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Ranking James Bond Films: #2 – “Casino Royale” (2006)
This script’s approach to the character and the story is evident right from the jump with a nasty black & white fist fight. We see Bond get his literal license to kill.
“After earning a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007. Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, in Montenegro.”
Director: Martin Campbell
Writers: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis, Ian Fleming
Cast: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini
Release Date: November 17, 2006
IMDB
Casino Royale is the second, if not the first, Bond movie I ever saw. It is either this or Die Another Day.
Daniel Craig’s debut is a grounded approach to 007, which is most welcome. This script’s approach to the character and the story is evident right from the jump with a nasty black & white fist fight. We see Bond get his literal license to kill. We see him make mistakes, become human, and then turn back into a ruthless robotic killing machine. It’s a mighty big leap to take for one Bond movie.
The spoon that stirs Casino Royale’s drink is Eva Green as Vesper. Simply put, Eva Green is my favorite bond girl of all time. The scene on the train, when she is first introduced, is one of my most rewatched movie clips on YouTube. Was a shame Vesper had to die, but her death sets the tone for the Craig version of Bond.
There are times that Casino Royale is my favorite Bond, yet upon another rewatch, the argument that its plot is confusing is valid. Perhaps including Mr. White somehow in the second act would have helped piece the puzzle together.
What Casino Royale is far superior at compared to the rest of the Craig Bond filmography is the quotability factor. Whether it be a perfectly formed ass, a martini anyway you please, or a poker game that almost kills you…Bond is on one in Casino Royale.
STANKO RATING: A
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