Review of:Casino Royale (2006)
Director:Martin Campbell
Rating:PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, a scene of torture, sexual content and nudity.
Starring:Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffrey Wright
I’ll admit it. I’ve never, ever, been a big fan of the James Bonds movies. I’ve always thought they were a little over the top. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one. With this revamped James Bond starred in by a very good Daniel Craig the series has done something that I would have told you was impossible if we had a discussion on the street. It has made me want to see what’s going to happen with James Bond in the next film.
The story is a simple one, and that’s what I like about it. This story is an actual ‘reboot” of the James Bond franchise, and showcases James becoming a 007. Bond is sent to investigate the terrorist Mollaka, and it is while on this mission that James finds elements of another plot in the mix. Deciding to pursue this separately of M16, James Bonds finds himself getting involved with Le Chiffre, banker to the world’s terrorist. Bringing M16 back into the loop, James is assigned to play against Le Chiffre in a high stakes poker game. If he can beat him he will have caused the fall of Le Chiffre, but if he doesn’t he will have funded terrorism directly with English money.
In what I would consider a true first the Director, Martin Campbell shows a side of Bond that we didn’t know that he had. He actually lets a woman, Vesper Lynd, get past his defenses (played smartly by Eva Green). Vesper is the accountant that the M16 has sent to make sure that their money is safe.
Although the story sounds sort of flat the way that I presented it above I can tell you with certainty that the film will keep you wrapped up in what is going on. This James Bonds is quite different than his predeccesors. He is more intense, and you really do get the sense that this James will put a hurting on you if necessary. The previous James Bonds didn’t give you that sense. That they could make you hurt if you did the wrong thing. Can you actually imagine being scared of Pierce Brosnan if he didn’t have a weapon in his hands or of any of the other 007’s for that matter? Daniel Craig’s piercing eyes have a way of conveying you his seriousness on screen.
Maybe it has something to do with my age, but I like this Bond film better than most of the others that I have seen. The only ones that I would place above it would be the one with Jaws, and maybe one or two done by the master himself-Sean Connery. Go check this one out!
