Review of Casino Royale (2006) by Oliver S — 28 Aug 2014

While I admit I usually go for films like the franchise of 007, James Bond has never been one of my favorite franchises to sit through. I've seen all the Sean Connery films and they were great but could care less on other additions like the ones with Roger Moore, particularly the goofiness that supposedly dumbed down the original characterization of the character. This skepticism went on down to the Bond films made today, starring Daniel Craig. It took me this long to finally give the reboot a go, and I was very impressed with how it turned out.

Based on the very first book in the Bond series (why it was never made a big-screen film until now, I have no clue), James Bond (Daniel Craig) is given his status as 007 (license to kill and all), and uses his skills to go after a very corrupt and wealthy terrorist (Mads Mikkelsen) that he uncovers while bringing down a bomb-maker in Madagascar. By teaming up with treasurer Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), who finances Bond in this mission, Bond has to cleverly defeat this madman in a high stakes poker game at Casino Royale where the winnings can be used to bankrupt the terrorist from making any more threats.

Before I go on with this reboot, let me give a little history on the Bond franchise up to this point. By 2006, many audiences had given up with another James Bond film. Though the character had made a comeback with Goldeneye in 1995 (one I'm not familiar with), the followups with Pierce Bronsnan returned to the level of criticism in the Roger Moore films, with 2002's Die Another Day considered a very low point in the franchise. As plans were announced for a reboot, reports were very mixed on what was to come. Daniel Craig, the star, was typecasted as too short for the role, but director Martin Campbell's (of Goldeneye) involvement gave fans an optimistic hope. Not only did Casino Royale defy expectations, but it also gave the franchise a sign that it's ready to tackle new challenges in each decade.

And Casino Royale works well in the fact that the producers opted for a grittier storyline that was more faithful to Ian Fleming's original intentions. This decision paid off big time, from the very stylish b&w opening sequence where Bond receives his 007 status, action to the point of exhilaration you get in the Bourne movies (the stuntwork in this is phenomenal, particularly the crane sequence in Madagascar), and even up to the point where Bond is actually depicted as not an invincible superhero like others depicted him as. In a scene that was very hard to sit through, the villains force Bond to severely wreck his high-priced Ashton Martin, to where they capture him, strip him, tie him to a chair, and literally torture him for information. The scene is very brutal and very deserving of it's PG-13 rating (the fact that Bond was in the nude in this scene almost gets it to an R in my book had it not been for the lighting), but I'm glad that it shows that Bond actually gets some heavy hits once in a while.

Many critics have described Casino Royale as "the perfect James Bond film", but I don't think so. Though I appreciate the darker edge of the film, I wasn't satisfied enough. For one, the film's pacing is a little rough, particularly in the casino scenes. I know it plays a very integral role to building up the plot, but I was a little restless in the buildup, almost to the point where I dozed off. But thankfully, as the buildup intensifies, the film goes back to that dazzling feeling of a sharp and intense spy thriller.

In the experiences I've had with 007, I've always thought that Sean Connery is the ultimate Bond, due to his awesome sense of style and sharpness he puts on the table. Though Daniel Craig comes nowhere close to Connery's awesomeness (especially when compared to Goldfinger), Craig still manages to pack a punch in his own right. As mentioned earlier, Craig's cold, hard stares show us that Bond is more than just an invincible spy with all these cool gadgets to show off every 5 seconds. As Roger Ebert put it, "Craig makes a superb Bond ... who gives the sense of a hard man, wounded by life and his job, who nevertheless cares about people and right and wrong". And I have to say it again, he clearly nails his emotions in scenes of true grit, such as the ending and that torture scene.

Another plus is how the film doesn't go into any dated sexism that plagued a lot of the older films. For once, there is not a 007 film with any nude women in the opening credits, and that's a big refresher. Sure Bond still has sex with women, but I felt it wasn't glorified like in past releases (the one Roger Moore film I saw literally depicted Bond as a sex addict). A big irony here is that 007 has the eyes on the sex table unlike the Bond girls over the years. In one scene, he walks away from the beach in a similar manner to Ursula Andress in Dr. No, and it's 007 that actually gets stripped of clothing instead of any women this time. This is another reason why I think Casino Royale is a strong effort of moviemaking when anything stands up against stereotyping and sexism.

I also have to give Eva Green credit as she's one of the Bond girls that actually has some attitude and class compared to the countless of bland actresses that have teamed up with 007 over the years. Her chemistry with Craig is excellent to where it actually shows them in their intense relationship, and the emotions actually click this time around. I also loved that 007's boss M is actually female this time around, as it gives the two more memorable chemistry to come around. And Judi Dench nails at what she's given.

Sadly though the villain is still another generic baddie in the world of 007. Though Mads Mikkelston gives it his all in the performance, I was never given any clear reason to the villain's motives of blowing up stuff. But I at least give him credit for delivering in the character's sadism during the said torture scene.

David Arnold scored the film (one of five that he did). Arnold's not one of my favorite composers (his score for the 1998 Godzilla is a horrendous ripoff of John Williams music), but I really liked what he does in this film. He maintains the jazz vive that brought the franchise to popularity in the first place, and creates a faithful adaptation of that classic Bond theme. As for the film's traditional theme song of the show, I liked Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" as it showed the framework of a grittier Bond film, but it's nowhere as memorable as Bond songs of the past (nothing can top Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die").

It still has it's weak spots (particularly in pacing and in villainy), but Casino Royale is one of the best Bond films I've seen. Though my thoughts for best Bond still goes to Sean Connery, I applaud the studio for creating a grittier storyline and its hard, very intense, Jason Bourne-styled action. Plus Daniel Craig still packs a punch on his own as a great 007 and the emotional level is raised to a whole new level for the franchise. After finally watching Casino Royale, though I still wouldn't consider myself a fan of the franchise, at least it gives me a little hope in experiencing some of the other films, particularly the other films starring Daniel Craig.

"I have no armor left. You've stripped it from me. Whatever is left of me - whatever is left of me - whatever I am - I'm yours. ".