Casino Royale: An All-Time High

After the first viewing of “Casino Royale” my initial reaction was very clear: not only is it one of the best movies of the series, but also Daniel Craig steps into the role with ease and confidence.
I wasn’t sure how I would react to Bond’s first “00” mission, considering my nervousness was outweighing my anticipation. Instead of giving a broad overview of the film and my opinion of it I have decided to review elements of the film that make Bond movies what they are and explain how the producers either stuck to the formula or altered it in order to keep the franchise fresh.

Bond:
I have no problem admitting my reluctance with the choice of Daniel Craig as the new James Bond. The photograph almost every media publication used to announce his unveiling exhibited an almost unknown actor (which I liked) with a tired, worn face who looked uncomfortable in his suit (which I didn’t like). However, things have changed a bit since then. Craig put on 20 pounds of muscle for the role and his scenes in a bathing suit proves it. Besides having the body of a healthy, well-built spy, Craig spent countless hours rehearsing his fight scenes in order for it to look authentic, which it does.
Besides the look, Craig puts forth all of his acting efforts to show a different side of the secret agent we know. Craig was lucky enough to be given the chance to let audiences find out how Bond becomes the tough, womanizing, cold man he is in every other movie. But it isn’t all brooding and fight scenes for Craig. He is allowed to pull out a few zingers when it is necessary, but also when it is inappropriate. Sadly Craig’s timing isn’t as good as Pierce Brosnan’s or Connery’s.

Girls:
The two main Bond girls in “Casino Royale” are Caterina Murino and Eva Green. Murino is the norm when it comes to a Bond movie. She looks great in anything (or nothing) and makes a grand entrance, but ultimately is a passing fancy. Green is quite different though. Green was cast not to just turn heads while in an evening gown, but to also bring characterization to the film. Her relationship with Bond grows and drives the movie while action takes a back seat to gambling. One specific scene that exhibits Green’s talent best is in a shower scene (not that kind of talent pervert) with Bond that could easily have come off as cheesy, or even worse laughable.

Villain:
Mads Mikkelsen is terrorist financier Le Chiffre and does a first-rate job of playing the villain. He isn’t one of those evil megalomaniac types who are trying to take over the world or steal some nuclear weapons in order to hold the world for ransom. He simply wants money. The producers gave Le Chiffre a physical deformity that many Bond villains receive in order to make them memorable, but Mikkelsen doesn’t really need it. He doesn’t eat up the scenery around him and plays it low key when its necessary.

Allies:
The choice of leaving Judi Dench in the role of M completely screws up the timeline of the film series, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t welcomed. Her portrayal of Bond’s boss is one of respect and care for her employee but she doesn’t put up with his childish antics and arrogant attitude.
Moneypenny and Q are both absent from this film, but a reference to Moneypenny is made that will either bother or amuse the viewer.

Cars:
Bond cars have always been admired. Sometimes they even overshadow Bond himself. The producers were smart enough to shake things up with this movie’s idea to return to Bond’s roots, but they weren’t so dumb as to get rid of the classic Bond vehicle we all love. Craig drives the tasteful, refined Aston Martin DB5, which was featured for the first time in “Goldfinger” and has become known as the epitome of the Bond car. With the updating of the story, we are also given an update of the Aston Martin. Despite not having any true gadgets installed, the Aston Martin DBS becomes the newest Bond car. It is a machine that exhibits modern elegance along with the classic style the DB5 has.

Gadgets:
Besides a defibrillator and the use of computers, “Casino Royale” is practically void of all gadgetry. The producers want to get back to the basics and that meant ignoring laser watches, disguised suitcases and toothpaste plastic explosives.

Pre-title Sequence:
Since the beginning of “From Russia With Love” where we see Bond stalked in a lavish garden by an assassin for SPECTRE, the pre-title sequence has always been a highly awaited piece of the Bond formula. It usually unveils a small piece of the plot with Bond in the midst of danger and astonishing stunts. Like much of the movie itself, “Casino Royale” is completely different.
The first difference of this pre-title sequence is it’s shot in black and white. The second is it has everything to do with the storyline while at the same time it has nothing to do with the plot of the movie. It is rather low-key with crucial dialogue about Bond and his “00” status but has intense fight segments flashed before us. It is a great combination of plot and combat, however, the dialogue can be a bit confusing for anyone not familiar with the world of James Bond.
The one big upset for the ultimate fan during the pre-title sequence is the positioning of when the gun barrel shot takes place. This has always been the first thing the audience member sees is a small white dot moving across the screen and then opening up to show Bond in a suit or tuxedo. Bond walks back across and then flings himself around to shoot the sniper that has him in his sights. For “Casino Royale” they toy with this sequence and place it at the end of the pre-title sequence, which for me was not an improvement. I also thought the blood coming down the screen looked extremely animated and cartoon-like.

Title Sequence:
This was another element that was changed for the back to basics style. We usually get to see naked silhouettes of women set to a theme of the movie or displaying some trendy technology of the times, such as neon in the 80s, with the credits running in the foreground. “Casino Royale” has the silhouettes, but it doesn’t have the naked women. Instead it uses a theme of cards – go figure – that shows off Bond fighting and gunning his way around the screen. As you can tell, it’s not my favorite. Hopefully with more viewings it will grow on me, but my first response is going to be a big thumbs down.

Music:
David Arnold, who has composed every Bond movie since “Tomorrow Never Dies,” doesn’t really put much into this one. After leaving out any hint of the theme song from “Die Another Day” in the score, due to pretty much hating Madonna’s tune, he at least utilizes Chris Cornell’s theme song “You Know My Name.”
In the context of the movie, and especially the score when it is a slower instrumental version, it sounds great. Yet, that is almost the only memorable musical moment from the movie, not counting the final two minutes. Arnold ends the movie on a high note (no pun intended), but the other two hours and 10 minutes in between the theme songs of James Bond, nothing is recognizable or impressive for the film.

Overall Opinion:
I can’t say yet where in the rank it goes, but “Casino Royale” is going to be a classic in the series and is one of my top five favorites. The action isn’t over the top like in “Die Another Day” and the plot isn’t a replica like “Moonraker” or “A View to a Kill.”
For Craig’s first try at the role, and considering all the negative press he had to deal with during production, he does a remarkable job. I still think Connery is the ultimate James Bond, but Craig is going to always be considered one of the best by the general public.