Casino Royale

From the breathtaking stunts in the opening chase to the suspenseful high-stakes poker game, ‘Casino Royale’ gets everything right, introducing Craig as a tougher, grittier and more realistic Bond. James Bond.

10/10

Good movie

HOW DO I RATE A MOVIE TEN BILLION STARS😭😭😭

Daniel Craig steps into the fray as Bond, the final actor to portray the spy in our marathon. He doesn’t look like the others, but then again this isn’t a film like the others.

Here, 007 is sent to pursue a criminal accountant with the notion that he may be able to divulge information on his clients, or at least stop the flow of funds to terrorists.

In the past we have seen numerous attempts to ‘reboot’ the franchise when it began to flag. This is often when the lead actor has changed (Moore and Dalton in particular had débuts that contrasted starkly with their precursors), or just after a bad film (The Spy Who Loved Me was a much needed pick-me-up).

However, Casino Royale is the only film that genuinely takes things back to the start. We see Bond get his 00 status, get a little back story about the gun barrel sequence, more back story about how he gets his car and most importantly, some insight into the origins of his character. It took 21 films but we are finally beginning to understand what makes a man like Bond.

As things get under way we see Bond climb buildings and smash through walls as he chases a man through some dusty streets. It’s a fast paced, very well strung together action sequence. We feel every bump and bruise along the way (especially when he mis-judges a jump onto a crane…); this is the first genuinely intense moment we’ve seen for many many years.

The film carries this tension from start to finish, which at 2 1/2 hours in length is no mean feat. Even during the long poker game at the centre of the story, Casino Royale is transfixing to watch.

Craig turns out to be an inspired choice. He’s got real acting chops along with being built like a brick shit house. He seems emotionally vulnerable, despite being physically unstoppable; just what the script requires. He also manages to throw in a unique take on Bond’s idiotic charm, which quickly wins over the audience.

Eva Green is more than a match for him, also a critical element since the film is as much about her relationship with Bond as it is stopping terrorists. The two are electric on screen, again something we’ve sorely missed for a long time.

So many elements have come together to make this all work so well. GoldenEye director Martin Campbell’s direction is slick and incredibly smart, especially in the action scenes. Sometimes this feels like a lost art, not here. The fight scene in the stairwell is a master class in how to involve the audience in a moment that is otherwise impossible to imagine.

David Arnold is back as the lead composer, and he’s also upped his game. His soundtrack is noticeably well thought-out. The way he weaves the theme tune with the Bond theme is masterful, and it sneaks up on you until you have a ‘holy shit this is awesome’ moment. It wonderfully crescendos into “James Bond” music at the same pace that we follow Bond’s transformation into 007.

Casino Royale is yet another kick up the arse for a dying franchise. However, instead of the mild shake-up the other ‘reboots’ entail, this marks a huge change for the series. The core elements we all know and love remain, but they are all justified. It’s surprising to see that this is the work of the same crew as the previous films.

The mixture of a talented actor, a director with a great knack for shooting action and a well crafted script make for a profoundly entertaining picture. This is a classic up there with Goldfinger.

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It's hard to choose what makes this film so amazing. From the directing, cinematography, and acting, to the action, drama, and passion. A truly great reboot to an already classic series!

As an origin story, this still has all the hallmarks of a Bond film, but this is one of those rare Bond films that successfully attempts to delve a little bit deeper into the character. It is a bold step taking the audience back to the beginning of Bond as a 00 agent, but credit to the writers and director as it allows them to focus on how Bond developed into the character seen in all the other films. Craig is perfect for the role of a Bond at the start of his career. In his work, Bond is much more a force of nature, raw and brutal, and there are doubts over his ability to remain detached. Its his emotional state that the film explores which makes this a much more interesting take on the character. Consequently, there is a greater stake in his relationship with Eva Green's character, who manages to make a far more memorable Bond girl than many of the recent ones from the Brosnan era. A great start to a new cycle of Bond films.

This is Bond at his toughest. Daniel Craig's 007 is a one-man wrecking crew. He's practically a superhero, smashing through walls, fighting multiple baddies at once, and keeping up with vehicles on foot. None of the earlier Bond films come close to portraying a Bond this unpolished and brutal.

The story is entertaining and easy to follow. The villain Le Chiffre is not threatening until a torture scene wipes out any sympathy he may have generated from his predicament with the even bigger fish he is working for. There are a number of memorable action scenes, primarily the opening chase scene where 007 pursues a man with a bomb on foot. It's jaw-dropping and the stunts are amazing. I'm not much of a card player but I have to say even the card playing scenes were exciting.

A minor quibble I have is that the closing fight in Venice doesn't stand up as well when compared to the other great action pieces throughout the film.

Arguments could easily be made that this is the best Bond film ever. It may just be my personal favorite.

It's crazy how much better this is than most of the other movies in this franchise. Daniel Craig is my James Bond and he is perfect. Mads Mikkelsen has that villain face and charisma. The action is top notch. The story is gripping even for a longer movie. They even made poker exciting.

Now the whole world's gonna know that you died scratching my balls!

I actually hadn't watched this until now. And, man was this a ride.

This is the type of origin story we were missing until now. The plot feels genuinely believable. It's a very personal story. No megalomaniac evil mind wanting to destroy or re-shape the world with his contraptions.
Casino Royale reboots the franchise with Daniel Craig as the new Bond. And you know from the first minute this will be very different. Now, I've never read any of the Bond novels so I can't say which one is the closest. This Bond is raw, unpolished, brutal. He doesn't seem to stop at anything to achieve his goals. He cuts corners everywhere which doesn't sit well with his superior, M, again marveously played by Judi Dench. But he also learnes his lessons along the way. And for me that makes him kind of the most realistic Bond.