Review of Casino Royale (2006) by Rob L — 01 Jan 2013

A waste of time really because if you want something more cerebral and gritty, you shouldn't even be thinking about seeing a James Bond movie. It's rubbish to label this as a thinking person's blockbuster, because it has all the usual preposterousness and yet has a languid ennui that will put off fans of the franchise.

Mads Mikkelsen, one of my favourite actors, plays a less over the top baddie than usual and there is an attempt to paint the characters in shades of grey. These attempts fail and this is evidenced by the return to high camp Bondery one sees in Skyfall. Probably about time to put the series out of its misery but of course there's too much money in it for Heineken and company while more important, homespun movies struggle to get made.