The 2006 debut of Daniel Craig as the new face of James Bond had extraordinary expectations of a long legacy to live up to, if not also high standards. 'Casino Royale' far surpassed them all, and in retrospect still remains one of the very best of all Bond films.
Craig's incarnation of the master spy is written as much more raw and imperfect, distinctly contrasting with the finesse and refinement of his predecessors. This is reflected in the risks Bond takes, and his relationship with M that is notably rather contentious next to the more casually wary representation in past films. Even in dialogue with other characters, Bond demonstrates a brash attitude much less suave than we're used to seeing.
This all makes particular narrative sense given that 'Casino Royale' represents Bond at the beginning of his career as a "00" agent, as seen in the pre-credits sequence. Action scenes are thrilling, and showcase a forcefulness that seems more physically demanding in appearance, if not in actuality. And extreme though some of it may be, at no point is it so over the top as to approach anywhere near the silliness or absurdity we became accustomed to with the films of Roger Moore, or Pierce Brosnan. On a similar note, there is no novel gadgetry on display in this film; Q Branch isn't even mentioned. Any instruments or devices employed throughout the plot, mostly computers or other electronic devices, are close enough to reality that their inclusion is more a necessity than it is a gimmick.
Film-makers made a conscious effort with 'Casino Royale' to return James Bond to the basics, eschewing the excesses that have bogged down so much of the franchise. So, too, is Bond's approach to women noticeably restrained by comparison, as his only targets for romance are someone he uses to get close to an antagonist, and this feature's ever-requisite "Bond girl." Vesper Lynd is portrayed with intelligence and dueling severity and charm by the incomparable Eva Green, an actress whose skill is rivaled only by her beauty. Green is such a fine casting choice for Vesper, matching wits with Bond as they butt heads early on, and breaking hearts with the vulnerability she shows as the plot progresses. The burgeoning romance between the two leads is natural and believable, a rare welcome departure in the series from Bond's usually relentless, awful womanizing.
And emphasizing once more the producers' effort to renew and transform James Bond: for all the action of the film, including the explosive climax, some of the greatest suspense comes with the quiet tension of the card game central to the narrative. Every actor present for these scenes bears such intensity in their countenance, conveying the extreme stakes of the event without any true need for verbal language. Moreover, it's during the game especially that we get to see Mads Mikkelsen embody the stewing malice and brilliance of chief antagonist Le Chiffre. And here, too, we meet Jeffrey Wright, a solid choice to play frequent Bond ally Felix Leiter in the latest Bond films. Between the screenplay and Wright's performance, Leiter is given more personality than he has at any other point in the franchise, even despite limited time on screen.
We're still not done, though, because of course another iconic aspect of James Bond movies is the music. Composer David Arnold's original score is quite good, perfectly complementing the mood of any given scene and at times echoing the chords of the main theme. But as in previous films, it's the theme song that's most notable, and in this case especially: "You know my name," performed by the late great Chris Cornell, is a bombastic, energizing rock song, immediately more sharp and grabbing with its combination of guitar and horn than any other theme song since perhaps Lulu's "The man with the golden gun," 32 years before. The raw vigor of the song meshes neatly with the new version of James Bond we meet in 'Casino Royale, and at least in my mind it's one of the very best theme songs of the series.
It's such a finely, carefully crafted film that its edge hasn't dulled one bit 15 years later. It's so good that there are only a handful of 007 pictures that can truly claim to keep its company. 'Casino Royale' was a much-needed shot in the arm for a series that had grown formulaic and heavily reliant on overdone tropes and self-indulgence. The emergence of a new lead actor, a greater emphasis on realism, and the purposeful effort to sidestep past immoderation revitalized the Bond franchise and primed audiences for more to come. Perhaps more than any of its brethren - with its intent of rejuvenation in mind, I think this is the Bond movie to watch for people who don't like Bond movies.
If that's not a high compliment, I don't know what is.
Craig's incarnation of the master spy is written as much more raw and imperfect, distinctly contrasting with the finesse and refinement of his predecessors. This is reflected in the risks Bond takes, and his relationship with M that is notably rather contentious next to the more casually wary representation in past films. Even in dialogue with other characters, Bond demonstrates a brash attitude much less suave than we're used to seeing.
This all makes particular narrative sense given that 'Casino Royale' represents Bond at the beginning of his career as a "00" agent, as seen in the pre-credits sequence. Action scenes are thrilling, and showcase a forcefulness that seems more physically demanding in appearance, if not in actuality. And extreme though some of it may be, at no point is it so over the top as to approach anywhere near the silliness or absurdity we became accustomed to with the films of Roger Moore, or Pierce Brosnan. On a similar note, there is no novel gadgetry on display in this film; Q Branch isn't even mentioned. Any instruments or devices employed throughout the plot, mostly computers or other electronic devices, are close enough to reality that their inclusion is more a necessity than it is a gimmick.
Film-makers made a conscious effort with 'Casino Royale' to return James Bond to the basics, eschewing the excesses that have bogged down so much of the franchise. So, too, is Bond's approach to women noticeably restrained by comparison, as his only targets for romance are someone he uses to get close to an antagonist, and this feature's ever-requisite "Bond girl." Vesper Lynd is portrayed with intelligence and dueling severity and charm by the incomparable Eva Green, an actress whose skill is rivaled only by her beauty. Green is such a fine casting choice for Vesper, matching wits with Bond as they butt heads early on, and breaking hearts with the vulnerability she shows as the plot progresses. The burgeoning romance between the two leads is natural and believable, a rare welcome departure in the series from Bond's usually relentless, awful womanizing.
And emphasizing once more the producers' effort to renew and transform James Bond: for all the action of the film, including the explosive climax, some of the greatest suspense comes with the quiet tension of the card game central to the narrative. Every actor present for these scenes bears such intensity in their countenance, conveying the extreme stakes of the event without any true need for verbal language. Moreover, it's during the game especially that we get to see Mads Mikkelsen embody the stewing malice and brilliance of chief antagonist Le Chiffre. And here, too, we meet Jeffrey Wright, a solid choice to play frequent Bond ally Felix Leiter in the latest Bond films. Between the screenplay and Wright's performance, Leiter is given more personality than he has at any other point in the franchise, even despite limited time on screen.
We're still not done, though, because of course another iconic aspect of James Bond movies is the music. Composer David Arnold's original score is quite good, perfectly complementing the mood of any given scene and at times echoing the chords of the main theme. But as in previous films, it's the theme song that's most notable, and in this case especially: "You know my name," performed by the late great Chris Cornell, is a bombastic, energizing rock song, immediately more sharp and grabbing with its combination of guitar and horn than any other theme song since perhaps Lulu's "The man with the golden gun," 32 years before. The raw vigor of the song meshes neatly with the new version of James Bond we meet in 'Casino Royale, and at least in my mind it's one of the very best theme songs of the series.
It's such a finely, carefully crafted film that its edge hasn't dulled one bit 15 years later. It's so good that there are only a handful of 007 pictures that can truly claim to keep its company. 'Casino Royale' was a much-needed shot in the arm for a series that had grown formulaic and heavily reliant on overdone tropes and self-indulgence. The emergence of a new lead actor, a greater emphasis on realism, and the purposeful effort to sidestep past immoderation revitalized the Bond franchise and primed audiences for more to come. Perhaps more than any of its brethren - with its intent of rejuvenation in mind, I think this is the Bond movie to watch for people who don't like Bond movies.
If that's not a high compliment, I don't know what is.