Casino Royale
Story
Casino Royale starts at the beginning, as James Bond (Craig) takes
his first baby steps as a Double O agent. His first assignment is
to track down a terrorist cell in Madagascar, but hes a bit of a
loose cannon, and things quickly go awry. Bonds superior M (Judi
Dench) is soon regretting giving the arrogant Bond the promotion.
Nonetheless, Agent 007 takes it upon himself to follow a lead to
the Bahamas and discovers that all nefarious dealings point to Le
Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a nasty fellow who has money ties to
terrorist organizations. Le Chiffre is planning to raise money in a
high-stakes poker game at the Le Casino Royale in Montenegroand
Bond gets in to beat him at his own game. Along with a hefty
bankroll, M also sends the beguiling accountant Vesper Lynd (Eva
Green) to keep Bond in check. They are skeptical of each other at
first, but as the danger escalates, it becomes apparent there is a
growing attractionand affectionbetween them. Natch. Can these two
crazy kids make it work immersed in the cutthroat world of
international intrigue? Well, this is Bond after alland we know
how he ends up.
Acting
Craig absolutely gets it. Whatever doubts people may have had when
Craig was first announced as the new Bond are washed away in the
first few minutes of the film. Sure, if Casino Royale was anything
like the last few Bond movies, then maybe the understated Craig
wouldnt have fit in as well. But this is a different Bond. The
British actor plays him not as the icon weve come to know but as a
flawed man, warts and all, who flies by the seat of his pants,
isnt necessarily refined and yes, can even fall in love. Craig
also raises the acting bar. His brief scenes with the impeccable
Dench, for example, simmer and pop, unlike anything weve seen
before in a Bond film. Danish film star Mikkelsen (Pusher) is quite
effective as the main baddie, with a particularly gruesome physical
malady, while the always good Jeffrey Wright (Syriana) shows up as
CIA Agent Felix Leiter. The one weak link, unfortunately, is Green
(The Dreamers). She certainly looks the part of a Bond girl, but
her Vesper is supposed to be whip-smart, able to engage in witty
banter with 007, and the French actress cant quite pull it off.
Craig needs more of a challenge. Too bad Judi Dench isnt 30 years
younger; she would have been perfect.
Direction
Casino Royale, the first book in the Ian Fleming series, is basic
Bond 101. Director Martin Campbell--who helmed Goldeneye, Pierce
Brosnans first and probably best foray into the franchise--strips
it of all the far-fetched gadgets (save for a few new-fangled PDAs)
and over-the-top action sequences, leaving just good, clean action
devoid of any invisible cars, armored Russian tanks and the such.
Oh wait, Bond does use a bulldozer at one point, but that comes
briefly in the middle of a rather extensive and hair-raising foot
chase. It just proves action can be just as riveting without having
to completely suspend your disbelief. Casino Royale is also rare in
that it shows how Bond became THE James Bond, the one weve seen in
countless movies over the years in the stylish tuxes, drinking the
martinis, driving the Aston-Martins and bedding all the beautiful
women. Casino Royale breathes new life into the franchise, and one
can only hope they can keep up the good work without once again
lapsing into the ridiculous.