Casino Royale – Box Office Details

It is no secret that Daniel Craig’s first James Bond film, Casino Royale, was very successful at the worldwide box office. CBn rounds up all the latest details…

Originally posted on 29 November 2006–updated weekly.
Final update on 18 May 2007.

UK Opening

Week 1: Taking in an overall $82.8 million worldwide over the first weekend of release, Casino Royale was the 9th biggest all time UK opening day of £1.7 million as well as the biggest ever opening in the UK for a James Bond film. It beat the previous record holder, 2002’s Die Another Day (which took in &pound1.1 million), by 46%.

Casino Royale also made its way into the top three all time biggest UK weekend openings with $25,524,511 (about £13.49 million).

Week 2: During its second week in the UK, Casino Royale took in an estimated £8.5 million, outgrossing all the other films in the top 10 combined. This brought then current UK total for the film up to £27.9 million.

Variety reported that Casino Royale had already earned more money from the UK box office in its first two full weeks than the entire UK box office take for 2002’s Die Another Day.

Week 3: During its third week in the UK, Casino Royale remained #1 once again, earning £5.3 million (about $10.5 million). With a grand total of over £37 million ($70 milllion+) in the country, Casino Royale has now grossed more than the final take of any previous James Bond film in the UK.

Week 4: For the fourth straight weekend, Casino Royale remained #1 in the UK. It took in over $5.43 million over the weekend, but was finally knocked from the top spot later in the week with the premiere of Happy Feet.

Week 5: While Casino Royale was finally knocked from the #1 spot by Happy Feet, the film continued its massive success at the box office. With a total exceeding £44.6 million, ($87 million) it is currently the second most successful film of the year.

Week 6: Labeled a ‘sterling performance’ by Variety reported that Casino Royale was one of the films that helped to match the overall box office take for 2005 (in which the UK performed strongly as well). Bookers have predicted a final total of roughly $98 million for the film.

Week 7: According to a report from Variety, the Bond film leapt 40% in its seventh frame; partly due to last weekend being Christmas. As earlier predicted, Casino Royale will soon pass the £50 million mark. The film had taken in $2.8 million over the weekend.

Casino Royale is currently approaching the $100 million mark in the UK, giving the film a chance to pass by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, making it the highest grossing film of the year in the country.

Week 8: Casino Royale continued its strong success in the UK, taking in $2.3 million. Slipping just 26% in the seventh frame, the film’s current UK box office stands at a very impressive $100.4 million and is set to become the highest grossing film of 2006 in the country. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is just barely holding onto the #1 spot at this point with $101.8 million.

Week 9: Casino Royale continued its strong success in the UK, taking in roughly $1.8 million. With a current box office total of $102 million+ (and compared to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest‘s total of $101.8 million) Casino Royale has become the highest grossing film of 2006.

Week 10: Casino Royale remained solid in the UK, taking in an additional $1.2 million. With a current box office total of over $106 million, Casino Royale has become the seventh highest grossing film of all time in the UK.

Week 11: With a box office total of over $107 million, Casino Royale is currently the seventh highest grossing film of all time in the UK (when measured in the British pound).

Week 12: With a box office total of over $108.4 million, Casino Royale became the sixth highest grossing film of all time in the UK (when measured in the British pound).

Week 13: Casino Royale remains the sixth highest grossing film of all time in the UK (when measured in the British pound) with a box office total around the $108-$109 million mark.

Week 14: Casino Royale remains the sixth highest grossing film of all time in the UK (when measured in the British pound) with a box office total around the $108-$109 million mark (roughly £55.3 million pounds).

Week 15: With very little change since last week, Casino Royale remained the sixth highest grossing film of all time in the UK (when measured in the British pound) with a box office total around the $108-$109 million mark (roughly £55.3 million pounds).

Week 16: With very little change since last week, Casino Royale remained the sixth highest grossing film of all time in the UK (when measured in the British pound) with a box office total around the $108-$109 million mark (roughly £55.3 million pounds). It appears that the film will not go any higher than its current all-time #6 spot.

Week 17: With very little change since last week, Casino Royale remained the sixth highest grossing film of all time in the UK (when measured in the British pound) with a box office total around the $108-$109 million mark (roughly £55.3 million pounds).

Week 18: Casino Royale remains the sixth highest grossing film of all time in the UK (when measured in the British pound) with a box office total around the $108-$109 million mark (roughly £55.3 million pounds). The region 2 DVD release was on 19 March.

Week 19 – FINAL: Casino Royale is the sixth highest grossing film of all time in the UK (when measured in the British pound) with a box office total around the $108-$109 million mark (roughly £55.3 million pounds).

US Opening

Week 1: Casino Royale opened #1 in all of its 27 countries during the first weekend, with the exception of the US, where it grossed $40,833,156, narrowly beaten by Happy Feet, which took in $41,533,432. This was most likely a result of a much shorter running time for the animated penguin film, as well as playing on some 3,800 screens compared to 3,434 for Casino Royale. However, James Bond opened #1 in the US on Friday with $14,741,135, beating Happy Feet, which took in $12,257,221, for that first day win.

According to Sony, Casino Royale‘s opening audience was 55% male and 57% over the age of 25.

Week 2: During the Thanksgiving weekend (second weekend), Casino Royale grossed $30,785,874, but was beaten once more by Happy Feet, which took in $37,038,046 – reports Box Office Mojo.

Additionally, Casino Royale passed the $100 million mark in the US box office, thanks to its takings of $1,551,530 on Thursday, 30 November.

Week 3: Casino Royale was ranked #2 on the weekend, where it once again battled with Happy Feet for the top spot. It grossed $15,112,870 over the third weekend. This was also the first week where the theatre count for the film had begun to drop (albeit only 57 at this point).

Week 4: Grossing $8,926,207 over the fourth weekend, Casino Royale dropped to #4 overall, facing competition from Happy Feet once again, but also the premieres of Apocalypto and The Holiday.

Week 5: Taking in $5,627,644 over the weekend, Casino Royale dropped to #8 overall. In comparison with Die Another Day, both Bond films are performing almost identically in terms of the current US box office totals.

Week 6: Taking in $3,143,720 over the weekend, Casino Royale dropped to #11 overall with a theatre count of 1,588 (comparing to the opening of 3,434). With a US box office total of roughly $149 million, Casino Royale is approximately $12 million away from surpassing Die Another Day‘s US total.

Week 7: Taking in $4,601,492 over the weekend, Casino Royale dropped to #12 overall with a theatre count of 1,543 (comparing to the opening of 3,434). Despite this, the film’s weekend box office improved over the total from week six (as well as breaking the $150 million barrier). With a US box office total of roughly $157 million, Casino Royale is approximately $5 million away from surpassing Die Another Day‘s US total.

Casino Royale is also hovering around the #9 spot (and looks to move up to #8 as well) for US Top 10 list of 2006.

Week 8: Taking in $3,002,507 over the weekend, Casino Royale dropped to #16 overall with a theatre count of 1,266 (comparing to the opening of 3,434). As of 10 January, the US box office total stands roughly at $160.5 million–about $400,000 away from surpassing Die Another Day‘s US total.

Week 9: Taking in $1,736,448 over the weekend, Casino Royale dropped to #20 overall with a theatre count of 814 (comparing to the opening of 3,434). However, that weekend total helped bring Casino Royale‘s US box office total to $162 million+, surpassing Die Another Day‘s US total of $160,942,139 and making it the highest grossing James Bond film in the US.

Week 10: Taking in $1,192,435 over the weekend, Casino Royale dropped to #23 overall with a theatre count of 661 (comparing to the opening of 3,434). This brough the US box office total for the film up to $164 million+.

Week 11: Casino Royale took in $609,192 over the weekend with a theatre count of 364. Ranked #29 overall, it was the first time the film did not break the $1 million mark over the weekend. The US box office total currently stands at $165 million+.

Week 12: Casino Royale took in $360,708 over the weekend with a theatre count of 248 (comparing to the opening of 3,434). Ranked #30 overall, it was the second consecutive time the film did not break the $1 million mark over the weekend. The US box office total currently stands at $165.8 million+.

Week 13: Casino Royale took in just under $300,000 over the weekend with a theatre count of 187–a sign the film is clearly on its last legs at the box office after an impressive run. The US box office total currently stands at $166.2 million+.

Week 14: Casino Royale got a small boost at the US box office thanks to a slightly increased theater count in hopes of maximizing profits in these final weeks (the theater count increased to 318). The US total currently stands at $166.7 million+.

Week 15: Casino Royale took in $210,000 from 267 theaters. Dropping to #34 overall, it was understandably the lowest weekend box office total yet. The US total currently stands at $167 million+.

Week 16: Casino Royale slid to the #35 spot overall and took in $138,853 from 226 theaters. The US total currently stands at $167.2 million+.

Week 17: Casino Royale slid way down to the #44 spot overall and took in $85,000 from 132 theaters (understandable with the DVD release this week) The US total currently stands at $167.3 million+.

Week 18: Casino Royale fell to #53 overall and took in $49,679 from 85 theaters. The US total currently stands at $167.4 million+.

Week 19 – FINAL: It appears that the final US total for Casino Royale will be roughly $167.5 million.

International Openings

Week 1: For the first weekend openings, Casino Royale set a record in India where it earned $3.2 million at 427 playdates, beating Spider-Man 2‘s opening by 87% for biggest debut of a non-Indian film.

Sony Pictures Releasing India MD Uday Singh, said: ‘Casino Royale has exceeded our expectations at the box-office. This unprecedented opening is the largest for a foreign film in India. Backed by a 360 degree marketing campaign, synergy partnerships from the Sony Group Companies and our brand alliances, we took this franchise to a wider audience base. Critical acclaim from the media further helped in building the buzz.’

Other box office totals include: Russia with $3.8 million (eighth largest opening for a non-Russian film), Greece with $1.34 million, Thailand with $1.1 million, Taiwan with $1 million, Singapore with $900,000, Malaysia with $800,000, Poland with $735,000 and the United Arab Emirates with $635,000.

Week 2: For the second weekend openings, Casino Royale continued its success in 18 new countries, including: Germany with $12 million, France with $8.4 million, Spain with $4 million, Switzerland with $3 million, Denmark with $2.5 million, Sweden with $2.1 million, Netherlands with $1.8 million, Austria with $1.6 million, Norway with $1.5 million, and Belgium with $1.5 million.

Deadline Hollywood Daily reported that Casino Royale was #1 in 40 of the 50 countries during the second week.

Week 3: For the third weekend, Casino Royale opened #1 in Japan with $3.3 million. Other weekend estimates for the film included: UK $10.4 million, Germany $8.6 million, France $5.3 million, Spain $2 million, Switzerland $1.7 million, and Denmark $1.6 million–all of which helped to push the film past the $300 million mark worldwide at the time. On opening day in Australia, the film set a new all-time best opening day for the 007 series, taking in $1.15 million at 405 playdates.

Week 4: Taking in $35.5 million from 64 territories brought the international total up to $246.5 million. Contributing to this total were openings in 10 new markets, where Casino Royale set franchise records in every single one. Australia and New Zealand were the two strongest new openings for Casino Royale, where it took in $5.41 million and $836,778 respectively. Other openings included Mexico with $1.5 million, Argentina with $314,002 and Colombia with $320,589.

As of the 8th December weekend in Canada, tribute.ca reports that Casino Royale has grossed roughly $16.8 million in total in the country.

Week 5: Variety reported that the internatonal box office for Casino Royale had once again helped push the film past two more milestones: the $400 million barrier, and more importantly, the international box office record for the James Bond series. With an estimated total of $280 million internationally, the film has beaten the record previously held by 2002’s Die Another Day ($271 million).

While this was the first frame where the film was not #1 internationally, Casino Royale still posted strong numbers in several markets: in Germany, the film made $3.2 million, $2.95 in the UK (for an already Bond record breaking overall total of $85 million+), $2.9 million in Australia and $1.6 million in France. It opened #1 in Brazil with $1.3 million.

Week 6: Variety reported on 24 December that Casino Royale‘s current box office total stood at $448 million worldwide–making it the highest grossing James Bond film in the series. Casino Royale also passed the $300 million mark for the international box office–making it the 41st biggest international gross of all time. It was only the fourth film of 2006 to do so, the others being Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Da Vinci Code, and Ice Age: The Meltdown.

Taking in $15.4 million at over 6,300 playdates over the weekend and an additional $4 million on Christmas day to put the foreign total to $309.3 million. New openings for Casino Royale included South Korea, with $3.8 million at 347, and in Hong Kong, with $1.3 million at 105.

Week 7: Playing at 5,300 screens in 61 territories, Casino Royale took in an estimated $16 million over the weekend. The film took in $2.8 million in both the UK and Germany, two markets that have been particularly strong for James Bond. This brought the totals for the film in both markets to $95 million and $43.3 million, respectively. Additionally, Casino Royale passed the $500 million mark at the worldwide box office–a first for the Bond series.

Sony also reports that Casino Royale has become its fourth-biggest hit internationally after The Da Vinci Code and the two Spider-man films. The film has additionally become the 35th-biggest hit all time internationally.

Week 8: Taking in $19.2 million at 5,045 playdates in 60 markets, Casino Royale came in second overall to Night at the Museum. The newest James Bond film currently stands at $531 million+ worldwide, the 24th highest of all time. Additionally, James Bond secured another #1 opening, this time in Italy with $4.6 million at 425.

Week 9: Taking in an estimated $11.3 million from 4,235 screens in 57 markets, Casino Royale once again came in second overall. The international total for the film now stands around $390 million+. The film’s recent opening in Italy made it one of the stronger markets this past weekend. The Bond film took in $2.6 million from 427 locations (the grand total now stands at $7.9 million). Additionally, after holding the #1 spot in South Africa since it’s 1 December 2006 opening, Casino Royale was finally pushed to #2 by The Departed.

Week 10: Casino Royale took in $5.4 million overall at 3,030 playdates in 51 markets. The film’s more recent opening in Italy made it one of the stronger markets this past weekend–it took in $1.2 million. Additionally, Casino Royale became the highest grossing James Bond film in Japan, beating the record previously held by Pierce Brosnan’s Die Another Day. The international total for the film is now estimated to be over an impressive $400 million.

Week 11: Casino Royale took in $3.2 million overall at 2,015 playdates in 48 markets–pushing the film’s international box office past the $400 million mark. Additionally, Casino Royale premiered in its final location, China, on 29 January and opened to the general public on the 30th. The film performed strong at its 470 playdates, taking in an estimated $1.5 million. The international total is estimated to be in excess of $407 million.

Week 12: Casino Royale took in an estimated $6 million from 1,780 screens in 44 markets, lifting its international gross total to $416.8 million ($582.8 million worldwide). It took the fourth place overall for the weekend. Of that total, China contributed an estimated $4 million for the weekend ($6.9 million since its opening on 30 January) from 468 screens. Sony is expecting Casino Royale to set a new overall record for a non-Chinese film in the country.

Week 13: Casino Royale took in $2.8 million internationally over the weekend from 1,305 screens in 33 markets. With an international total of $420.9 million, the film passed by Spider-man 2‘s total to become the 21st highest grossing film internationally of all time.

Week 14: Casino Royale dropped from 18th position to #31 internationally over the weekend. The international total for the film currently exceeds $423.6 million dollars.

Week 15: The international total is expected to currently be around the $424-425 million mark at this point.

Week 16: With updated box office numbers from China, (Casino Royale has grossed roughly $11.5 million there since opening) the international total for the film is expected to be roughly $426 million.

Week 17: With very little change since last week, the international total for Casino Royale is expected to be roughly $426-427 million.

Week 18: The international total for Casino Royale is expected to be roughly $426-427 million.

Week 19: As of 25 March 2007, the international total for Casino Royale is roughly $426-427 million.

Week 20: As of 1 April 2007, the international total for Casino Royale is roughly $427 million. Finland, Sweden and New Zealand are some of the countries contributing to the near-final worldwide box office for the film.

Week 21: As of 8 April 2007, the international total for Casino Royale is (again) roughly $427 million. Finland, Sweden, and Pakistan are some of the countries contributing to the near-final worldwide box office for the film.

Week 22: As of 15 April 2007, the international total for Casino Royale remains around the $427 million as the film is still playing in Finland, Sweden, and Pakistan.

Week 23: As of 22 April 2007, the international total for Casino Royale remains around the $427 million mark. Minimal contributions came from Pakistan once again this week, where the film continues to play.

Week 24: As of 29 April 2007, the international total for Casino Royale remains around the $427 million mark.

Week 25 – Final: In the twenty-fifth (and final) week of box office business, the international total for Casino Royale stands at roughly the $427 million mark.

Estimates

Many box-office gurus are predicting that Daniel Craig’s first 007 film will gross roughly $575 million worldwide. (This estimate has since become a reality).

‘Casino Royale is on course to pass 2002’s Die Another Day (which took in $432 million worldwide) to become the top-grossing Bond flick,’ said Rory Bruer, head of distribution at Sony. (This estimate has since become a reality).

According to a report from Reuters, Sony Sony executives are predicting a final foreign gross of ‘up toward the mid-$300 millions.’ Such a feat would make Casino Royale the most successful Bond film overseas, beating the current record of $271 million held by 2002’s Die Another Day. (This estimate has since become a reality).

Updates to come in the future.

Casino Royale – Box Office Details

Main Totals

Main Totals: Weekend-By-Weekend

Opening Day

Opening Weekends

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

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Chris Cornell On Creating 'You Know My Name'

In a new interview posted at SongwriterUniverse Magazine, Chris Cornell discussed how he came to work on the title song for Casino Royale, ‘You Know My Name,’ which is included on his upcoming album, Carry On.

When asked how the project came up in the first place, Cornell said: ‘Lia Vollack (President of Music for Sony Pictures) was heading the soundtrack and she called. She said they needed a song and singer that would reflect the dramatic new direction of James Bond, with Daniel Craig starring. They wanted a strong male singer–they wanted a song that would be remembered. I was a James Bond fan–as a kid I really liked the Bond films which starred Sean Connery. More importantly, I’m a big Daniel Craig fan. I had seen many of his films, and I knew he would be great as James Bond.’

Additionally, Cornell explained that the fact that Paul McCartney had previously written and performed 1973’s ‘Live And Let Die’ was also a factor in his decision. And I also liked the idea of doing a James Bond theme song for another reason. ‘I’m a Paul McCartney fan … so it was thrill that I could do a Bond theme, like my hero Paul McCartney had done earlier.’

‘David [Arnold] and I met, and I saw the rough cut of the film in Prague. David suggested that we write a song that echoed the film score. I started writing ‘You Know My Name’ and I gave him a call. It had lyrics first–the melody hadn’t been written yet. Then David came up with some musical ideas. I wrote most of the lyrics–he came up with some of the lyric lines–and we did a demo. Then David and I produced [the full version] and we played all the instruments except for drums. It was just a few guys in the studio playing all the instruments. We recorded it at George Martin’s studio in England–it was the perfect place and experience to make a James Bond record.’

Cornell mentions that he wrote ‘You Know My Name’ while working on other songs featured on his Carry On album, so he feels it fits well with them. ‘Writing for a James Bond movie allowed me to go to into an imaginary world. And now that I’m on tour, I’m having a lot of fun singing this song live.’

Visit SongwriterUniverse Magazine for the entire interview with Chris Cornell.

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Casino Royale And James Bond DVDs Win At Saturn Awards

Back in February, CBn reported that Casino Royale had been nominated in five different categories for this year’s Saturn Awards, including:

• Casino Royale – Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film
• Daniel Craig – Best Actor
• Eva Green – Best Supporting Actress
• Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Paul Haggis – Best Writing
• David Arnold – Best Music

According to an update from Variety, Casino Royale won the award for the Best Action/Adventure/Thriller film, while last year’s release of the ‘Ultimate Edition’ James Bond 007 DVDs took the award for Best DVD Collection.

The winners were announced at this year’s 33rd Annual Saturn Awards on Thursday, 10 May 2007 in Universal City. Click here to see the full list of winners.

In the past, Die Another Day received four nominations: Best Action/Adventure/Thriller film, Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, and Toby Stephens. Brosnan won the award in 1998 for Tomorrow Never Dies.

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

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Casino Royale Bonus For Daniel Craig

According to a report from The Telegraph, Daniel Craig has received a £2 million bonus from Eon Productions.

His debut James Bond film, Casino Royale, was by far the most successful in the series with a worldwide gross of $594 million and lavish praise from many critics and fans.

According to a friend, Craig’s three-picture deal with Eon was not particularly generous. ‘It reflected the fact that he was an unknown quantity in the part. This is just to make sure he doesn’t now start to feel hard done by.’

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

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Casino Royale Misses Out On Edgar Allan Poe Award

According to a press release, Casino Royale failed to win at the 2007 Edgar Allen Poe awards.

As CBn previously reported, the screenplay for Daniel Craig’s debut James Bond film by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis had earned a nomination in the Best Motion Picture Screenplay category. The film lost to William Monahan for The Departed.

This year’s Edgar Allan Poe Awards honored the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television and film published or produced in 2006. The awards were presented to the winners at the 61st Gala Banquet on 26 April 2007 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City. The full list of nominees in the motion picture screenplay category included:

• Casino Royale: Screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade & Paul Haggis, based on novel by Ian Fleming
• Children of Men: Screenplay by Alfonso Cuaron, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby, based on a novel by P.D. James
• The Departed: Screenplay by William Monahan
• The Good Shepherd: Teleplay by Eric Roth, based on a novel by Joseph Kanon
• Notes on a Scandal: Screenplay by Patrick Marber

Both Thunderball and Licence To Kill were previously nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe award (neither won).

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

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CBn Reviews 'Casino Royale' (2006)

Over the last several months, members of the CBn Forums have been reviewing all the James Bond 007 films in the “Countdown Threads“. If you wish to join in on the forum discussion all you have to do is register–it’s free and only takes a minute. In addition to those “Countdown” reviews, forum members can post their own reviews of Daniel Craig’s debut Bond film, Casino Royale, in the Members Reviews forum. What follows is a selection of the reviews…

‘Casino Royale’ by Youknowmyname

After the controversial decision of a ‘blonde Bond’ many fans were disgruntled at the prospect of Daniel Craig taking over the role of everybody’s favourite secret agent. Pierce Brosnan went out with a bang in the action-packed adrenaline rush that was Die Another Day. An invisible Aston Martin and parasailing on a rocket car bonnet was all good fun, but did special effects eclipse the central character?

Casino Royale centres more on Bond, the brutality of the villains, a credible plot and importantly ditches the computer generated images. Craig, a contemporary reincarnation, delivers a gritty, humanistic performance–a ruthless, chauvinistic loyalist with a taste for the finer things in life. Initially lacking suavity, he is unruly, undisciplined, unrefined. Asked how he would like his martini he replies, ‘Does it look like I give a damn?’ Bond effectively ‘grows up’ and is primed to become the super-spy we know and love. His mission is to derail the funding of world terrorist organisations by defeating poker player Le Chiffre, the archetypal Bond villain who will do anything to win. Director Martin Campbell skilfully engrosses us in the ensuing action and drama, even holding our attention during potentially boring poker games.

There are no weak links in the cast, but Craig is the focus, delivering a poignant portrayal of Ian Fleming’s hero, a tormented, vulnerable man. Countering those who labelled Craig as ugly, the filmmakers, cleverly parodied the entrance of Bond girls Honey Ryder and Jinx, having him emerge from the sea in his swimwear, captivating the female audience.

In keeping with recent Bond movies and in stark contrast to the shrieking, one-dimensional Bond girls from the Moore era, the main female figures are portrayed as intelligent and capable. Vesper Lynd is charmingly played by Eva Green who, on her first meeting with Bond makes it perfectly clear she is able to resist his charms and Dame Judy Dench commands attention as she returns as ‘M,’ 007’s redoubtable superior.

Bond veterans may be disappointed by the absence of Q and the usual hi-tech gear, but the lack of extravagant gadgets gives the action more of an edge. There were instances when I thought Bond might actually perish. Craig performs most of his own stunts, adding to the realism of the superbly choreographed fights. The spectacular opening sequence when Bond chases a terrorist through a building site features some very impressive free running. The film is accompanied by an equally remarkable soundtrack, sometimes thrilling, occasionally haunting and featuring the most rousing theme song since GoldenEye.

During the last twenty minutes the pace slows, though predominantly it moves along briskly, sometimes verging on frantic and for those who haven’t read the book, a second viewing is advised to fully appreciate the plot. It lags a bit during the romantic scenes between Bond and Vesper, occasionally becoming a little detatched, but those who have read the book will appreciate the importance of these sections and this is the only quibble I would have about the film.

The final scene doesn’t need a car chase or shoot-out to be as compelling as it is…Bond introduces himself, bringing an end to his beginning and leaving you eagerly awaiting his return.

‘Casino Royale’ by tdalton

After viewing the film a couple more times, my opinion on the film has changed slightly, as some (minor) parts of the film have shown some weaknesses, but in the overall scheme of things, I think the film is better than I remember it being in theaters…

Overall, I think that Casino Royale is one of the 2 best Bond films to date, on par (or even slightly ahead) of The Living Daylights. With some time it may be my favorite Bond film (and it may already be), but I’m hesitant to make that claim because, even in the wake of my first viewing of Die Another Day, I thought that was a good film until subsequent viewings of that film on DVD.

Daniel Craig is the highlight of this film, and he’s the best actor to ever take on the role of Bond, and it’s evident in his performance. Never has an actor been as believable as Bond as Craig is in Casino Royale. In this film, it’s easy to believe that Bond could actually exist in the real world as opposed to the highly glamorized world that he has existed in for the past 40+ years. While Casino Royale does, for most of the time, operate in a similar glamorized world, Bond comes across as a real person who could really exist in the real world. Credit this to Daniel Craig who has taken Bond from being a 2-dimensional character that saved the day with a one-liner and a smile into a character who is a force for the villains of the world to reckon with.

In terms of his portrayal of the character, Craig’s turn in Casino Royale is the best debut to date, and it’s also the best performance of Bond by any actor, and it’s exciting to wonder about where he might take the character in Bond 22 and Bond 23 (and hopefully 24, 25, and 26 as well).

An acting performance perhaps even on par with Craig’s brilliant work is that of Eva Green. Having read the novel several times, and knowing what ultimately happens to Vesper, I would have thought that it would have been very difficult to like Vesper because of that knowledge. Eva Green, however, makes her character into a very likable character all the way until the very end, and even makes the viewer feel sorry for her, even though she has done terrible things to both Bond and MI6. Her banter with Craig in scenes such as the train scene and the “last minute details” scene are brilliant, to say the least.

Mads Mikkelsen’s turn as Le Chiffre is very much in line with the character that Fleming put down on the page in 1953, and I’m not sure that a better actor could have been chosen for the role, despite my initial skepticism of the casting decision.

As far as the pacing of the film, which I have heard many voice opinions in criticism of the action-heavy first half of the film, I find it to be both a strength and a weakness for the film. It’s a strength in that I think that it was necessary to do so in order to show those who may have been on the fence about this new direction that they could still do the action scenes on par with what had come before in the last few films, and I think that they proved that they could. It’s also a weakness, though, as others have said, because of the pacing problems that they pose for the film, but I’m not sure that it’s a very major issue, however. The Miami sequence is a great action sequence, and the free-running chase is still not one of my favorites, but it doesn’t bother me as much to watch anymore, and it’s important to the storyline, so I’ll let it slide.

I think that the biggest weakness for Casino Royale is the music and, most notably, “You Know My Name”. Don’t get me wrong, I love the rock version of this song that can be found on iTunes. It’s a brilliant piece of music, and in that version, I think that it is one of the best title songs the series has ever seen. But, the version that they used in the actual film is terrible. No matter what setting I have it on (and this is a review of the Blu-ray disc, so there is the option for Linear PCM audio or “lossless” audio as some call it), the music completely dominates Cornell’s vocal. It’s impossible to hear him, and sometimes he’s even overtaken by the background vocals. This is not his fault (at least on the performance end, anyway), as it’s clearly a mixing problem, but it just sounds the whole way through as if it’s singing the song into a pillow, and the vocal has that muted sound to it.

But, moving on to the rest of the music, I find David Arnold’s score to be distracting at times. There are certain points in the film where it just overwhelms everything that is going on onscreen. In the Miami sequence, it distracts at about the point where Bond is on top of the tanker truck, and this is a problem at random times during the film for me. Also, with the promise of this being a new sound for Bond, it sounds very much like The World Is Not Enough in many parts of the film, and the only pieces that really stand out as being very good are the small parts where “You Know My Name” is sampled in the score.

Overall, Casino Royale is a top-notch Bond film that has everything going for it (except the music) and is certainly one of my favorites of all-time. Daniel Craig’s performance has a lot to do with that, but I think that EON has finally steered the franchise in the right direction and will finally get things back to the standard that they were when films like From Russia With Love, Thunderball and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service were being made.

‘Casino Royale’ by 007.5

A few months ago, one of my ignorant friends said that since I was a James Bond fan and “all” James Bond fans apparently hate Daniel Craig, that means that I hate Daniel Craig. Well I never ever said that I hated Daniel Craig. At the time he got the role of 007 I said that we should wait and see the film, although I will admit to loving the headline “Double-0-Zero”, a reference to Craig’s underwhelming performance at his first press conference after landing the role.

I hoped that Craig would restore some much-needed grit to the Bond franchise after the Brosnan years, in which Bond seemed to have a gadget for each and every little thing. Much of the media said that Bond needed to be stripped back to his roots, although this was the same media that was praising the invisible car and other similar crass inclusions in the Bond series. I fully agreed that Bond needed to be stripped back–I’ve been saying it for years. He’s a human being (an extraordinary one at that) not a Teflon superhero. My attraction to Timothy Dalton’s portrayal of 007 is because he was able to add a darker humanity to a character who had become just too unbearably smug under Roger Moore’s direction. It is no surprise that my favourite Moore film is For Your Eyes Only in which Bond was more mature and reflective and less cocky; the plot intriguing rather than needlessly complex and the gadgets at a minimum. Likewise George Lazenby, Bond for a single film in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (a film that was excoriated at the time, but one which true Bond fans have always appreciated and one which is finally getting the credit it deserves), was needed because Connery had started to sleepwalk through the role as early as Goldfinger. “Carry On Bond” started with Connery NOT Moore.

I saw Casino Royale and I wasn’t disappointed. My verdict is so far, so good. I wasn’t happy when I heard that the famous gunbarrel sequence wouldn’t be the preamble to the movie. However it was well worked into the pre-title sequence which had something of a film noir feel about it, as we see Bond’s first kill–qualifying him for Double-0 status. Bond’s first kill, going down in a seedy toilet, sees him whirl round and blast the screen with his gun. We then see the famous gunbarrel and the blood pouring down the screen and then we are launched into a hilarious pre-title sequence, featuring packs of cards and silhouettes of Bond fighting. I was actually trying to stop myself from laughing during this classic Bond-esque opening. It was a laugh of excitement as much as anything.

As for Craig, he has told his critics where to go. I said that the proof of the pudding would be in the eating and it was. His performance had the right mixture of hard-man menace, weary cynicism and humanity. Craig’s Bond led the film properly and with confidence. Craig had a conspicuous lack of gadgets and the film isn’t any worse for that, in fact it could be the total opposite. We get to see Bond using a bit of wit and ingenuity for a change. Craig’s fight scenes are brutal and to the bone and reminded me of Lazenby’s fight scenes from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. We haven’t seen Bond spill so much blood since Licence To Kill–a fine Bond film which was hammered unfairly by the press for having the nerve to try something different.

Now the media critics have lurched into reverse spin saying that Craig is the “best bond since Connery”, but for me this is an empty compliment, since Connery spent four of six films sleepwalking. What is more accurate to say is that Craig has the potential to be a great Bond and hopefully in the future the producers of the film will have the nerve to stick with a more sparse formula, returning the franchise to its roots in intrigue and ingenuity.

Craig aside, Eva Green co-starred as Bond girl, Vesper Lynd. Her character was enigmatic and interesting and she was pretty hot in those casino dresses. Judi Dench redeemed herself as M after her debacle of a performance in The World is Not Enough, which you may, or may not, remember culminated in the fiasco of her kidnap (if the real head of MI6 got kidnapped…). But in Casino Royale Dench showed a return to form and formed a good partnership with Craig. Mads Mikkelsen plays Le Chiffre, the villain, although we find ourselves in a strange position of feeling sympathy for him as it becomes clear that he is accountable to someone–but he’s a pretty good poker player and he’s handy with a rope, as he shows in one particularly gruesome scene!

Given that the producers decided to take a different approach to this film, it perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise that we are left with something of a cliffhanger. But just in case, for some you, the whole tenor and tone of the film just isn’t Bond, Craig gives us a cool reminder, right at the end, as he delivers the line we came to hear (as a hapless villain begs for mercy)–“Bond, James Bond.”

James Bond will return…

‘Casino Royale’ by 00golf

I had become board with Bond. I personally liked Pierce Brosnan as Bond. The movies he made were at best mediocre and predictable. There were some good moments but the Bond movie seriees was on life support after Die Another Day.

It wasn’t actually a bad Bond film, it was just so full of cringeworthy one liners and sci fi gadgetry that the attempts by Pierce Brosnan to be Bond were drowned out.

I had basically just gotten out of Bond. I stopped watching the movies, posting on message boards and was not paying any attention the news coming out of the Casino Royale production. I didn’t even have any real opinion of Daniel Craig. *the guy from tomb raider right… whatever.*

The pre title sequence at first was a bit troublesome to me. I had actually thought for a few minutes that Wilson and Broccoli had just become so washed up of ideas that all they had left was a generic hit man. then the title sequence, No girls? I felt at that time I was watching Bond’s on screen funeral. The song was okay but sounded generic to me at first.

The Madagascar scene piqued my interst somewhat. No gadgets and a Bond, the first since Connery who actually looks like a guy who could kick someones . I was also liking the fact that Craig is a guy in his 30’s. The only problem I had with the scene was that it was so fast paced I was having a hard time digesting what was taking place.

M’s first scene was brilliant and Judi Dench was really showing her amazing acting skills. They really were resetting Bond back to the beginning. My interest in the movie was improving by the minute.

When Bond went to Nassau I was now thoroughly enjoying the movie. I was getting the concept of what they were doing and Craig seemed to get this very well. Picking up Solange was a classic Bond type moment.

The Miami Airport scene was okay. Great spy work at the body works exhibit. You actually get a feeling that Bond is a spy. The fact that was now coming back to me over and over was how Bond was relying soley on himself and not some gadget to save the day and I could not be happier about this.

The elegance of Montenegro, along with Nassau was putting me in a great mood. When Eva Green is introduced into the movie as Vesper Lynd on the train I felt there was terrific chemistry. She is everything a Bond girl is suppose to be. Every bit smart, feminine and not a female Bond equivelent. The dialogue on the train was refreshing.

The movie keeps getting better and better. The great chemistry between Bond and Vesper, the poker game where Bond loses his initial buy in and just sits there. Wow! You certainly don’t expect this. I wasn’t even sure he was going to win at this point where as in any other Bond movie it is an automatic.

The torture scene was just another testament to making Bond real. Even when Vesper is srceaming and Bond is about to lose his manhood he will not relent.

As Bond falls in love with Vesper and shows the human side you know great tragedy is coming but the scenes were well done. The final fight scene in Venice was not as good as I would have liked but far better than the goofy heroics or near Superman/Batman quality we’ve come to expect. Then, the final scene standing over White, neatly dressed with his famous tag line, then the monty norman theme and the credits role. The best finish of any Bond movie to date.

Bond had become just another action movie and the character, larger than life but without any depth. Now, Bond once again reigns supreme. By going back to the basics of who and what Bond is they have saved the series and made Bond the leader of the action genre once again.

‘Casino Royale’ by JCRendle

007 is back and better than ever.

When Daniel Craig, 39, was cast as the British icon James Bond in October last year people acted as if Craig was a national enemy–hate campaigns, websites and press rumours all seemed to point to a terrible casting mistake, had EON productions finally flipped?

Thankfully the answer is no, the casting of Craig, who starred in Layer Cake and Steven Spielberg’s Munich, was an inspired choice and a great way to turn around a rusty, yet still successful, franchise. After 2002’s disappointing Die Another Day, which relied heavily on GCI and over the top gadgets as well as an aging Pierce Brosnan, many Bond fans wondered where the series would go next–would they carry on in the same vein or would they do something drastic?

This has been answered with the release of the 21st Bond film Casino Royale, based on Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel of the same name, which introduces the British secret service agent to the world. In keeping with Fleming’s novel, which showed Bond early in his career, the producers have used the opportunity to completely overhaul the series and show Bond’s first mission as a 00 agent, though set firmly in 2006.

Daniel Craig is great as Bond, showing a masculinity and strength that Brosnan often lacked, the coolness of Sean Connery and realism of Timothy Dalton. Those looking for the camp humour favoured by Roger Moore may be a little disappointed, but don’t take this as meaning the film is completely humourless.

Gone are the cheesy sexual innuendos, being replaced with witty comebacks and clever puns (For example, after Bond barely escapes with his life during a break in Tenez Les Cartes, he returns to the table to a shocked look from the films antagonist Le Chiffre, with a smile he quips “I’m sorry, that last hand… nearly killed me.”)

The action set pieces are perfect, gone is overused CGI–everything you see here is real, from a free running parkour terrorist (Sebastien Foucan who plays bomb maker Mollaka) to a car chase that set a new world record in car flips.

The casting for the film is inspired, with perfect performances all round–though special note has to go to Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who makes Le Chiffre the best Bond villain for a long while (and no, he is not planning to take over the world), it is easy to forget that this is only Mikkelsen’s second English language film.

The direction (From a returning Martin Cambell – GoldenEye) is handled stylishly, with remembrance and style of the Bond films of the 60s as well as a film-noir Pre-Title Sequence, shot in black and white.

Look out for the 1964 Aston Marin DB5, find out how Bond’s Martini’s are really made (watch out, they’re strong) and pick out the winks to the Bond’s of old.

James Bond is back.

‘Casino Royale’ by bleary_25

Batman Begins was a fresh start–baring little resemblance to the Tim Burton films of the early 90s.

Superman Returns was a sequel to the Richard Donner movies of the 70s.

Both approaches have merit. Both have given a shot of adrenaline to their particular franchises.

In some respects, Casino Royale wants to have it both ways–begin again, but with the icons that the man and the franchise are known for.

So, we have a knew James Bond. This happens every now and then. The general public is used to it. They’ve grown up knowing that the role belongs to no singluar man. Where Batman had to suffer the indignity of Val Kilmer and George Clooney, the character has been saved by Christian Bale.

James Bond has suffered similar indignities–George Lazenby and Roger Moore. At least Lazenby starred in a good film, because his performance was stilted to say the best. The Moore era swang wildly in quality–from the impressive debut in Live and Let Die to the nobody does it better, mega-budget thrill ride of The Spy Who Loved Me to the over-the-top, James-Bond-in-Space embarassment that was Moonraker.

Like Bale, Daniel Craig has saved the franchise.

Not that it being in Pierce Brosnan’s hands was a bad thing. He shot the franchise to impressive box office heights–out-performing imitators like XXX and often being in the top 10 or 15 money-makers of the year.

But to be competitive, the films got increasingly sillier. The second half of Die Another Day is the most ridiculous Bond film since Moonraker. Ironically, the first half is the best Bond film since the Timothy Dalton movies.

So, the series gets a reboot. Often after movies of excess, the franchise has pulled back and gone for some more real and down-to-earth. After You Only Live Twice there was On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. After Moonraker there was For Your Eyes Only. And after Roger Moore there was Timothy Dalton.

The idea of a reboot coincided with Bond producers finally getting the rights to Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. It was previously adapted as a one-shot TV episode in the fifties starring Barry Nelson as American Agent, Jimmy Bond. It was also the basis of a Bond spoof in the 1960s–at the height of 007 mania–starring David Niven as one of the “seven James Bonds at Casino Royale” as the cheesey closing song tells us. It is truly bizarre.

Ian Fleming’s novel is updated very well to fit into a post-9/11 world really well. Where the villain Le Chiffre in the novel is trying to win back money he lost from SMERSH (Soviet Counterintelligence), in the film he is working for an unnamed terrorist outfit.

The pre-credits sequence–shot in stark and sometimes grainy black & white–covers the two hits Bond has to make to gain his Double-0 status. And the first half of the film gets the giant action sequences, that audiences expect from a Bond movie, out of the way before settling in to a very faithful adaptation of Fleming’s first book.

Whereas Christopher Nolan’s new Batman movie begins anew–new actors, new score, new everything–Casino Royale cleverly uses pieces of 007 iconography in new and interesting ways.

There is the pre-credits sequence, which evolves into the famous gun-barrel logo that has opened every offical James Bond movie since Dr No. There is the title sequence, reminiscent of Saul Bass’ work–Daniel Kleinman takes the casino theme to heart (and diamonds and clubs)… and succeeds in spades. The song, “You Know My Name,” is by Chris Cornell–a deep, rock voice to accompany a new and different Bond.

The original James Bond theme by Monty Norman is weaved through David Arnold’s score of the film only very briefly–most noticeably when we see Daniel Craig in a tux for the first time. The full piece is reserved strictly for the end of the movie, when Craig gets to utter the immortal line, “The name is Bond, James Bond”–the perfect ending to a film which hopes to cover his growth into the character we know.

Martinis and Aston Martins also figure throughout the film. Bond orders two martinis in the film–a nudge-nudge about the famous “shaken, not stirred” catchphrase, and a specific type of martini, the recipe for which comes straight from Fleming. As is the name he christens it later on.

We also get the classic 1964 Aston Martin–made famous in Goldfinger–as well as the brand knew Aston Martin DBS, which is fitted out with some life-saving gadgets, more of the type Fleming might have envisioned, rather than the in-built rocket launchers of movies.

And Judi Dench, as M. This is a strange hold-over for a reboot, but she works so well in the role–and playing off Daniel Craig, it’s impossible to complain. She also makes a distinction between this film and GoldenEye–where there she rebuked Pierce Brosnan’s 007 for being a relic of the cold war, in this movie she wonders why she granted Bond his double-0 and says she misses the cold war.

The action sequences of the first half of the film are impressive–particularly the free-running sequence, where Bond persues a man who almost defies gravity while trying to escape the newly-minted Double-0 agent. Bond is almost uncool in this sequence as he stumbles and struggles to keep up–but his sheer force is impressive to watch. I can’t imagine any of the previous actors bursting through dry-wall quite like that.

The second-half of the film, set in the titular casino, mostly revolves around high-stakes poker. Le Chiffre needs to win back money–he’s not a villain trying to destroy the world, but simply to save his own skin. His scarred eye that occasionally weeps blood is the creepy type of affectation that Ian Fleming’s villains used to have–no metal-teethed villains here.

Mads Mikkelson is Le Chiffre is very impressive–cool, calm, creepy but also over-his-head. He is no Rosa Klebb or Auric Goldfinger or even Francisco Scaramange. For a start, his name is easier to get your tongue around. He must show vulnerability in the same way Bond does–not so much as our hero, but enough to make his role in proceeding fascinating.

Eva Green is given the Bond Girl role of a lifetime in the part of Vesper Lynd. The one-on-one verbal stouche between Lynd and Bond when they first meet on the train to Montenegro is up there with the classic train conversations of film–perhaps equalling a similar moment in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. The verbal sparring and the intellectual one-upmanship is heaven-sent here–and one wonders if this is the work of screenwriter Paul Haggis, who polished the script after series regulars’ Neal Purvis and Robert Wade put the original ideas on paper.

The romantic relationship is where Haggis’ fingerprints are most obviously noticed, particularly in the (fully-clothed) shower scene between Vesper and James–where she is suffering from shock after witnessing Bond strangling a man to death. It is no clearer to me that this is Haggis’ work than when he delicately cleans Vesper’s fingers in his mouth–very reminiscent of a story Constable Benton Fraser told in an episode of Haggis’ TV series, Due South. (Haggis’ big-screen work hasn’t impressed me so much, but his TV show about a Candian Mountie influences a James Bond film and I take notice…)

Beyond beautiful locations, beautiful women, creepy villains and a reasonably believable terrorist-based plot, the film hangs on one thing–the performance of Daniel Craig as the man with the licence to kill.

When he was announced as the new James Bond, I had two reservations–I hadn’t seen him in anything and he wasn’t Clive Owen. Owen’s name had been bandied about ever since he put on a tux for the film The Croupier and he also is close to the cruel mouthed, hard man that Fleming wrote about. I wasn’t anti-Craig, he was just an unknown quantity.

Since the announcement, I have seen him in a few things and was very impressed. And the brilliant theatrical trailers left me with no doubt that the right man was hired for the job.

Spectacular reviews got me even more excited. Probably the most excited I have been about a film since Serenity last year–which I was fortunate to see in previews long before the hype began and its impressive reviews were written. This time I had to watch the film make $300 million worldwide before I put paid my money and took up my seat… in a Gold Class cinema, with reclining chairs and two dry martinis delivered during the film! It’s the height of decadence elegance to watch a Bond film while drinking martinis…

Daniel Craig is impressive in every way. He looks great, looks good in a tux and has acting chops that surpass all the previous on-screen James Bonds. I’m a fan of the Timothy Dalton movies, but even though he had a harder edge–and moments of romance–he didn’t require the range Casino Royale demands of this blonde haired, blue eyed newbie.

M describes her knewest Double-0 as a blunt instrument and for the much of the movie he is just that. Throughout the film he becomes more and more refined–a thug turning into the sophisticated killer that we know and, well, love. James Bond is a hard man to love. In the Bond novels, he explicitly falls in love only twice–in Casino Royale and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. In between times, women are there for information or for pleasure… sometimes both. This film goes some way to explaining why he feels the way he does.

And while the film peels away layers of Bond’s past–we touch on a mysterious benefactor, as well as his parents’ death–we also watch him put layers of armour on, to protect himself from pain and hurt and loss. To do his job most effectively, it is much easier for his to trust nobody and question everything. And to keep his feelings hidden–or to not have them at all.

As I said, the film is very faithful to the book–even though it is updated to present day. And there are three key ingredients that translate really well onto film: the card game (here Texas Hold ‘Em, in the book Chemin De Fer), the torture sequence and the last line of the novel–The bitch is dead–which necessarily takes a back seat in the movie. If any of these things had been messed with, I’d have been disappointed. They are used and used well–the torture sequence both horrific and, with Bond’s pithy comebacks, unsettlingly funny as well.

Prior to this movie, my favourite Bond films were (in order of release): From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill. On first viewing, Casino Royale keeps this company very well. And just like it’s attempts to honour both the new and the old in Bond cinema, it is both as great as these films… and sometimes greater. It’s a new beginning, but it feels comfortable–like an old Bond film.

Rightly, the formula hasn’t been messed with–but the character himself is allowed to take centre stage.

‘Casino Royale’ by Double-Oh Agent

The name’s Bond…James Bond.

Those words evoke many a thought in the public’s mind–style, suaveness, sophistication, womanizing, dangerous, cool. Pick a glowing adjective and it’s most likely appropriate. It has certainly been the case for 44 years, 20 films (21 if you count Never Say Never Again), and five James Bonds. It is true again in 2006 with Daniel Craig slipping into the elegantly tailored tuxedo for Casino Royale–the best Bond film in years.

From the very beginning with a rousing but brief black and white pre-titles sequence viewers know they are in for something different. Add to that a new 007, no Moneypenny or Q, Bond falling in love, and nary a world threatening plot by a megalomanical villain and one might worry about the franchise’s new direction, especially those vociferous people who had problems with the casting of Craig as the sixth actor to step into 007’s shoes. But after watching Casino Royale, those fears are soon proven baseless. There can be no debate–Daniel Craig IS James Bond 007.

In the finest performance ever for a James Bond actor in his debut, Craig absolutely nails the part and carries the film with a confidence, swagger, and cool that rivals the great Sean Connery. Craig may not be the most handsome, darkest, or tallest of 007s, but he is the most physical, the most fit and trim, and the most ruthless. From the very first scene he understands and grabs hold of the essence of Bond and never lets go. He dominates every scene he’s in and there is never a doubt that he can do any of the stunts Bond does. He embodies the hardness and detachment of Ian Fleming’s Bond yet still manages to be loving and tender in his scenes with Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd. Their scenes, particularly upon their initial meeting on the train, in the car, and arrival at the Hotel Splendide crackle with electricity as they politely exchange barbs back and forth, refusing to be pigeon-holed by the other. Their relationship is believable and well-acted and handled.

Speaking of Green, I must point out that I was against her casting as Vesper Lynd, preferring instead Rose Byrne. Of the pictures I had seen of Green prior to her filming I was not impressed with her looks believing that she wore too much makeup around the eyes and mouth. However, I can now say that in Casino Royale she has never looked better. She does a great job as Vesper and she won me over. She was a good casting choice and I think I would place her in my top 10 Bond girls.

The other Bond girl is delicious eye candy. Caterina Murino’s Solange Dimitrios is suitably sad and ready for a romp with 007. Unfortunately, she is gone all too soon but she leaves an indelible impression.

As for the villians, Mads Mikkelsen is slimy and sinister as the desperate Le Chiffre. He has a number of quirks from a bleeding eyeball to frequently using an inhaler, but he is at his most cool during the gambling scenes with his ability to shuffle poker chips one-handed. The rest of his entourage are a non-descript bunch in historical Bond terms. Kratt, Valenka, and others look interesting but effectively do little on a henchmen scale. More exciting are the peripheral villains such as the African rebel leader Obanno and his lieutenant, the mysterious terrorist organization’s middle man Mr. White, the detached Alex Dimitrios, and the exciting bombers Carlos and Mollaka. They are a much more colorful group and help make the film soar in excitement.

Bond’s allies Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) and Rene Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini) are what you would expect they’d be from the novels where they are Bond’s best allies in his history of allies. Wright has some funny lines and Giannini perfectly captures the spirit of Fleming’s French creation. Judi Dench, meanwhile, gives her best (and funniest) performance as “M”.

The plot/screenplay is well done and has few, if any, holes. The Casino Royale story has been updated terrifically from Fleming’s novel. By switching the game from baccarat to poker, the organization from SMERSH to terrorists, the loss of funds from brothel-owning to the stock market gambling, everything clicks as does the sparkling dialogue. Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Paul Haggis should be commended.

Peter Lamont does one of his better jobs in production design as does costume designer Lindy Hemming. Editor Stuart Baird is also in fine form, but it is the cinematogrpahy by Phil Meheux and direction by Martin Campbell that is really noticeable. This is perhaps the best looking Bond film ever and Campbell strikes all the right notes in his direction. Whether it is Bond’s arrival in the Bahamas, his tailing of Dimitrios and Carlos, the touching shower scene with Vesper, or the cringe-inducing torture scene, it is all pure gold. This proves that GoldenEye was no fluke and officially puts him among Terence Young, Guy Hamilton, Lewis Gilbert, Peter Hunt, and John Glen in the elite group of Bond directors.

The stunts are all top-notch from the PTS fight to the Miami Airport chase, to the stairwell fight, to the climactic finale, but nothing can top the sheer energy, thrill, and agility of the parkour chase, which will go down in Bond history as the best chase (foot or vehicle) of the series. Kudos especially go to Sebastien Foucan who played Mollaka. The man is simply amazing.

David Arnold’s music perfectly captures the tone and energy of the film throughout and Chris Cornell’s song You Know My Name sounds great if a bit unintelligible. When combined with Daniel Kleinman’s main titles, you have a winner. Kleinman does a fantastic job with the titles with its gambling and playing card motif and is easily one of the series’ best.

And regardless of whether you agree with producers Michael G. Wilson’s and Barbara Broccoli’s decision to not film a fifth 007 film with Pierce Brosnan (which I would have preferred before filming Casino Royale with Craig), they should be commended for having the vision and the guts to go in this new direction. Despite all the complaints from fans and critics about the reboot and choice of 007, they overcame the odds and proved all the doubters wrong with a stellar film which will undoubtedly go down in the series alongside the likes of From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Well done.

But in the end, this film is all about Bond and Daniel Craig and neither disappoint. Craig makes his Bond fallable and human, a Bond who will do whatever it takes to get the job done, consequences be damned. He also makes his Bond dangerous and believable, a Bond who can handle himself in any situation with or without a weapon. In short, his Bond is Fleming’s Bond and what higher praise can there be?

Perhaps my favorite parts of the film are seeing Craig’s 007’s ability to think fast on his feet such as in the free running chase or at the Bahamas hotel, his tailing ability demonstrated in the Miami Airport sequence which perfectly captures the skills required in the spy world, and his ability to immediately read and size up those around him whether it be Solange on the beach, Vesper on the train, or Le Chiffre at the gaming table. All these scenes perfectly capture why Bond is who he is and why we all love him so.

In conclusion, Casino Royale is a film where Bond fans and non-Bond fans can sit back and enjoy the ride for 144 minutes of high quality entertainment. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll jump, and you’ll cheer. It’s a roller coaster ride of thrills and suspense–exactly what a 007 movie ought to be. It’s Bond…James Bond, and nobody does it better.

‘Casino Royale’ by 00Twelve

Wow.

It’s hard for me to write this review, as I’m still reeling from this film, as I’m sure many of you are. As a Bond film, Casino Royale was utterly amazing. I stayed clear of the script, so I managed to see the majority of the film not knowing what would be said or what the cinematography would look like. I am really thankful that I did. I never would have thought in a thousand years that Michael and Barbara could produce a film such as this. Casino Royale goes so far beyond anything I’ve come to expect from this franchise…I am currently trying to figure out how I’m going to watch Brosnan or Moore again! I don’t say that to be cold, by any means, but it’s just such an improvement in the character and the visual storytelling, that it’s basically a whole different world.

And I like it.

First of all, let me say that Daniel Craig is unbelievably amazing as James Bond. James Bond is his now. He has set a new bar. Hallowed be Sean’s name, but this is a different man. This is who I’ve always wanted James Bond to be. This is a man closer to the real world than I’ve ever seen in this franchise. This is the man that Ian Fleming created in 1953. But right for this world as it exists today. Truly an impressive feat. This is the first man that I think could actually be nominated for an actinng award…for playing JAMES BOND! From the first scene, through the “dirty martini” scene , through the torture scene (and by the way, the “itch” bit was tremendous…Craig was brilliant), and on to the end, this man did things that I never thought EON would have the courage to allow an actor to do. Please, EON, don’t stop giving this man the opportunity to act!

Now, Eva. Whew. Eva is so beautiful and talented…she’s set a new bar for the character of “leading lady” as well. I’ll admit it, it hurt quite a lot to see her character’s end (and I’ve read the book 2-3 times). I invested in her character, and I invested in Vesper and Bond’s relationship. I only wish On Her Majesty’s Secret Service could have played the resignation/new life angle as well as this. (It’s only now that I finally understand what Tracy’s death will later do to this man…) I think Eva might have looked her best either when she wakes Bond up in her green dress, or when she’s getting ready in the mirror in the “dinner jackets” scene. Anyway, not important. She did real justice to the character, which is important.

I’ll sum up Le Chiffre and M more quickly…Le Chiffre was fantastic as a villain. Still the feel that this is a Bond villain, but so much more dynamic. No villain yet has touched Le Chiffre in terms of complexity and vulnerability. I cannot wait to see where the trail will lead in Bond 22. M…Judi’s performance was insane. She has finally been given the opportunity to show part of why she was knighted. The new dynamic between her and Bond is just fantastic. It actually makes me feel OK that M is still her and not Sir Miles (dare I say it). By the way, I liked Villiers, but I’m sure Moneypenny will make her debut in the next one. Even if she doesn’t, I’m not gona shed any tears. Same goes for Q. This film was quite compelling even without them.

Campbell really shot his best film to date. I understand everyone says he’s no auteur, but I don’t care…this was a well-shot film. Thanks again for the opportunity to make creative visual pictures. My favorites at the moment were the PTS and Bond’s initial reaction to the dirty martini. Everything was just shot extremely well. All of it. Especially the fight sequences.

And those…I’ve NEVER winced during a Bond action sequence, perhaps because I never invested in the character quite so much. When Bond gets his head smacked against a wall during the stairwell fight, I actually gasped. (Kudos to the sound team!) Not to mention the torture scene…that was just harrowing. (Again, touchdown for the sound team!) The action scequences were just phenominal. No complaints here. This Bond is an assassin, period. This is James Bond.

Felix. I liked him…even though they decided to detach the character from his literary closeness with Bond. I think they’ve set him up well to either return in Bond 22 or at some later date, without too much commitment to doing one or the other. And this comes from a big Felix fan. I accept this Felix (not that anyone cares…).

Quickly…the locations were breathtaking (and shot well), the Aston made me smile, the titles and song were AWESOME (Yep! The song too!), the music was wonderful…definitely Arnold’s best yet, the rest of the characters delivered, and “the line” was either the best ever or right under Sean’s first utterance.

This film, as some have said, is one of the best stand-alone films I’ve seen in quite some time. Nevermind its place as a Bond film. I don’t care what anyone thinks…I’m ready to see Craig do anything as this man…whether it be proper adaptations of Fleming or not. And I actually have to grudgingly give props to P&W, and of course to Paul Haggis. This was easily the best script since the early days. Who would have thought?

Anyway, I could go on and on…but I’ll stop here. I know this sounds like a puff piece, but I swear it’s not. I really am that impressed. I’m sure I’ll get jaded enough to complain about it at some point.

Casino Royale is fantastic…a true renaissance like no other in Bondian history. Five stars.

Casino Royale Enters James Bond Into UK Box Office Top Ten

As previously noted in CBn’s box office round-up, the phenomenal success of Casino Royale at the UK box office has entered it into the overall top ten listing.

Daniel Craig’s debut James Bond film sits at the #6 position overall with roughly £55.5 million. The 21st official 007 entry was the highest grossing film of 2006 in the UK and by far the most successful in the series–soaring past the records that were held by 2002’s Die Another Day.

At the very top is 1998’s Titanic with £69 million. Also on the list are all three films from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the first two Harry Potter films, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Full Monty and Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

The top 20 films at the UK box office in 2006 took a total of £151 million. Total UK cinema takings were £762 million during the year, a 1% drop compared with 2005.

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

Related Casino Royale Articles

British Airways Cuts Casino Royale's Sir Richard Branson Cameo

According to the BBC News, British Airways has reportedly removed a shot of Virgin Atlantic boss Sir Richard Branson from the in-flight version of Casino Royale.

Keen-eyed James Bond fans could spot Branson being checked at an airport security scanner in the sequence where Daniel Craig’s 007 pursues Carlos, played by Claudio Santamaria, during the Miami chase. As a result of this new edit, his face has now been removed from the film.

In addition to the above edit, British Airways also removed a shot of the tail fin of a Virgin plane that was in the film. ‘We do reserve the right to edit films, and many films are edited in some way on board,’ said a spokesman.

In response, Virgin Atlantic spokesman Paul Charles told the Associated Press: ‘We think passengers should see the whole film and nothing but the whole film.’

Branson helped out the Casino Royale production crew by supplying a plane for one of the filming sequences. Producer Barbara Broccoli previously said, ‘he was very supportive of us and he helped us out when we needed a plane in Prague.’

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

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'Casino Royale' Blu-ray Disc Is Top Seller In March

According to a report from High-Def Digest, the Blu-ray disc of Casino Royale was the top next-gen seller for the month of March.

Daniel Craig’s debut James Bond film sold over 59,000 Blu-ray copies, (after a record-breaking 100,000 units were earlier shipped to stores) easily surpassing the closest rival, The Departed on HD-DVD, which sold 16,000 copies in March.

As for the format war between Blu-ray and HD-DVD, ‘[The] fourth quarter is really going to be a telling time,’ said Ken Graffeo, Universal executive VP of marketing and head of high-definition, of the format’s planned marketing assault of more titles and cheaper players. ‘It comes down to bringing it to the general audience at a price that they’re willing to pay…’

Click here for CBn’s Casino Royale DVD overview: release dates, special features, cover artwork, menu caps, instore exclusives, reviews, product tie-ins, and much more…

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale DVD coverage.

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Win A Casino Royale Special Edition DVD

A lucky CBn member now has the chance to win a brand new copy of the recently released two-disc special edition DVD of Casino Royale. This DVD edition of Daniel Craig’s debut James Bond film is the widescreen version and is region 1 encoded (USA & Canada). CBn previously gave away a copy of this film in a competition last month.

This competition is open to all members of CBn. You must be a registered member of the CBn Forums and answer the following question correctly to be eligible to win. Not yet a member of CBn? Register here now – it is free and only takes a minute!

To enter, fill out the following questionnaire and send a Communique/Private Message on the CBn Forums to Qwerty (Subject: CBn DVD) by Midnight EST on 4 May 2007 (simply click on the link in this paragraph).

1. True or False: Daniel Craig was announced as the new James Bond in December 2005.
2. What is your CBn Forum Screen Name?
3. What country/state do you live in?

To discuss this CBn competition or if you have any questions visit this thread on the CBn Forums, the largest James Bond 007 forum on the internet.

All those who answer correctly will be put into a drawing and the winner will be sent a Communique/Private Message via the CBn Forums to the Screen Name they provided to inform them of their winning. The winner must respond to this PM within three (3) days with the requested information (name, mailing address, etc) or another drawing will be held. The winner will be announced once shipping information has been received. The item will be shipped from the USA. In the event that a prize has been stolen or mishandled during shipment, CBn will not be able to replace the specific item–this has yet to be a problem.