow stale after a time, they were innovative when first released and grew tired only after being endlessly recycled in later chapters in the series and by the imitations that sprang up in the wake of "Bondmania."
In the `60s, when Bond reigned supreme as the world's biggest box-office draw, his only competition came from the lesser spies given life to cash in on 007's success. Now, of course, we have Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman, Superman, Spider Man, et al, special effects heavy films that never would have made it to the big screen had Bond not arrived there first. But unlike them, Bond doesn't need the gimmicks and the fancy hardware and can stand apart from them. He has a secret weapon more effective than anything that Q could provide. He has Ian Fleming whose original conception of Bond has only rarely made it to the screen intact. Now he has. This isn't a better Bond, though, only a different one, as interesting in his own way as the previous 007s were in theirs.
Brian W. Fairbanks
Jun 24, 2008
Rebooting Bond
Author's Rating:
Not since the glory days of "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball" has a 007 film received the kind of sterling reviews that greeted 2006's "Casino Royale." Roger Ebert gave it a whopping four stars, and Entertainment Weekly recently included it in a countdown of the best movies of the past 25 years.
Is it that good?
Although it was produced by EON productions, the same company founded by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman in 1961 to produce the Bond films and now in the hands of Broccoli's daughter Barbara and stepson Michael Wilson, "Casino Royale" is what's known as a "rebooting" in the same vein as Warner Bros.' "Batman Begins." Based on Ian Fleming's first Bond novel published in 1953, it begins with Bond earning his double agent status then embarking on his first mission. However, the film has a contemporary setting with Bond and his cohorts using laptop computers and cell phones. In other words, 007's previous adventures against such adversaries as Dr. No, Goldfinger, and Ernst Stavro Blofeld have yet to take place. Does this mean that remakes are in the offing?
More …
Bond Better than Ever !
Author's Rating:
In my opinion, this was one of the best bond movies I have ever seen. The opening chase sequence is just amazing. I thought the plot was pretty good in this film. I enjoyed how they showed the love interest causing Bond to turn completely into a purely heartless idividual. This is the Bond I want to see. No emotion or pity for anyone or anything. Of course, he will still have his charming ways with the ladies, but other than that, he is just ready to follow orders and kill people....awesome! The movie was made during the huge poker wave that swept the nation, so the idea of the tournament in the movie captured a much larger audience. My dad watched the movie purely because of the poker aspect, and ended up loving the movie as a whole.
I have to address the people giving this movie 1 star. Wasn't the idea of this movie to show Bond's introduction into his 00 status as an agent? The plot was great in this movie at showing his transformation into the Bond we all know from the past. The love interest side of this movie at times was a little awkward, but it was designed to show that he becomes a ruthless secret agent after her little swim. I would much rather see this Bond than others that throw out cheesy one liners and have rocket launching leg casts, laser watches, fire proof tuxedos, and any of the other thousand rediculous gadgets that Bond had in any of the other movies. If you look at any movie with nothing but critical eyes, you will always spot things that you don't like or that dont make sense. But .....it's a movie.....the point is that it doesnt have to make sense. If the idea that a load of cash can't be fit into a briefcase bothers you about this movie, do any of the gadgets make logical sense? They are thrown in there to get a laugh in most cases, and this movie isn't about that at all. It's too good to have to get enjoyment from cheap laughs.
Just watch the movie. It is a really good film. The next one should be even better, and I can't wait !
Jun 21, 2008
Bond Better than Ever !
Author's Rating:
In my opinion, this was one of the best bond movies I have ever seen. The opening chase sequence is just amazing. I thought the plot was pretty good in this film. I enjoyed how they showed the love interest causing Bond to turn completely into a purely heartless idividual. This is the Bond I want to see. No emotion or pity for anyone or anything. Of course, he will still have his charming ways with the ladies, but other than that, he is just ready to follow orders and kill people....awesome! The movie was made during the huge poker wave that swept the nation, so the idea of the tournament in the movie captured a much larger audience. My dad watched the movie purely because of the poker aspect, and ended up loving the movie as a whole.
I have to address the people giving this movie 1 star. Wasn't the idea of this movie to show Bond's introduction into his 00 status as an agent? The plot was great in this movie at showing his transformation into the Bond we all know from the past. The love interest side of this movie at times was a little awkward, but it was designed to show that he becomes a ruthless secret agent after her little swim. I would much rather see this Bond than others that throw out cheesy one liners and have rocket launching leg casts, laser watches, fire proof tuxedos, and any of the other thousand rediculous gadgets that Bond had in any of the other movies. If you look at any movie with nothing but critical eyes, you will always spot things that you don't like or that dont make sense. But .....it's a movie.....the point is that it doesnt have to make sense. If the idea that a load of cash can't be fit into a briefcase bothers you about this movie, do any of the gadgets make logical sense? They are thrown in there to get a laugh in most cases, and this movie isn't about that at all. It's too good to have to get enjoyment from cheap laughs.
More …
I had expected more
Author's Rating:
Good parts: new Bond is OK, very physical and relatively pleasant, the pictures and supporting cast are great, stunts are simply great. The Obanno's attack is a very refreshing move and in my view the best episode of the movie.
Bad parts:
1. Bond girls are not up to the level set in previous Bond movies and all cases of mutual attraction look very unnatural.
2. One hundred million dollars moment: governments do not care that much about 15 mln. anymore.
3. The plot is annoyingly weak: e.g. the bad guy does not have his own people capable of minor bombing etc etc.
Jun 16, 2008
The REAL James Bond
Author's Rating:
This is the beginning of the 007 legend. Although the origin of 007 is not explained in the movie it is mentioned that this is his first assignment as an MI6 agent.
This is not like the other Bond's movies where he did not mess his hair, this Bond, bleeds, sweats, gets really hurt and makes mistakes...
Jun 16, 2008
James Bond Rules
Author's Rating:
If you thought Casino Royal was great on DVD, wait till you see it in Blu Ray. Simply awesome.
Jun 16, 2008
Drywall Poses No Obstacle
Author's Rating:
Were this a Moore or a Brosnan Bond film, the first chase scene would've had Bond matching the parkour freejumper move for acrobatic move. He's a trained ninja diplomat assassin secret agent, you see; he's good at everything. Freejumper vaults himself up and over a bit of drywall; certainly the best in Her Majesty's Secret Service can do the same.
Instead, Craig bulldozes through the drywall.
And, for an encore, the rest of the movie.
Even the great Saint Connery was guilty of managing to kill at least one henchman with every single shot even at a dead run (I think that was /Dr. No/). Craig? Well, he shoots a lot but generally his only one-shot kills were either cheap shots (mook rounds a corner, hello gun, bang) or taking advantage of the environment (gas tanks, gas bags, anything explodey).
Well, we -could- have the supergiant MI6 database of everyone's ever movements track down the bad guy... or Craig could just use people's cellphones in something approximating real spycraft. Half-monk, half-hitman, all highly-trained thug who's been taught to stand up when ladies leave the table. Everything a true Bond should be.
Jun 12, 2008
Drywall Poses No Obstacle
Author's Rating:
Were this a Moore or a Brosnan Bond film, the first chase scene would've had Bond matching the parkour freejumper move for acrobatic move. He's a trained ninja diplomat assassin secret agent, you see; he's good at everything. Freejumper vaults himself up and over a bit of drywall; certainly the best in Her Majesty's Secret Service can do the same.
Instead, Craig bulldozes through the drywall.
And, for an encore, the rest of the movie.
Even the great Saint Connery was guilty of managing to kill at least one henchman with every single shot even at a dead run (I think that was /Dr. No/). Craig? Well, he shoots a lot but generally his only one-shot kills were either cheap shots (mook rounds a corner, hello gun, bang) or taking advantage of the environment (gas tanks, gas bags, anything explodey).
More …
Oh, James!
Author's Rating:
"Casino Royale" is a re-imagining of James Bond, a reboot of a tired old franchise. James Bond has been a cartoon for decades, epitomized by Roger Moore and to some extent Timothy Dalton. In its place, Craig's Bond is part Jason Bourne, part Terminator. (Just watch him run like Robert Patrick at the beginning!) "Casino Royale" is grittier, less cartoony and still big and action-oriented.
Craig is a decent if not great Bond, but the fault of Bond in this movie lies not with him but with poor writing. The viewer will note that this Bond screws everything up and does nothing right, and even has to be rescued at times. This is not the supremely confident, always-prepared Bond we are used to. Nonetheless, the first part of the movie is serviceable and competent, and at least watchable.
But "Casino Royale" completely derails on the train to Montenegro, where Bond meets his Bond girl and the movie hits a brick wall. Action transforms into a lot of pseudo-romantic chatter between the two. Eva Green turns in a truly legendary performance as a Bond girl. Legendary, in the sense that the acting bar for Bond girls is set pretty low, and she doesn't even make it that high. Due in part to poor writing and in greater part to exceptionally poor Bond girl acting, her last scene in the movie is laugh-out-loud funny rather than dramatic.
I will not spoil the ending, such as it is, but its open-ended lack of closure caused me to knock off a star. Come on, this movie is 2 and a half hours long, and they couldn't have cleared out 45 minutes of look-at-my-watch yapping in order to give us 5 minutes worth of closure?
I noted to my wife that Montenegro sure looked a lot like Italy, and that maybe we should visit someday. However, do not use "Casino Royale" for travel planning purposes, as the credits reveal that Lake Como, Italy stood in for Montenegro. In one sense, I guess I was right!
Jun 10, 2008
Oh, James!
Author's Rating:
"Casino Royale" is a re-imagining of James Bond, a reboot of a tired old franchise. James Bond has been a cartoon for decades, epitomized by Roger Moore and to some extent Timothy Dalton. In its place, Craig's Bond is part Jason Bourne, part Terminator. (Just watch him run like Robert Patrick at the beginning!) "Casino Royale" is grittier, less cartoony and still big and action-oriented.
Craig is a decent if not great Bond, but the fault of Bond in this movie lies not with him but with poor writing. The viewer will note that this Bond screws everything up and does nothing right, and even has to be rescued at times. This is not the supremely confident, always-prepared Bond we are used to. Nonetheless, the first part of the movie is serviceable and competent, and at least watchable.
But "Casino Royale" completely derails on the train to Montenegro, where Bond meets his Bond girl and the movie hits a brick wall. Action transforms into a lot of pseudo-romantic chatter between the two. Eva Green turns in a truly legendary performance as a Bond girl. Legendary, in the sense that the acting bar for Bond girls is set pretty low, and she doesn't even make it that high. Due in part to poor writing and in greater part to exceptionally poor Bond girl acting, her last scene in the movie is laugh-out-loud funny rather than dramatic.
More …
Move over Batman, Spiderman– make way for Bondman!
Author's Rating:
Pros: Craig; the action, cinematography, editing.
Cons: Not the real Bond yet.
The Bottom Line: It's a Bond movie, it has plenty of action, it's well-acted and produced. So, it's a few hours of mindless escapism, but not much else.
Review: Ah, action heroes...gotta love‘em. It’s a shame, actually, that Hollywood must now always resort to fast action, fast cars, and fast women to make a meal of good stories. So, forget about the actual story– just watch as Bond (Daniel... Read Full Review by mayapan1942, Jun 29, 2008
Author's Rating:
Pros: Great directing, no boredom, no filler, direct and honest
Cons: Corny one-liners here and there, puppy-love scenes make me puke
The Bottom Line: James Bond the villain
Review: This is how you get up in that a-ss and beat it until it cries out your name, until it’s farting out porcelain bricks, until it’s just a viscid fabric of human grease sliding down your flesh. James Bond, using his primitive, genetic- Britishly... Read Full Review by diseased, Jun 7, 2008
"Why is it that people who can't take advice always insist on giving it?"
Author's Rating:
Pros: Craig is 007. Nice way to reboot the staid series
Cons: A bit overlong
The Bottom Line: So I like Indiana Jones more, but Indy was inspired by Bond. And Daniel Craig is great as a newly minted 007.
Review: Over the years, my attitudes toward the venerable James Bond film series has veered wildly from wholehearted admiration to willful indifference, with mild spurts of renewed enthusiasm when a new actor is cast as Ian Fleming's womanizing, martini-sipping,... Read Full Review by alexdg1, Jun 5, 2008
Author's Rating:
Pros: action sequences, Daniel Craig as Bond, casting
Cons: Eva Green as Vesper Lynd, romantic Bond doesn't work
The Bottom Line: A great remake of Bond but unfortunately the excessive pseudo-romance dampens things a bit.
Review: With Daniel Craig as the new Bond, Casino Royale was almost a perfect relaunch of the Bond franchise that had started to fall out of favor over the years with Pierce Brosnan’s Bond. The new James Bond has gone from his charming, gadget-centric ways,... Read Full Review by t13monkeys, Apr 30, 2008
The Latest Addition to James Bond's Successes.
Author's Rating:
Pros: Produced a decent movie, even without all the gadgets.
Cons: If you need a fix of new gadgets don't watch this movie.
The Bottom Line: Only watch this if you are an actual Bond fanatic, this is missing all of the gadgets that we've become accustomed to.
Review: If you are a fan of James Bond like I am, then you will want to see this movie Casino Royale. If you are used to all the Bond movies and their little gadgets and such, you might be a little disappointed with this movie. They still have quite a bit of... Read Full Review by badbonz0007, Apr 27, 2008
Author's Rating:
Pros: The new James Bond is the best thing since Sean Connery!
Cons: Most of the fun sci-fi gadgets are gone.
The Bottom Line: Bond is back - and better than ever. Really.
Review:
