Casino Royale [Blu-ray] [] [2006] [1 disc] [English] [Region 1]

Description

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 center 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.

See All Product Specs

• View:
• User Reviews (1)
• Expert Reviews (2)
• Write a review

• 4.1

  TopTenREVIEWS.com - Mar 17, 2008

Casino Royale (2006)

Casino Royale (2006) receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS rating of 3.26 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #228 movie of all time, #9 movie from 2006 . The rating and ranking is based on an average of 275 critic scores, awards and other criteria. To see a breakdown of the movie ranking, read individual critic reviews, or see how other movies ranked, click on the link below.

Read Full Review

Top

• 4.7

  Rotten Tomatoes - Nov 30, -0001

Casino Royale

Casino Royale disposes of the silliness and gadgetry that plagued recent James Bond outings, and Daniel Craig delivers what fans and critics have been waiting for: a caustic, haunted, intense reinvention of 007. But scribes also note Casino is hardly morose, with enough stunning action sequences and in-jokes to please the diehards. Some pundits even go so far as to say that Daniel Craig is the...

Read Full Review

Top

View More Expert Reviews