Casino Royale (DVD, 2007, 2-Disc Set, Widescreen)

"Utter one more syllable and I'll have you killed!"- M to James Bond in CASINO ROYALE. But this Bond will not be dispatched so easily. He is virtually impervious to pain. He is incredibly acrobatic. If he is on the run and you have just put up some drywall it had better be very thick drywall. When others fall to an explosion he escapes with minor cuts. And he heals quickly (far too quickly). He even cheats death (shocking, positively shocking!). Watching CASINO ROYALE you may ask yourself: is this really 007 or Bruce Wayne, dropping his cape and cowl for a new identity? Yet the renovation of the 53-year old Bond ediface (books and movies) by producer Barbara Broccoli and company succeeds despite the comic book heroics. Daniel Craig's (see LAYER CAKE; THE ROAD TO PERDITION; THE MOTHER) flaxen-haired Bond silences the pre-release complainers instantly. A look at his physique and you almost believe he could shrug off all those body blows. Size up his manner and style and he gets your complete attention. Craig's Bond is cold and brutal with irresistable charm. With a touch of Steve McQueen in his face and the swaggering gait of James Cagney (rather un-British) this Bond leaves you shakened and stirred. He renounces nearly all his forerunners- save for the animal ferocity and magnetism of Sean Connery. Indeed, the filmmakers labor to increase Connery's kill/kiss aura to the breaking point, pitting Craig's Bond against adversaries and women who match his physical and mental prowess every step of the way. Martin Campbell's direction has little trouble with the fast moving plot and even as the film breaks with the past it pays homage to it: there are traces of John Barry in the music; an 1964 Aston Martin DB5 rolls into view; a certain "Bond song" pop singer shows up at the casino gambling table. Nice touches amid all the bang-bang. And a nice start for Mr. Craig....er, Bond, James Bond.

Still not on a par with the days of Sean Connery, the new Bond is quite an improvement over effeminate versions portrayed by Pierce Brosnan and Timothy Dalton. You can finally see some of the manly qualities that Bond should have, without all of the fancy-pants poncery of the more modern Englishmen to play the part.


But enough about the acting, as that's hardly what people would buy a Bond film for!


The Bondgirls: very nice this time around. I remember hearing an uproar about Eva Green being selected for the female lead, but I think she's perfect. Quite good in this film. She was thankfully not another Xena: Warrior Princess 21st-Century female action hero stereotype. She was tough, yet vulnerable, and quite feminine. The other ladies were quite easy on the eyes, as well, though they don't get much screen time. It's a one girl show this time around.


The Plot: though I realize nobody watches Bond films for the clever plot, this one was not so ridiculous as some of its predecessors. Though not as intricate, with only mild twisting and turning, it is at least believable. Basically, the villain is a banker-to-the-warlords who takes a huge loss when his stock market scheme is foiled, and needs to make up the defecit before the warlords realize he was gambling with their money. Intro the high-stakes Texas Hold'em tournament (yeah, you heard right!) held in Montenegro - probably the most unlikely premise for Bond to appear anywhere, it is an obvious latch-on to the growing popularity of the card game. Anyway, Bond needs to win, because he's Bond, and the villain needs to win, because he doesn't want to sleep with the fishes, see. Violence and intrigue ensue. Pretty standard stuff, if you cut out the poker bit.


The Action: yes, beside the Bondgirls, this is the reason most people would spend two hours watching a Bond Film. And, for the first time in the last few installments, this edition actually lives up to expectations. After a short flashback for expository purposes, we are treated to a relatively original chase scene, something you can rarely count on in a Bond film. The action here was well-balanced between tension-building realism and the over-the-top unlikeliness Bond films are noted for. I was impressed. Later on, there is a short car chase that ends in an interesting, if somewhat Snidely Whiplash-esque, manner. A somewhat less interesting fuel truck fight (I know I've seen it in a previous installment) sets the stage for one of Bond's clever tricks that the audience isn't let in on until the end. Also, they do some interesting things to a Venician building towards the end.


The Cars: this was a little disappointing. The Astin-Martin was nice, but that's about it. One moment that tickled my fancy was when they showed bond driving a rental car that looked like a Ford Focus, or something similarly lame (no offense to Ford employees - I'm sure it gets excellent gas mileage).


The Gadgets: surprisingly few gadgets entered into the story, and nothing that allows Bond to make a MacGuyver-like escape from some holding cell. Every last deus ex machina in the film was due to something else saving Bond's bacon. I missed the laser pens, and John Cleese, but you can't have everything.


Overall, I would say this is definitely above averageon the Bond scale, and I would recommend all Bondophiles buy it. People with only a mild interest in Bond films may want to rent first.

The essence of Fleming's James Bond has been a difficult capture on film since the uncanny portrayal by Sean Connery cast the character in stone for all to see and, albeit, study. Connery clenched the identity of what a double-0 agent should be was practically unchallenged by a parade of characters throughout the series, until the debut of Mr. Daniel Craig in the title row.

No, Craig didnt' nail the Bond portrayal, he gave moviegoers and the franchise a fresh new James Bond, one closer to what Fleming, if he were alive, might have been thoroughly pleased with as his bookreaders might have imaged. From the outset, Craig's Bond is seen as a rough rogue who's finding his place in the double-0 boundaries. Having the brash swagger that could easily disappear in a crowd, he gives us a determined, passionate, daredevil refusing to give up on life or mission. Not afraid to use "by any means necessary" he gives the audience a two-popcorn bucket express ride through the film, glancing off more than a few encounters with the broodish villan, yet learning his trademark moves that carry 007 through the Fleming series. His acquired tastes in wine, women, cars and career. He has to be instructed by Eva Green to wear the right tuxedo, supported by Jeffrey Wright's "Felix" to return to the gambling tables and directed by the unforgiving M, played to the core by Dame Judi Dench. And finally the revelation of arrival as a legitimate agent with the utterance at the end of the film, means that Daniel Craig has arrived to save the franchise for another few films.

Let's hope the script for his next outing is as wonderful as Casino Royale. Bond, Jame Bond is back!!

Tom M. Jones
Beckwith Bay

I saw this film opening day in a state of the art theatre and the DVD is just as captivating. The action scenes in this film are top notch! You can't leave the screen for a minute for fear of missing something!

Daniel Craig is a fine actor and does justice to the role. He has the looks of a soldier, which is Bond's history. I didn't miss the gadgets, which were a bit much lately, in the other films. Eva Green plays her part very well, and won an award in Britain.

The torture scene was hard to watch, but if that sort of thing bothers you, you can fast forward.

This DVD is a good addition to your collection, expecially if you are an old fan of James Bond!

I'm sure by now everyone's heard that when Connery was at first chosen for Bond all the world wondered why David Niven wasn't chosen. Now that we have a new Bond I'm sure the pre-eminent exclamation was Craig who? WWEELLL- GET OVER IT! This is an actor. If you had doubts this movie MUST have changed your' mind. Daniel Craigs' performance was no less than an astonishment.It's well known the academy would sooner commit mass suicide than nominate a Bond film. Craigs performance was worthy of at least a nod. I was surprised that a Bond would act the way I'm sure a spy would; COLD, business like, supremely self assured, but, hidden, unless there was no alternative. We've gotten used to Bonds that were treated as remnants of the "gumshoe" era with overactive libido and absolutely unimpeachable self-aggrandizement. A Bond that nearly dies from poison, who needed help from the leading lady: UNHEARD OF. Revenge forced by logic, marvelous! A great, solid story that leads directly to the second Bond film of this era. A number of reviewers have suggested that "A Quantum Of Solace" is the perfect Bond film. Well- it wouldn't have made a quantum of sense without a grand "Casino Royale". This was the best planned franchise progression since "Rings". To get to the marrow of the matter if you don't like Bond films by now this one won't make you a believer. However, if you at least have nothing against them you'll find this well entertaining and worth the watch. You'll see a new Bond that is MUCH more believable. I hope he stays that way. One realistic note; some psychological grounding will be necessary: no-one could remain that detatched and remain sane. That's for further on down the road. For now, just enjoy a more human Bond. 'Bout time!