| Casino Royale (2006) |
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| My Rating |
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7.0 |
| IMDb Rating |
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7.9 (70,354 votes) |
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| Plot Synopsis |
| Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no less dangerous, and with two professional assassinations in quick succession, he is elevated to '00' status. Bond's first 007 mission takes him to Madagascar, where he is to spy on a terrorist, Mollaka (Sebastien Foucan). Not everything goes to plan and Bond decides to investigate, independently of MI6, in order to track down the rest of the terrorist cell. Following a lead to the Bahamas, he encounters Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian) and his girlfriend, Solange (Caterina Murino). He learns that Dimitrios is involved with Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), banker to the world's terrorist organizations. Secret Service intelligence reveals that Le Chiffre is planning to raise money in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro at Le Casino Royale. MI6 assigns 007 to play against him, knowing that if Le Chiffre loses, it will destroy his organization. 'M' (Judi Dench) places Bond under the watchful eye of the beguiling Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). At first skeptical of what value Vesper can provide, Bond's interest in her deepens as they brave danger together and even torture at the hands of Le Chiffre. In Montenegro, Bond allies himself with Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini), MI6's local field agent, and Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), who is representing the interests of the CIA. The marathon game proceeds with dirty tricks and violence, raising the stakes beyond blood money and reaching a terrifying climax. |
| Review | |
| 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 galvanizing 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 "armor" and falls 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 Astin-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 |
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1:1.78 (16.9) widescreen| Fun Stuff |
| Also Known As: Bond Begins (USA) (fake working title) Ian Fleming's Casino Royale (USA) (complete title) James Bond 007 - Casino Royale (Germany) James Bond 21 (USA) (working title) (more) Filming Locations: "The Canals", Venice, Veneto, Italy (more) Trivia: Ian Fleming is said to have based the character of the villain Le Chiffre in the novel "Casino Royale" on English occultist Aleister Crowley. (more) Goofs: Factual errors: Shortly before Vesper uses the defibrillator on James the heart-beat-sound slows and turns into a continuous sound, showing cardiac arrest. Electric defibrillation does not work on non-beating hearts. The shock is uses to "reset" the cardiac electric pathways, but in order to work, the heart has to be active. (more) Quotes: [first lines] James Bond: M really doesn't mind you earning a little money on the side, Dryden. She'd just prefer it if it wasn't selling secrets. (more) Awards: Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 8 wins & 16 nominations (more) Movie Connections: Featured in James Bond: For Real (2006) (V) (more) |
| Extra Features |
| Interactive menus, Scene access, Enhanced for WideScreen TV, Subtitles (English, Hindi), Subtitles for hard of hearing (English), Other documentaries ('Becoming Bond', 'James Bond for Real', 'Death in Venice', 'Bond Girls Are Forever', News Wraps), Bonus tracks (Chris Cornell - 'You Know My Name') |
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