When the ‘new’ Bond was announced back in 2005 I wasn’t overly impressed. It wasn’t that I didn’t rate Daniel Craig as an actor, I thought he was great in Layer Cake and thoroughly enjoyed that film and yeah he was a sexy man, but James Bond can’t be blond! It just didn’t sit right with me, but that’s personal preference I guess and the fact that all the other Bonds I had seen had been brunette/black, so I didn’t know anything else.
I therefore couldn’t get very enthusiastic when Casino Royale hit the big screen and I wasn’t one of the first in the queue to go and see it (not even the Orange Wednesdays offer could get me there). Instead I waited for the DVD and eventually watched it one evening when I had nothing much else to do.
Casino Royale – Brief Plot Summary
It seems to be the fashion nowadays to make a couple of films and then release one that takes you back to the start (remember Star Wars). Casino Royale does just that and in this film we see Bond go on his first ever mission as a 00.
As the title would indicate gambling is involved and the story unfolds in the main around a poker table. Participating in the high stakes poker game is a character who goes by the name of Le Chiffre. Le Chiffre is a banker for the world’s terrorists’, so as you can imagine is quite an unsavory character. (and he has an eye that bleeds - yuk).
'M' played by the marvelous Dame Judy Dench, sends Bond to Montenegro to prevent Le Chiffre from winning the game (Le Chiffre is only playing the game to win back his clients money which he lost at the start of the film – big aeroplane should have blown up - James put a stop to that). Of course Bond needs a large amount of money to buy into this poker game and therefore the treasury agree to ‘lend’ MI6 the sum $10 million dollars. This is where we meet the ‘love interest’ a glamorous treasury assistant called Vesper Lynd. Vesper’s job is to accompany Bond to Montenegro to keep her eye on the money and make sure it’s returned.
Who can Bond trust?
Main Cast
ActorCharacter Daniel Craig James Bond Eva Green Vesper Lynd Mads Mikkelsen Le Chiffre Judi Dench M Jeffrey Wright Felix Leiter Giancarlo Giannini René Mathis
Opinion
It was actually a very good film! Which I have now purchased because I think it worthy of going into my DVD collection.We see James Bond’s character emerge in this film. Previously I have always taken for granted Bond’s coolness and the way he ‘weighs’ people up. His character can come across as somewhat arrogant at times, but the fact that he is a sexy British hero always makes up for this.
In Casino Royale we see how James has to learnt the hard way not to trust anyone, a lesson which makes me sympathise more now with the arrogant sexist side of Bond, because I think I now know why he acts like that.
Along with the amazing stunts, wonderful costumes, breathtaking scenery (parts of this film shot on location in Lake Como, Venice and the Bahamas) this film also has some amazing actors/actresses who all give 110% in their performances.
Despite my reservations, I think Daniel Craig is a great Bond and I can’t believe I stopped away from the film initially because he was blond! That seems so ridiculous now!
It’s well worth a look if you haven’t yet done so.
5 out of 5 from me because it ticks all the right boxes: action/romance/great acting/great stunts/great locations/great sound track and great plot!.
Pictures of Casino Royale (Collector's Edition) (DVD)
Casino Royale (Collector's Edition) (DVD)
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
I am a massive fan of the older James Bonds films; the newer ones just doesnt sit right with me, especially this iflm. I Watched it and I was just....bored. Definitely has been over-hyped.
x_dani_x 19.07.2009 15:16
Great review. I liked Daniel Craig in this, but i thought the film was over rated. Its so annoying when a film a over hyped, always seem to be a disappoint - with me anyway! x
blackmagicstar4 16.07.2009 15:27
Havent actually seen this one yet not in a big rush either lol well reviewed though x
Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no ... more
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...
![Casino Royale [2006]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/103256754.jpg "Casino Royale [2006]")
Jul 16th, 2009
very helpful by (87%):
helpful by (13%):
