Casino Royale (2006) - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Directed by: Martin Campbell
Written by: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis
Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench
Runtime: 144 min
Synopsis: After receiving a license to kill, British Secret Service agent James Bond (Daniel Craig) heads to Madagascar, where he uncovers a link to Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a man who finances terrorist organizations. Learning that Le Chiffre plans to raise money in a high-stakes poker game, MI6 sends Bond to play against him, gambling that their newest "00" operative will topple the man's organization.
Since the birth of cinema, literally thousands of movies have been created and offered to the world. As a film critic with a tremendous passion for movies and filmmaking, I strive to have a fair, impartial, honest opinion, but also an experienced, knowledgeable one. Due to the late discovery of such passion in my early 20s, plus a whole master's degree and a job in an entirely different area, I inevitably missed a few classics and influential films of the past, as well as massively known franchises. The James Bond saga is one of these blunders.
I vaguely remember a couple of Sean Connery's Bond flicks playing on TV, and I did watch the last two movies starring Pierce Brosnan. Outside of this, I probably hold visual glimpses of the other movies, but I never really watched them. Despite that, I do consider myself a fan of the franchise per se. From the spy genre to the enormous action set pieces, without forgetting an incredibly compelling main character, it's got everything I deeply appreciate in a beloved saga. I'll be rewatching and reviewing all of Daniel Craig's adventures as Bond until No Time To Die, which premieres next week.
Casino Royale is still to this day considered one of the best flicks of the entire franchise, and it's relatively easy to understand why. First of all, a trip down memory lane: I'll never forget the amount of hate and disappointment people had towards the casting of Craig as the new James Bond. Simply because a vast majority of the comments were as silly and childish as "he's blonde and has blue eyes, that's not my Bond". Funny how years went by, and social media only increased the number of similar opinions regarding other franchises and respective castings.
My personal take on Craig as an actor was always extremely positive. When I first put my eyes on Casino Royale - the third adaptation of Ian Fleming's original novel - I genuinely believed the actor delivered a phenomenal performance, and I still stand by this statement. Everything about his portrayal screams James Bond: posture, charm, humor, the manner of speaking, and of course, his extraordinary ability to perfectly wear a tuxedo. This version of Bond depicts a merciless, relentless spy that will do whatever it takes to complete a mission, even if that means killing people with families.
This new Bond is presented to the audience in the very first scene. From then on, Craig shines as the famous 007, offering witty, memorable one-liners and remarkable interactions with every cast member. The torture sequence will go down as one of his best - and most painful - scenes, worthy of many awards. I don't possess a valid, reliable opinion about other Bond actors, but they really need to be something special to beat this version of Craig that I love so much. Before I forget, David Arnold's score for James Bond is as perfect as it could be.
Craig shares fantastic chemistry with Eva Green (Dumbo), who portrays the new "Bond girl", Vesper Lynd, a smart, capable woman who is much more than just a generic, bland object to be taken advantage of. Lynd is an intriguing character whose first appearance conquers not only Bond's attention but also the viewer's. The meet-and-greet dialogue between these two characters is packed with humor, and it's as entertaining as a conversation can be, but the clever exposition about who these two people truly are marks this scene as a pivotal moment at the beginning of the second act.
Cast-wise, Judi Dench (Artemis Fowl) doesn't have that much screentime as M, the head of MI6, but her short bits of dialogue go far enough to demonstrate that it's not a character anyone would like to mess with. Dench emanates confidence and power, something Mads Mikkelsen (Chaos Walking) also shows while wearing the skin of Le Chiffre. It's always refreshing to witness an antagonist arc that's not another variation of the tiresome world-conqueror, power-driven moneymaker. Le Chiffre has his own troubles and issues with superior people, so his vulnerability is never hidden from the audience. Mikkelsen is no less than exceptional in this role.
Moving on to the action, this is where the film delivers some jaw-dropping sequences, even analyzing them from a 2021 perspective. Almost every set piece could easily be the final, climactic action scene of a regular action flick, which comes to demonstrate the impressive stunt work and remarkable camera work (cinematography by Phil Méheux) present in Casino Royale. The action-heavy first act boasts long, gripping chasing scenes, including one of the best parkour sequences I've seen to this date. Every set piece is handled seamlessly by Martin Campbell (The Mask of Zorro), all featuring truly riveting moments.
The tense, suspenseful poker game that occupies the majority of the second act holds some of Craig's best lines, but it's also where all of the essential narrative points happen. From the moment all players sit at the table until the very last scene of the movie, the story suffers many twists and turns. Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Paul Haggis do a beautiful job in balancing the different arcs, while Campbell handles the tonal shifts without significant issues. However, something about the story doesn't sit well with me.
This is one of those films I can't really pinpoint any major flaws or even minor problems, but something holds me back from loving this movie to its fullest. It might be the pacing, having in mind I do feel like the third act rushes its events a bit, even though every storytelling element is on-point. A part of me also wishes Le Chiffre had a bigger impact on the overall picture, but once again, the writing is clear concerning the character hierarchy. Despite a few more nitpicks here and there, I still consider the first adventure of Craig as James Bond as a fantastic start to a new Era.
Final Thoughts
Casino Royale is a near-perfect debut of Daniel Craig as the new James Bond. This brutal version of the famous protagonist is beautifully interpreted by Craig, who contradicted the naysayers at the time of release and delivers a phenomenal performance as the iconic 007. His witty humor, irresistible charm, and excellent line deliveries find a close match in Eva Green's take of the "Bond girl", whose intelligence and strong attitude puts aside any generic, formulaic traits. Mads Mikkelsen is outstanding as always as the vulnerable antagonist, but his impact on the overall picture is slightly underwhelming. The action set pieces are worthy of belonging to blockbusters of today, holding impressive stunt work and cinematography. Martin Campbell creates one of those films I can't pinpoint any flaws. Bond fans will feel delighted.
