Buy the DVD:

Casino Royale

Intelligence is sexy. Toned, muscular bodies are sexy. Real acting can make any role believable. If you agree with one, two, or all three of those statements, then Casino Royale will be worth the $10 ticket and necessary snacks.

Director Martin Campbell, who also directed Goldeneye, outgoing Bond, Pierce Brosnan’s first initiation into 007-hood, succeeds in crafting a real, tried-and-true action film, frilly thrills and all. The overarching complexity in both storyline and gadgetry are gone, replaced with firm, believable fight scenes and enough clever banter to get by.

Admittedly, I’m not a Bond fan. The only classic-era film I’ve seen is Goldfinger, and only because it was one of those movie nights where the audience makes fun of the lame dialogue and cracks jokes at the actors’ expense. And despite seeing all of Pierce Brosnan’s attempts at everlasting spystopping, I can’t remember any of those plot lines. But I do remember the plot of Goldfinger vividly, which must attest to the quality of the earlier Bond films.

Casino Royale feels like a real film spectacular, not just a pointless action film with a pretty face. The action is stylish, the acting superb, and the aftertaste buzzing. We’ve got a winner in Daniel Craig. While Campbell deserves credit for being capable enough to utilize his leading actor gem, it is the gem itself which shines brighter than anything else.

Like the trademark martini, which, by the way, Bond hasn’t discovered yet (it is an introductory film of sorts), Craig packs an intelligent punch. His acting is utterly appropriate for a role like Bond. He underplays his lines just enough to preserve the rawness, and doesn’t look too dashing (ala Brosnan) to seem superficial. And, as the director was sure to show off, he’s got an incredible body to boot. It’s like an Oscar-winning actor and a Bodybuilder came together and out popped Daniel Craig. He’s almost eerily perfect for the role. Despite what some early critics of Craig will shout, he makes the film memorable.

If you must know the storyline, and I can’t see how that could matter, Bond is up against Le Cheffe, a Parisian banker to the terrorist-world. Le Cheffe dropped the ball and ends up owing a Nigerian overlord a whopping $10 million. So, he organizes a high-stakes poker tournament at, you guessed it, Casino Royale. Who has the brains and the deft cockiness for the job? Bond, James Bond. Accompanying Bond is the classically beautiful Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), and Judi Dench as the overseeing M.

I’ve never been a huge Bond fan, and, in comparing the fantastic Mr. Craig with his unfortunate predecessor, it’s easy to see why. Luckily, Craig and Casino Royale have inspired a new fan in the Bond franchise, and will hopefully keep the streak going for many years to come.

Written by: Jason Villemez

Reviewers Rating: 9
Reader's Rating: 4.50
Reader's Votes: 2

Rate It