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Review #313 of 365
Movie Review of Casino Royale (2006) [PG-13] 144 minutes
WIP™ Scale: (2nd viewing $13.75 + 1st viewing $14.25) / 2 = $14.00
Where Viewed: United Artists Denver Pavilions Stadium 15, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 20 November 2006
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Film's Official Website
DVD Release Date: 27 March 2007
Review Dedicated to: ZLH
Directed by: Martin Campbell (GoldenEye)
Screenplay by: Neal Purvis (Die Another Day),Robert Wade (The World Is Not Enough), and Paul Haggis (Flags of Our Fathers) based on the novel by Ian Fleming
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Daniel Craig (Infamous) • Eva Green (Kingdom of Heaven) • Mads Mikkelsen (Pusher II) • Judi Dench (Mrs Henderson Presents) • Jeffrey Wright (Lady in the Water) • Giancarlo Giannini (Man on Fire)
Soundtrack: order the CD below
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
Note: This is Review #2 of 2 with SPOILERS| review 1 does not have any spoilers and was published three days ago. Click here to read the first review if you do not wish to have plot points revealed.
It is always interesting to see a film for a second time just after the first time when details have settled and with the ability to look for clues to the twists etc. in the plot. Does it hold up to a second viewing? In some ways, Casino Royale, does not hold up quite as well upon a second viewing as say, The Prestige, yet in others its doubly oh seven better. Breaking this down will serve as the kernel for this second review then.
How the film is not as good the second time around:Daniel Craig as James Bond in hot pursuit of his target.(Click Still Photo to Purchase)
This summer, audiences in the USA were introduced to two other films with extended running stunt scenes. The first was Tom Cruise's break-neck, hair raising, single shot tear to find the terrorists in M:I:III. The second was lesser-seen, but even better duo action sequences featured in District B13. Now we have Daniel Craig's run through the market and construction zone in Madagascar. Maybe because audience's memories are short-lived or maybe because this one involves the direct pursuit of the villain, this one stands out as being better, upon second viewing it was not the best. It's preposterous to think this minor villain is either brave enough nor skilled enough to complete these physical stunts, and there are definite times when the younger James Bond looks a bit like he's huffing and puffing to keep up, taking short cuts not because he's clever, but because he's unsure of his ability to make it, and for those who've seen the other two films mentioned more than once, the luster a second time failed to inspire the "I've got to see that again it was so great" feeling of District B13. In fact, what makes the sequence work the first time is that part of you really isn't sure Bond can make it through even though you know he must or the movie would be pretty short as would his career. Knowing he makes it and how, proves the sequence is less about his skill and more about his lack of skill. The effect decreases his super agent characteristics.
The net impact of the decrease in power of this sequence serves as a model for what goes less well through the entire movie, for while the film has as its core strength the compelling nature of the emergence of the steely James Bond super agent character which fascinates, a second viewing reveals a film that definitely takes its own sweet time with a lot of nonsense detail that bogs the story and film down in the middle. For example, there's the drawn out sequence of James wooing the wife of Alex Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian) only to leave her with a bottle of champagne and a bowl of caviar. This does being to establish Bond's taste for beautiful women and later catalyzes his push to find her killers, but the depth and length of this entire part of the story is too long and without much contribution. Breaking it down, the film has a sea-saw effect with several bursts of action connected by long, drawn-out, smoldering sequences. Crane chase / tracking down contact in Bahamas – travel to Bahamas – poker game to win Dimitrios's car – attempt to shag Dimitrios's wife – trip to Miami – Miami Science Museum exhibit – death of Dimitrios – tracking of Dimitrios's contact to Miami International / gas tanker truck chase / Mi6 reprimand by M (Judi Dench) – tracking signal implanted – trip to Montenegro for poker match – introduction to Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) and support person Mathis (Giancarlo Gianni) – growing banter between Lynd and Bond – the real Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) – introduction of CIA contact Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) – the poker game begins – even though there are 10 players, we only really see three of them do much: Bond, LeChiffre, and Leiter – break in the game / African Rebels try to kill LeCiffre for losing their money in the recent failed attempt to cause the airline stock to fall and James Bond has to step in to put the bad guys out of commission in a stair well / continuation of the game – Bond gets poisoned / Bond has to save himself with self-AED / rest of poker game – Bond wins in extraordinary fashion a sum of over $112 million – Bond and Lynd bond – Bond figures out that Mathis is a double agent / car chase to rescue Lynd ends badly / Bond is tortured most inhumanely by LeChiffre – LeChiffre is killed by unknown bad guys – Bond wake up in a wheel chair to convalesce and Mathis is hauled off to be interrogate (how he got there is unknown) – Lynd and Bond fall in love – Lynd and Bond fool around and live on the money Bond won even though, technically, it belongs to the UK treasury and was supposed to be deposited into their account – Bond thinks Lynd betrayed him sealing his fate and ending his ability to ever trust women fully again unlocking a key to understanding James Bond – Bond chases down Lynd to the money exchange / in a scene that brings down a building in Venice Bond battles the guys who got the money and tries to save Lynd to no avail / Bond gets details from M as to how Lynd bargained for him to be saved from death at the hands of LeCiffre's killers in exchange for the money she and Bond now control at peril to her own job – Bond tracks down the men responsible for LeChiffre's death and indirectly Lynd's death and tags their ring leader with the final "Bond, James Bond" tag being uttered for the 'first' time. Ok, so when your read through this, you suddenly realize, there really are these long stretches of the film where not a lot happens, and the second time around you might just be looking at your watch or yawning a bit through these.
The net impact of the decrease in power of this sequence serves as a model for what goes less well through the entire movie, for while the film has as its core strength the compelling nature of the emergence of the steely James Bond super agent character which fascinates, a second viewing reveals a film that definitely takes its own sweet time with a lot of nonsense detail that bogs the story and film down in the middle. For example, there's the drawn out sequence of James wooing the wife of Alex Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian) only to leave her with a bottle of champagne and a bowl of caviar. This does being to establish Bond's taste for beautiful women and later catalyzes his push to find her killers, but the depth and length of this entire part of the story is too long and without much contribution. Breaking it down, the film has a sea-saw effect with several bursts of action connected by long, drawn-out, smoldering sequences. Crane chase / tracking down contact in Bahamas – travel to Bahamas – poker game to win Dimitrios's car – attempt to shag Dimitrios's wife – trip to Miami – Miami Science Museum exhibit – death of Dimitrios – tracking of Dimitrios's contact to Miami International / gas tanker truck chase / Mi6 reprimand by M (Judi Dench) – tracking signal implanted – trip to Montenegro for poker match – introduction to Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) and support person Mathis (Giancarlo Gianni) – growing banter between Lynd and Bond – the real Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) – introduction of CIA contact Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) – the poker game begins – even though there are 10 players, we only really see three of them do much: Bond, LeChiffre, and Leiter – break in the game / African Rebels try to kill LeCiffre for losing their money in the recent failed attempt to cause the airline stock to fall and James Bond has to step in to put the bad guys out of commission in a stair well / continuation of the game – Bond gets poisoned / Bond has to save himself with self-AED / rest of poker game – Bond wins in extraordinary fashion a sum of over $112 million – Bond and Lynd bond – Bond figures out that Mathis is a double agent / car chase to rescue Lynd ends badly / Bond is tortured most inhumanely by LeChiffre – LeChiffre is killed by unknown bad guys – Bond wake up in a wheel chair to convalesce and Mathis is hauled off to be interrogate (how he got there is unknown) – Lynd and Bond fall in love – Lynd and Bond fool around and live on the money Bond won even though, technically, it belongs to the UK treasury and was supposed to be deposited into their account – Bond thinks Lynd betrayed him sealing his fate and ending his ability to ever trust women fully again unlocking a key to understanding James Bond – Bond chases down Lynd to the money exchange / in a scene that brings down a building in Venice Bond battles the guys who got the money and tries to save Lynd to no avail / Bond gets details from M as to how Lynd bargained for him to be saved from death at the hands of LeCiffre's killers in exchange for the money she and Bond now control at peril to her own job – Bond tracks down the men responsible for LeChiffre's death and indirectly Lynd's death and tags their ring leader with the final "Bond, James Bond" tag being uttered for the 'first' time. Ok, so when your read through this, you suddenly realize, there really are these long stretches of the film where not a lot happens, and the second time around you might just be looking at your watch or yawning a bit through these.
So, what's better the second time around:Eva Green as to Vesper Lynd—the woman who froze 007's heart for good.(Click Still Photo to Purchase)
Knowing what you know, you can look for clues as to, for example, Mathis's disloyalty. Certain things do fall into place better. What's really better however is the realization that director Martin Campbell really took the time to fully develop James Bond. It may have been with scenes that drag on a bit too long in parts upon a second viewing where they lack punch and surprise they have the first time through, but they really are lovely when it comes to witnessing the transformation of James's heart. Daniel Craig's performance is stunning in this sense. He keeps on going no matter how much doubt there might be in his ability to succeed which works amazingly well since so many James Bond fans doubted his ability to carry the role in the first place. This palpable doubt in the audience overlaps with the perceived doubt in M that turns out to be less doubt and more hope of success creates an incredibly dynamic character. While previous actors portrayed Bond well, and Connery will long be heralded as the best of the best, Craig may be the first actor who wins over hearts as you can honestly feel for him in this transformation much in the way as people were won over by Tobey Macguire's portrayal of Spider-man. You do come to love him for the terrible struggle within. This may be the first on-screen representation of the James Bond that Ian Fleming hoped to create when he first sat down to write about James Bond. He is so much more now than a guy who looks sharp in a tux, has a particular desire about martinis, drives the latest cars, has cool gadgets, and scores with the most beautiful actresses of the day.
While then, overall, it seems the film probably doesn't deserve quite the high rating given for the first time through, and it may not actually be the best James Bond film ever, Daniel Craig has done a lot to convince that he really is the best James Bond ever with all due respect to Sir Sean Connery who paved the road and set the bar.
While then, overall, it seems the film probably doesn't deserve quite the high rating given for the first time through, and it may not actually be the best James Bond film ever, Daniel Craig has done a lot to convince that he really is the best James Bond ever with all due respect to Sir Sean Connery who paved the road and set the bar.
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Other Projects Featuring Casino Royale (2006)
Cast Members
Daniel Craig
• Eva Green• Mads MikkelsenJudi Dench
• Jeffrey Wright• Giancarlo GianniniDirector
Martin Campbell
Screen Writers
Neal Purvis
• Robert Wade• Paul HaggisNovelist
Ian Fleming
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