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Casino Royale [2006] DVD ~ Daniel Craig  (45)  £2.96

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The most successful invigoration of a cinematic franchise since Batman Begins, Casino Royale offers a new Bond identity. Based on the Ian Fleming novel that introduced Agent 007 into a Cold War world, Casino Royale is the most brutal and viscerally exciting James Bond film since Sean Connery left Her Majesty's Secret Service. Meet the new Bond; not the same as the old Bond. Daniel Craig gives a galvanising performance as the freshly minted double-0 agent. Suave, yes, but also a "blunt instrument," reckless and possessed with an ego that compromises his judgment during his first mission to root out the mastermind behind an operation that funds international terrorists. In classic Bond film tradition, his global itinerary takes him to far-flung locales, including Uganda, Madagascar, the Bahamas (that's more like it) and Montenegro, where he is pitted against his nemesis in! a poker game, with hundreds of millions in the pot. The stakes get even higher when Bond lets down his armour by falling in love with Vesper (Eva Green), the ravishing banker's representative fronting him the money.

For longtime fans of the franchise, Casino Royale offers some retro kicks. Bond wins his iconic Aston Martin at the gaming table, and when a bartender asks if he wants his martini "shaken or stirred," he disdainfully replies, "Do I look like I give a damn?". There's no Moneypenny or "Q," but Dame Judi Dench is back as the exasperated M who, one senses, admires Bond's "bloody cheek." A Bond film is only as good as its villain, and Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre, who weeps blood, is a sinister dandy. From its punishing violence and virtuoso action sequences to its romance, Casino Royale is a Bond film that, in the words of one character, 'makes you feel it', particularly during an excruciating torture sequence. Double-0s, Bond observes early on, "have a short life expectancy". But with Craig, there is new life in the old franchise yet, as well as genuine anticipation for the next one when, at last, the signature James Bond theme kicks in following the best last ! line ever in any Bond film. To quote Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin, "now I know what I've been faking all these years". --Donald Liebenson

Synopsis
After a great deal of discussion--on the part of fans and producers alike--over Daniel Craig’s (THE MOTHER, MUNICH) suitability for the role of James Bond, he more than proves himself in this explosive revamping of the franchise. Under the direction of Martin Campbell (THE MASK OF ZORRO) and with Paul Haggis (CRASH) helping with the re-writes, this addition to the Bond canon manages to hold true to the essence of the stories--the villainous villains, the fabulous sets, the beautiful women, the fast-paced action--while updating the formula with subtlety and humanity. Trading in the Cold War era for a new, post-9-11 landscape, the tale unfolds in locations that span the globe, including the Bahamas, Venice, and the Czech Republic. It opens in Madagascar, where Bond pursues a guerilla bomb-maker in one of the most breathtaking chase scenes ever--and it all takes place on foot. Botching that assignment, Bond goes to Montenegro to square off against terrorist baddie Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelson), an international loan shark who gambles with the money of his equally dangerous clients. Beautiful British Treasury representative Vesper Lynd (Eva Green, THE DREAMERS) supplies Bond’s own funds, appearing on his arm in Montenegro, while M (Dame Judi Dench, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE) keeps a close watch on the action from headquarters. The extravagant poker game forms the centre of the action, with Jeffrey Wright (SYRIANA, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE) putting in an intense appearance at the table; interrupting the game are assassination attempts, poisoning, and other dramatic events that keep the adrenaline pumping. The flirtation that unfolds between Bond and Vesper Lynd is only in keeping with the spy’s M.O. as a ladies’ man. What differs here, however, is what sets this Bond apart from the rest: the romance is taken seriously, and it exposes a vulnerability in Bond that he’s never shown before. This, however, only makes him the tougher, as Craig's Bond is darker, less campy, more brooding and mysterious, than his past incarnations ever were.

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289 Reviews 5 star:  (167) 4 star:  (54) 3 star:  (20) 2 star:  (19) 1 star:  (29)           Average Customer Review (289 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   103 of 114 people found the following review helpful: The Best Bond Yet, 20 Dec 2006 By  Julian Evans "Jules" (Darkest Shropshire, UK) - See all my reviews    I grew up with the Bond movies. I was slightly too young to see Dr No when it came out, but by Goldfinger I was an avid fan. For me Sean Connery was the best personification of the literary character. The other actors (all of them) never really did it for me. Sean Connery's Bonds are an extremely tough act to top. By the time I clocked the invisible car in the last of the Pierce Brosnan movies (see, I can't even remember tha name of it!) Bond had become a joke, exactly like the Mike Myers pastiche, something that got put on the DVD player at a chum's house, and certainly not a 'must see' at the cinema. A few months ago I caught the early trailer for the new movie and thought it looked quite different. I decided to part with my cash (albeit on an 'Orange Wednesday') for one last time and check out Casino Royale when it opened in November. Having read and re-read all of the books as a youngster I can only say that this Bond, and Daniel Craig in particular, is the closest to the books yet. For me he's better even than Sean Connery. THIS is how a Bond movie should look. It's fast, it's dirty, it's edgy and it simply doesn't need the stupid gadgets and hollowed-out volcanoes. Martin Campbell has created a superb, modern Bond with Daniel Craig. We see the character develop and 'become' Bond. In fact it's not until the very last moments of the movie that the famous signature tune arrives along with those immortal words. "Who are you?" asks Mr White, "The name's Bond, James Bond". If the next movies are as good as Casino Royale the series will continue for many more years. Daniel Craig is just great. Go and see this movie, it's BRILLIANT.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   16 of 17 people found the following review helpful: You know my name!, 21 Mar 2007 By  B. Lawes (Dorset, England) - See all my reviews    After the deplorable 'Die Another Day' and the fact that Pierce Brosnan's Bond had become some kind of slimy lounge lizard without an ounce of danger, the Bond franchise looked as though it had finally had it's day. With that young upstart Jason Bourne to contend with, a radical rethink was in order. For some, Daniel Craig was a little too radical, and the press surrounding his appointment was almost universally negative. Oh, the joy of hindsight. With Martin Cambell at the helm, an experienced hand who launched the Brosnan era with GoldenEye, which at the time was a fairly radical relaunch, and the chance to finally film the original Bond story, it was time to show the young pretenders how it should be done. Daniel Craig's tenure as 007 begins with perhaps the most fantastic pre-title sequence of any Bond. Filmed in black and white, with a level of visceral shocking violence that truly reflects Bond's licensed killer role, and the gun-barrel motif as part of the action this announces the arrival of 007 in style. The film continues in this new, much grittier way, but still feels very much like Bond. There are the exotic locations, beautiful women, opulent lifestyles and obsession with food and drink that is so evident in Fleming's novels. On the whole the film sticks very closely to the novel, swapping Bacarat for texas hold-em poker and a carpet sweeper for a knotted rope ;) there are some additions to make the story more cinematic. The free-running chase at the start of the film, and the collapsing venetian house at the climax are dramatic to watch but, particularily in the case of the latter, feel a little overblown in comparison to the rest of the film and the film does seem to flag slightly in the last 20 minutes, but the climax which leaves the film open for a direct sequel is a brave move. The emotional journey Bond takes through the film hangs very much on the chemistry between Bond and Vesper Lind, (Eva Green) and for me there just wasn't the spark that would have made this feel truthful. There simply isn't enough of an on screen frisson between the leads to make me believe that Bond falls as hard as he does. Small niggles aside, this is a fantastic film, and I eagerly look forward to the next Bond film, not something I have said for a good few years. The DVD comes with some fine extras. The two making of features are some of the best I have seen in a long time. One focuses on the creation of the stunts and effects and how as much as possible was filmed for real. This is great fun and beats watching actors stood in front of green screens and special effects nerds showing you how they have a new program to render smoke, again. The other feature follows Daniel Craig through the selection process, announcement of his casting and filming. This is suprisingly frank and deals bravely with his less than rapturous reception. There is another feature on Bond girls there to pad out the disk, its a bit ropey and was on the TV around the time the film received it's cinematic release. Maryam d'Abo waxes lyrical about the legacy of Bond girls and she talks to some other aging actresses about how lovely they used to be. Also included is the video for the Chris Cornell song 'You know my name' which is easily the best theme in years, but to be honest only fans will watch the video more than once. So overall then, the best Bond film in years, with the best Bond in decades, backed with some good extras. I'm off to pour myself a nice big Vesper, cheers.