My Easy Marketplace - Casino Royale [Blu-ray]

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Manufacturer: Columbia Pictures
Starring: Daniel Craig, Jesper Christensen, Isaach de Bankolé, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright
Directed By: Martin Campbell

Average Customer Rating:

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: Blu-ray
Brand: Sony
EAN: 0043396163362
Format: Anamorphic
Label: Columbia Pictures
Manufacturer: Columbia Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Columbia Pictures
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2007-03-13
Running Time: 144
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: 2006

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Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating:

Summary: A NEW JAMES BOND WITH STEROIDS!
Comment: Critics gave the film a positive response, in particular Craig's performance and credibility. During production this had been subject to debate by the media and the public, as Craig did not appear to fit Ian Fleming's original portrait of the character as tall, dark, and suave. The Daily Telegraph compared the quality of Craig's characterization of Bond to Sean Connery's and praised the script as smartly written, noting how the film departed from the series' conventions. The Times compared the more assertive portrayal by Craig to Timothy Dalton, and praised the action as edgy,[64] with another reviewer citing in particular the action sequence involving the cranes in Madagascar.[65] Critics Paul Arendt of BBC Films,[66] Kim Newman of Empire[67] and Todd McCarthy of Variety[68] all described Craig as the first actor to truly embody Ian Fleming's James Bond from the original novel: ironic, brutal, and cold.

The film was similarly well received in North America. MSNBC gave the movie a perfect 5 star rating.[69] The film was described as taking James Bond "back to his roots", similar to From Russia with Love,[70] where the focus was on character and plot rather than the high-tech gadgets and visual effects that were strongly criticised in Die Another Day.[68] Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie an aggregate rating of 94%, the highest rating for a wide-release of the year. It is the fifth-highest rating for a Bond film on the site behind Goldfinger which received a 95%, The Spy Who Loved Me and From Russia with Love which both received a 96%,[71][72] and Dr. No, with a 97% score.[73] Metacritic gave the movie a Metascore of 81, signifying "Universal Acclaim."[74] Entertainment Weekly named the film as the fifth best of the series,[75] and chose Vesper Lynd as the fourth best Bond girl in the series.[76] Some newspaper columnists and critics were impressed enough by Craig's performance to consider him a viable candidate for an Academy Award nomination.[77][78][79] Roger Ebert gave the film a four out of four star rating, the first for any of the James Bond films he reviewed. Ebert stated that Casino Royale answered many of the questions he had begun to ask himself about the 45-year-old series, like why no character seems to have any real emotions. Ebert also felt that this was the first Bond film that got him to care about Bond, and the rest of the characters.[80]

However, the film met several mixed reactions. Though American radio personality Michael Medved gave the film three stars out of four, describing it as "intriguing, audacious and very original... more believable and less cartoonish, than previous 007 extravaganzas", he commented that the "sometimes sluggish pacing will frustrate some Bond fanatics."[81] Similarly, a reviewer for The Sun praised the film for its darkness and Craig's performance, but felt that "like the novel, it suffers from a lack of sharpness in the plot" and believed that it required additional editing, particularly the finale.[82] Commentators such as Emanuel Levy concurred, feeling the ending was too long, and that the film's terrorist villains lacked depth, although he praised Craig and gave the film a B+ overall.[83] Other reviewers responded negatively, including Tim Adams of The Observer who felt the film came off uncomfortably in an attempt to make the series grittier.[84]

Customer Rating:

Summary: Bourne or Bond: That Is The Question
Comment: What this film comes down to, in terms of whether it will appeal to you or not, is the simple question of which type of spy you prefer: classic Bond (Sean Connery, Moore) or that of Jason Bourne. Personally, I hated the classic Bond films with their portrayal of a spy who can supposedly save the earth but is so flabby and out of shape (not to mention has a drinking problem and smokes too much). I also detested the unbelievable villians and the chicks with genital names. Austin Powers really nailed exactly what the classic Bond films presented as our superspy and how silly it is that anyone would rely on this man.
Now, what about the new Bond? He looks pumped and conditioned, as one would imagine a superspy would be. He is cold and brutal, but with an emotional depth hidden right beneath the surface. Craig is amazing and delivers a fantastic performance (and don't bring up the hair. It's not as if the man were as blond as Flash Gordon, not the hair colour should matter).
The film itself is very fast paced and much more realistic than the early Bond films, with the villians' goals being global terrorism and destabilization of the markets. While not as flashy as taking over the world with a giant laser, it is much more believable. I understand that the early Bonds were closer to the author's original vision, but sometimes, very rarely, scripts are better than the material on which they are based. This is one of those times. To end, if you love the classic Bonds, you most likely will hate this. However, if you under 50 like me and loved the fast pace, kicking major derriere of the Bourne films, you will absolutely love this. Do you want a killer spy or do you want a cheesy pick up artist? The choice is yours.

Customer Rating:

Summary: The most brutal and viscerally exciting James Bond film yet!
Comment: James Bond seemed dead, but along came Daniel Craig who brought the best in the business back, but giving us a lean, mean 007 that blows previous Bonds away. As well as giving the performance of his career in the process. Daniel Craig gives a galvanizing performance as the freshly minted double-0 agent. Suave, 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. There is also one of the best villains in recent years with Mads Mikkelsen as the cold blooded Le Chiffre. He heads an international cartel not so much bent on world destruction as on taking advantage of the chaos in which we live.

For longtime fans of the franchise, Casino Royale offers some retro kicks. Bond wins his iconic Astin-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." It is also refreshing to see Bond have a real love interest in Eva Green, not the usual banter that rings hollow. Bond is not afraid to expose himself in this movie, revealing a much more vulnerable figure than we have seen before.

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.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Simply Awesome
Comment: This is a must-have. The movie itself is incredible as usual. The action sequences take it to the limit. Craig is better than expected as Bond. The disc itself is great - plenty of features - although I have not sampled that content as of yet.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Honourable
Comment: PLOT
In this prequel-style instalment, a young James Bond is promoted to "00" status and deployed on various missions; some physical, some cerebral, some emotional.

REVIEW
To me, there's the first three Connery films - more thrillers than action films - all of them deserving credit. Then there's all the dated and boring entries spanning the ensuing 30 years, with only the very occasional exception. And then there's Daniel Craig and his Casino Royale. The real James Bond has kindly stood up.

There are at least two sequences that I will always remember from this film. The first precedes the opening credits, where Bond "earns his stripes"; the second is where he overcomes an attempt on his life whilst playing poker. I cannot go into these exquisite moments in any more detail because I'll ruin the film for those who haven't seen it.

Of course, for the explosion fanatics, there are plenty of heavy-duty action scenes worthy of note, especially one taking place at Miami airport. For the torture scene, I was hoping for the thing that the Chinese do with water droplets, but I wasn't let down too badly...

It's great to see they've trashed the "Q" and/or "R" characters, and Moneypenny, and that stupid character played by Robbie Coltrane, and given all such residual screen time to Judi Dench's "M" and the new Felix Leiter (played understatedly by Jeffery Wright). They've also eased-up on the mindless "nightcap" affairs. Instead, one core emotional encounter comes slowly into focus, and we finally get a glimpse at why Bond became the way he is.

ELEPHANT STAMPS
Daniel Craig for Acting.

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Editorial Reviews:

Casino Royale introduces James BOond before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no less dangerous, and with two professional assassinations in quick succession, he is elevated to "00" status. "M" (Judi Dench), head of the British Secret Service, sends the newly-promoted 007 on his first mission that takes him to Madagascar, the Bahamas and eventually leads him to Montenegro to face Le Chiffre, a ruthless financier under threat from his terrorist clientele, who is attempting to restore his funds in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale. "M" places Bond under the watchful eye of the Treasury official Vesper Lynd. At first skeptical of what value Vesper can provide, Bond's interest in her deepens as they brave danger together. Le Chiffre's cunning and cruelty come to bear on them both in a way Bond could never imagine, and he learns his most important lesson: Trust no one.