We have reached the point in the series where Daniel Craig takes over as 007 and the franchise begins a story and character arc very much intertwined among the star's films, which is not something previously done for Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, or Brosnan. Casino Royale is a near perfect movie for fans of this franchise and after 15 years of letting it resonate with me I have a hard time keeping it as my third favorite in the series. It is many fans' number one favorite and I could see myself eventually succumbing to that line of thinking as well.
1. Having the pre-title sequence shown in black and white is such an interesting choice. It creates a certain ambiance and sets a tone for what is to come, while at the same time giving us the unnecessary, but intriguing, history of how Bond receives his double-oh status. Fans of the literary character know that it takes two kills to get a license to kill with her majesty's government and having to see the brutality and coldness of those two kills is an incredible start to the movie.
2. The first time I saw Casino Royale's title sequence I didn't particularly like it, but I have since realized it was because I was so thrown by the greatness of the pre-title sequence that I wasn't ready for another drastic departure to what I was used to. I now recognize what a unique visual the animated sequence is as Chris Cornell's rocking theme song plays over the titles.
3. The parkour chase sequence is a highlight of the movie and my favorite sequence. Besides just being an immensely entertaining and re-watchable scene, it also displays, along with other parts to come later in the movie, how Bond is not really the best at his job just yet. He makes a lot of mistakes along the way to becoming the heroic spy we've come to love.
4. Despite the character being portrayed by Judi Dench still, this Bond's M is a different person than what we got with Pierce Brosnan. She is still a strong woman in power who doesn't comprise, but she is more of a mentor/motherly figure to this Bond than she was with Brosnan's 007. Craig's character, while respecting her more over the course of the later movies, certainly defies this boss more than any other Bond has before, which is a big regret with many fans and the reason for their disdain in regard to Craig's tenure.
5. "So you want me to be half monk, half hitman."
6. The Miami Airport chase is just a thing of beauty. It plays out so well and like the parkour chase sequence is utterly re-watchable time and time again.
7. The conversation aboard the train between Vesper and Bond when they meet is probably the best writing in the entire series. Their interplay and back-and-forth banter with one another is fantastic. It is the greatest introduction to a Bond girl since Ursula Andress on the Crab Key beach.
8. That Aston Martin DBS is gorgeous. It is a funny coincidence that Joanna pointed out a white version of this car in the Six Flags parking lot this afternoon as we were leaving the park.
9. Rene Mathis is a literary character who shows up in several of the Ian Fleming novels and some of the continuation novels. He isn't necessarily a standout character by any means, but has always been an ally to Bond. It was great to finally get a version of the character in a film and Giancarlo Giannini is a pleasure to watch.
10. She is the woman who molds Bond into the cold-blooded, womanizing character we know. Vesper Lynd ranks alongside Tracy di Vicenzo as most influential Bond girls of all time and Eva Green hits every right note needed in the performance.
11. As a regular poker player the scenes involving Texas hold'em are really well done and fun to watch for viewers of all familiarity with the game, but there are some small things that annoy me throughout the film. The way they handle the chips and plaques are not acceptable in a real game and the way Bond wins and loses certain big hands aren't great examples of showing whether he is proficient at the game. They would be played in the same manner by people with a minimal skill set at poker.
12. I'm sure it is annoying at this point for me to just keep saying how great this scene is and that scene is, but when a movie is this good that's kind of all I can do. That being said, the stairwell fight is so good. Bond and the machete-wielding killer give it their all as they punch, fall, and slice their way down the stairs all while Vesper is just trying to get away, but she eventually gets caught up in the fight and has to take action, which is something she never expected to be a part of in her life and has a lasting impact on her.
13. Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter is the greatest actor to ever play the role. I was so happy to hear he would be returning in Quantum of Solace, but the writers ended up not utilizing him in the way we are accustomed to. Then he is only referenced in Spectre. I'm hoping we get a really good scene between Bond and Felix in the upcoming No Time to Die.
14. It is a testament to the greatness of this movie in that I am finally getting around to Le Chiffre. Mads Mikkelsen was unknown to me at the time this movie was released, but since then I've seen several of his films and he, like Jeffrey Wright, is one of the greatest actors to appear in a Bond film. And on top of that, we get a physical deformity with the blood tears, which isn't overplayed for laughs but just is added to make the character a little more menacing.
15. As much as I love the Aston Martin DBS, I also love the barrel roll stunt that destroys it. The original plan was to only have the car flip over one time, but ended up sending it into a seven-roll spin, which set a world record.
16. No previous Bond movie could have had a torture scene like the one we got with Craig. If there was any doubt about this new actor bringing a harder edge that we hadn't seen before (Timothy Dalton notwithstanding) this scene was proof of that.
17. Well, what do I say about the betrayal and death of Vesper. Even after 25 viewings it is conflicting for me. I'm with Bond when he states at the end of the film, "the bitch is dead," which is taken directly from the source novel. However, seeing her drowning and Bond's subsequent attempt to revive her brings up all the feelings.
18. Yet, it is the impact of Vesper's influence and death that transforms Bond into the man we meet in Dr. No and his introduction to Mr. White is the perfect way to end this film.
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