Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

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Customer Reviews:

A New Bond.... [Posted on 2008-07-05]
Changing lead actors on a franchise as old and established as the 007 series is a matter of periodic anxiety for both the producers and the viewers. 2006's "Casino Royale" is Daniel Craig's debut as the latest and very different James Bond. Viewers will form their own conclusions on how well Craig meets expectations; this reviewer suspects a breakout along generational lines.

The movie opens with a black and white retrospective sequence showing Bond earning his "00" status with two successful kills. The first one, a messy fight in a bathroom, sets the tone for the movie. The action is relentless, gritty, and in-your-face. Bad guys die in ugly ways; this young Bond is a very physical, relentless thug with an ego and only the merest veneer of charm and wit.

Bond is off on a series of adventures that will carry him through Madagascar, the Bahamas, Miami, and ultimately to Montenegro in pursuit of a mysterious financier of terrorism named Le Chiffre. Le Chiffre has speculated with other people's money and now must make good his debts by winning a high stakes poker game at the Casino Royale. "M", reprised by Judi Dench, sends Bond, backed by MI-6's local operative and by beautiful Treasury representative Vesper Lynd, to put Le Chiffre out of business by bankrupting him in the game.

The poker game becomes a fight to the death, proceeding both at the table and in hotel corridors and back alleys. Bond's job will be complicated by his feelings for Vesper Lynd; he will find an unexpected friend and two unexpected betrayals. The conclusion of the movie is an obvious scene-setter for the next Jame Bond production.

"Casino Royale" features lots of tough, frantic, exciting action sequences. However, at two hours and 24 minutes, the film badly needs streamlining. The plot, already confusing, is very nearly obscured by all the violence, at least some of which is redundant. Once upon a time, Sean Connery managed to combine both physical menace and charm in the same role; one hopes the producers will allow Daniel Craig to evolve in the same direction in his next outing.

"Casino Royale" is highly recommended as an entertaining action movie and a promising offering in the James Bond series.

Worst Bond film, hands down [Posted on 2008-07-08]
If the Star Wars prequels showed us anything its that going back to making a prequel to a old movie is a BAD idea, and this film is NO exception. This Bond is supposed to be set pre Dr. No, yet there are:

1) cell phones, technology that did not exist then
2) laptops, again that did not exist back then (especially not a Sony VAIO which was shamelessly marketed)
3) Very elaborate tracking system, much more sophisticated than a radioisotope tracker used in Dr. No
4) Modern weapons
5) Texas Hold em, not Baccarat

Just to mention a few. Sure the acting may be great in parts, like the torture scene, but the whole movie just feels drawn out like they couldn't stop. Kids and first time Bonders will probably like this, but for thoes of us who have seen every Bond movie from Dr. No to Die Another Day (including Never Say Never Again), it is a movie that should never have been made, which is why they made Dr. No first and not Casino Royale.

Awesome [Posted on 2008-07-09]
Maybe it is the fact that this was the first movie I have seen on Blu-Ray or the fact this is a Bond film with a new Bond, but I loved it. The action sequences were awesome, they went back to Bond being a spy instead of relying on far fetched gadgetry. Daniel Craig played the part well having the quick wit and the confidence needed to play the part.

On Blu-Ray this movie was amazing. The sound was extraordinary and the visuals something to behold. The details were crisp and there basically no artifacts or broken screens throughout the film.

The only part about the movie I didn't like was for a spy Bond blew up a lot of things, and seemed to take to violence rather than stealth. Oh well. That's Hollywood nowadays!

Can't wait for the next one.

One of the Best Bonds Ever [Posted on 2008-07-10]
Daniel Craig is the best Bond since Sean Connery. At first I was like but he doesn't look like a Bond. Well In the first five seconds I forgot all about that. He does a fantastic job playing the role. This is Bond's first mission and he plays the part perfectly. Bond loves, hates, and wants revenge. Something we have never seen Bond do, and i don't think anybody could have done it better. The story and everything about this movie is great. Stop reading this and go watch it.

A more contemporary Bond character... [Posted on 2008-07-15]
I am still partial to the Sean Connery version of James Bond, although maybe some of the dialogue remarks were a bit too glib. This bond is tougher. More amoral and detached. It is much more updated to modern action film stereotype, but still pretty well put together and there is some semblance of character development.

I am not sorry I bought this video, but I have to admit it won't get as much play time as say "The Third Man" or "Michael Clayton" or "Day of the Jackal" or "Mancurian Candidate" or "Gorky Park" or some other suspense type films.

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