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James Bond: Casino Royale (Single Disc)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 galvanising 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 armour by falling 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 Aston 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 ... Read More » |
Average User Rating: 80% (50 Reviews) | |
| 3 / 5 | Bond ReBourne
T. S. Waddington "Chimp" (Northampton) - 2 January 2008 Casino Royale marks the debut of the sixth actor to play James Bond on the big screen. Daniel Craig takes over the helm of the suave protagonist from Pierce Brosnan to dynamic effect in this exciting, action packed film. In taking the films right back to the beginning of Ian Flemming's novels the producers made the statement that they wanted to freshen up a formula that had seemingly become stale. Gone are the ridiculous gadgets (that always seem to come in handy) and the diabolical super villains of previous outings. In its place is a slightly more believable storyline that doesn't involve the entire Earth being blown to smithereens and a Bond who is portrayed as a wholly more complex character with deep psychological reasons for his desires to womanise and with cracks in his invulnerability. It is no doubt the series needed this reinvention however in doing so I feel as though Bond has lost its unique identity within the world of cinema. With other franchises such as the Mission Impossibles and the Bourne films around, where now does Bond fit in. Few of the old Bond films can be considered as classics in their own right but this is irrelevant because they all stuck to a formula well loved by many. Despite the fact that this is probably a much better film than alot of the previous ones many devout fans of the series might be slightly disappointed that the simple formulaic Bond of old may be gone for good.... Read Full Review » |
| 5 / 5 | Sean who?
Trevor Willsmer (London, England) - 8 December 2007 As one of the only 12 people who was genuinely delighted at Daniel Craig's casting a year ago, I must admit I was more than a little worried about Casino Royale. Not the kind of paranoia that those newcomers who'd never experience the changing of the guard the series goes through every decade or the staggeringly venomous hate-mongering of the more fanatical Brosnan fans who felt compelled to start libellous hate-sites, though. After all those months of arguing that he was the perfect choice for the role (especially after some of the more moronic suggestions), was I setting myself up for a fall if he turned in a disappointing performance? Similarly there was the film itself. While the producers were making all the right noises about going back to basics, they'd done exactly the same with Licence To Kill and chickened out to deliver a sub-Roger Moore effort with Wayne Newton as a comedy relief villain, inept ninjas, pointless gadgets, laughable violence and monster truck stunts. Too often in the past the franchise had been over-reliant on the goodwill generated by the earlier films, rehashing earlier vehicles to decreasing returns secure in the knowledge that the audience would turn up anyway. Take away the Bond brand, and too many post-OHMSS entries simply wouldn't have stood up to scrutiny in the marketplace on their own merits: Bond had become a tradition, a ritual like going home for the holidays that you knew was never going to be as good as it was when you were a kid but which you still went through out of a mixture of hope and obligation. I needn't have worried. Not only is it the best Bond film in 37 years, it's as if the Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan years never happened. After Brosnan's surprisingly lazy and slightly seedy turn in DAD, Craig delivers the most physical Bond since Lazenby, but this time matched by the acting chops to make the most of the best script the series has had in decades - at once plot and character led - as the rookie blunt instrument bulldozes his way through his mission until emotional awakening and betrayal starts to finesse him into the Bond we knew from the Connery days. Brosnan never could have delivered this kind of performance, either physically or emotionally, and, truth be told, neither could Connery in his prime: Craig is the first one to convince you that he's not a movie star or an actor but that he really IS James Bond. The updating of the plot from the Cold War era to a post 9/11 world works surprisingly well, with the first act managing to provide a convincing motive for the high stakes poker game centrepiece while also providing a couple of superb action scenes that don't become too absurd and serve the plot in a series where in the past the plot was too often an excuse for the action. The much-criticised change from baccarat to poker is a smart one too. Where Baccarat is purely a game of luck (as Fleming himself found out when he went bust in three hands trying out the novel's premise on a Nazi spy), poker actually involves both strategy and psychology, making for more satisfying drama and tension. There is, sadly, one concession to gadgetry that veers into the absurd - c'mon, who keeps a defibrillator in their glove compartment? - and is an unwelcome reminder of the days when old Roge would get out of a scrape with his buzz saw wristwatch or his projectile dart cufflinks thanks to lazy writing, but elsewhere it settles for using existing technology (most of it manufactured by Sony for some reason that escapes me) rather than veering into total fantasy. And it's good to see a Bond who needs hospitalisation after the villain goes Quasimodo on his nuts with a bell rope. The film's final sequence promises one helluva follow-up, and one can only hope the producers don't lose their nerve and throw it all away the way they did with Diamonds Are Forever. The real James Bond is indeed back. While the 2-disc DVD is a disappointment by the standards of the previous EON entries, there isreportedly a more elaborate special edition planned in the future, so if you just want the film itself at a good price while you're waiting for that, this single-disc release fits the spot. ... Read Full Review » |
| 4 / 5 | Pacy and racy.
Will Joseph "Universal adventurer - travelling the globe, eradicating fear and sadness; bringing joy to those who will choose happiness." (The universe is my oyster.) - 4 November 2007 As much was debated as to the suitability of Mr. Craig as Mr. Bond as to the potential value and merit of a re-make of Casino Royale and it seems it was all a waste of time for Craig is simply outstanding. If our real life agents are as menacing as he is then the country is in safe hands and I will forego any opportunity to become an international criminal mastermind. As tough as he is though, he proves to have very human vulnerabilities such as falling in love and having very sensitive private parts when struck by a flailing weight on a rope. He can be poisoned too and beaten at cards. I tend to watch the Bond's but never really look forward to them with much enthusiasm but I cannot wait until the next one is done. Will Joseph.... Read Full Review » |
| 3 / 5 | Bond's all-time high let down by CGI
R. Garner "Bookworm" (London) - 8 January 2008 Bond and computer graphics don't mix. Remember the invisible car in Die Another Day? Surely Bond's lowest point since Moonraker. I won't even mention the surfing. So it was with immeasurable relief that Bond was given a new lease of life (again). Daniel's casting was inspired, Eva had spice, Mads looked bad, and the free-running and airport sequences had the usual Bond thrills. Even the gritty torture sequence had humour. This was turning out to be the best Bond since GoldenEye. And then came the CGI ending in Venice. Oh dear. At best, the collapsing building was unrealistic. At worst, it bored me. At least Bond's classic last line helped alleviate this crushing disappointment. So, am I still looking forward to Bond 22? Yes, considerably.... Read Full Review » |
| 4 / 5 | Bond is back......thanks to Bourne
Mr. Damian J. McGrath (Bristol, UK) - 10 October 2007 The James Bond series of films are classics. When I was growing up, everyone told me to watch them. They were Christmas favourites, and everyone I talked to had some knowledge of at least a few of them. They were spoken about with the same "classic" tone of voice that Indiana Jones, Back to the Future and the Die Hard films were mentioned in. They had a sort of "must-watch" feel to them, regardless of their quality. I have most of the Bond back catalogue on DVD. With the exception of a few, most don't quite stand up to today's standards. That is understandable. The last few Bond's (Pierce Brosnan's films) not only fell into this trap, but also managed to be not-very-good films. Daniel Craig's Casino Royale manages to stop the trend. This is Bond for 2007. However, most importantly, this is Bond competing with Jason Bourne. In a year that saw the release of the third Bourne film, Bond couldn't just be a smooth talking, gadget-filled hero. He had to be action-packed, realistic and a dangerous man, along with all his other historic attributes. It was a tall order. The opening 30 minutes put any fears to bed. The fight scenes are bloody and realistic. The action is hard hitting. Sitting in the cinema, I could feel every punch. The film ticks all the boxes - enjoyable plot, entertaining, realistic and hard-hitting action, memorable bad-guy, sexy women, fun and inventive gadgets, and the fact that Bond occasionally gets hurt is a nice change from Bond's of the past. The ending was a little undecisive for me - it ended at an awkward time, almost as if they couldn't quite think of a perfect ending. Still, it doesn't detract from the previous excellent 130 minutes. Highly recommended and a terrific addition to a series that needed rejuvenating and bringing into this century with a bang!... Read Full Review » |
RRP
£12.99
Release Date
17 September 2007
Price Range
£5.99 - £11.99