Plot
Actor Daniel Craig assumes the role formerly occupied by such screen greats as Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Timothy Dalton to set out on the character's very first 007 mission. James Bond has earned his "00" status by masterfully executing a pair of death-defying professional assassinations. Now assigned the task of traveling to Madagascar to spy on notorious terrorist Mollaka (Sebastien Foucan) for his maiden voyage as a 007 agent, Bond boldly goes against MI6 policy to launch an independent investigation that finds him traversing the Bahamas in search of Mollaka's notoriously elusive terror cell. Subsequently led into the company of the mysterious Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian) and his exotic girlfriend, Solange (Caterina Murino), Bond soon realizes that he is closer than ever to locating well-guarded terrorist financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), the man who has personally bankrolled some of the most prevalent terrorist organizations on the planet. When Bond learns that Le Chiffre is planning to partake in an upcoming high-stakes poker game to be played at Montenegro's Le Casino Royale and use the winnings to establish his financial grip on the globe, M (Judi Dench) assigns beguiling agent Vesper (Eva Green) the task of watching over the fledgling agent as he plays against Le Chiffre in a covert attempt to destroy the nefarious gambler's well-established monetary stronghold in the underworld once and for all. Bond will need more than his legendary gambling skills in order to win this dangerous game, though, and after allying himself with local MI6 field agent Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini) and CIA operative Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), the endlessly suave super-spy puts on his poker face for a high-stakes game of cards in which the stakes are not measured in dollars, but human lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, RoviReview
As both a kick start to the James Bond series and a throwback to the original vision of Ian Fleming's super-spy, 2006's Casino Royale is a sumptuous feast full of hefty courses of action, humor, and dramatics, the likes of which Bond audiences have not witnessed in some time. While nearly every fan of the series has his or her own favorite actor in the lead role, there's no denying that -- despite the early criticism -- Daniel Craig irrefutably nails his acting assignment with an assured performance that's equally magnetic in excitement and attraction levels. And while much was made of the stripping down of 007, most of what people love about the character is still there in one form or another. From the cocky looks to the crooked crooks, there's no doubt this is a Bond film through and through. As far as the action goes, director Martin Campbell takes a note from international cinema with the film's first big chase sequence, echoing the free-running sequences in District B13 as he deftly takes the awe-inspiring foot chase to a new, dizzying level. Backing up the whole ride is a solid script that throws viewers for a few loops along the way to the somewhat expected climax, which finds Bond hardened in his "00" status and, for the first time in a long stretch of the series' history, sets up a formidable villainous group for him to go up against in future installments. To put it in Hollywood terms, Casino Royale succeeds because of its skillful reinterpretation of what has attracted audiences to the character for decades now, although it is not without fault. First off, Chris Cornell's opening theme is completely misguided in its alterna-rock aesthetics, even if it's padded nicely by David Arnold's slick orchestration. Also, Bond films have always been notorious for skating the two-hour mark, but this 144-minute behemoth is just long enough for most audiences to get antsy as 007 finds love in a string of scenes that could have easily been whittled down in the script stage. Despite these hiccups, the franchise is livelier than ever with this revamp. This might be a grittier Bond full of far more emotions than gadgets, but it's hard not to be excited when the full-blown theme emerges at the end, promising more fantastic adventures to come. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, RoviCast
- Daniel Craig - James Bond
- Eva Green - Vesper Lynd
- Mads Mikkelsen - Le Chiffre
- Giancarlo Giannini - Mathis
- Caterina Murino - Solange
Credit
Fred Hole - Art Director, Michael Lamont - Art Director, Alan Tomkins - Art Director, James Hambidge - Art Director, Peter Francis - Art Director, Dominic Masters - Art Director, Steve Lawrence - Art Director, Susanna Codognato - Art Director, David Baxa - Art Director, Steven Lawrence - Art Director, Simon Lamont - Supervising Art Director, Andrew Noakes - Associate Producer, Debbie McWilliams - Casting, Jane Jenkins - Casting, Janet Hirshenson - Casting, Matthew Stillman - Co-producer, David Minkowski - Co-producer, Henning Molfenter - Co-producer, Carl L. Woebcken - Co-producer, Lindy Hemming - Costume Designer, Bruce G. Moriarty - First Assistant Director, Martin Campbell - Director, Alexander Witt - Second Unit Director, Alexander Will - Second Unit Director, Stuart Baird - Editor, Martin Campbell - Editor, Anthony Waye - Executive Producer, Callum McDougall - Executive Producer, Joel Beckett - Location Manager, David Boardman - Location Manager, Luisa Amendola - Location Manager, Simona Serafini - Location Manager, Pavel Mrkous - Location Manager, Robin Higgs - Location Manager, Steve Harvey - Location Manager, Alex Gladstone - Location Manager, Linzi Baltrunas - Location Manager, Joan Carroll - Location Manager, Chris Cussen - Location Manager, Eddie Forlcarelli - Location Manager, Gavin Milligan - Location Manager, Guido Cerasuolo - Line Producer, David Arnold - Composer (Music Score), Nicolas Dodd - Composer (Music Score), Chris Cornell - Songwriter, Hana Surkalova - Makeup, Robert Steadman - Camera Operator, Jaromir Sedina - Camera Operator, Rodrigo Gutierrez - Camera Operator, Clive Jackson - Camera Operator, Roberto Contreras - Camera Operator, Roger Pearce - Camera Operator, Peter Lamont - Production Designer, Phil Meheux - Cinematographer, Jasmina Torbati - Production Manager, Sabrina Allaria - Production Manager, Janine Modder - Production Manager, Michael G. Wilson - Producer, Barbara Broccoli - Producer, Gino de Rossi - Special Effects, Chris Munro - Sound/Sound Designer, Martin Cantwell - Sound/Sound Designer, Chris Munro - Sound Recordist, Sebastien Foucan - Stunts, Gary Powell - Stunts Coordinator, Chris Corbould - Special Effects Supervisor, Jeremy Johns - Unit Production Manager, David Boardman - Unit Production Manager, Robin Higgs - Unit Production Manager, Russell Lodge - Unit Production Manager, Steve Harvey - Unit Production Manager, Alex Gladstone - Unit Production Manager, Linzi Baltrunas - Unit Production Manager, Joan Carroll - Unit Production Manager, Chris Cussen - Unit Production Manager, Eddie Forlcarelli - Unit Production Manager, Neal Purvis - Screenwriter, Robert Wade - Screenwriter, Paul Haggis - Screenwriter, Alexander Witt - Second Unit Director Of Photography, Milan Chadima - Second Unit Camera, Steve Begg - Visual Effects Supervisor, Bill Pearson - Model Effects, John Payne - Model Effects, Richard Cheal - Model Effects, Chris Hayes - Model Effects, Vincent Jenkins - Model Effects, Andy Rolfe - Model Effects, Christopher Trice - Model Effects, John Marzano - Aerial Photography, Paul Engelen - Makeup Supervisor, Michael Solinger - Post Production Supervisor, Tony Teiger - Properties Master, Mike Prestwood Smith - Re-Recording Mixer, Mark Taylor - Re-Recording Mixer, Jean Bourne - Script Supervisor, Martin Sebík - Second Assistant Director, Pavel Sagner - Special Effects Coordinator, Jaromir Sedina - Steadicam Operator, Eddy Joseph - Supervising Sound Editor, Mike Valentine - Underwater Photography, Terry Madden - Second Second Assistant Director, Peerless Camera Company - Visual Effects, Sharon Lark - Visual Effects, Simon Wakefield - Set Decorator, Molly Sole - Set Decorator, Lee Sandales - Set Decorator, Flavio Bertini - Set Decorator, Ian Fleming - Book Author, Ian Menzies - Motion Control Camera, Ben Schmied - Motion Control Camera, Billy Campbell - Visual Effects Editor, Pauline Hume - Title Design, Daniel Kleinman - Title Design, Christine Blundell - Department Head Hair, Mirek Lux - Assistant Director| Casino Royale (1954 Film), Casino Royale (1967 Film) | |
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