Search - Casino Royale (Collector's Edition + BD Live) [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 5/8/2022...

Daniel Craig steps in perfectly as the blonde 007 James Bond! It's a shame that he will be exiting the series!

Daniel Craig is Bond

MICHAEL ACUNA | Southern California United States | 11/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There was never any doubt in my mind that Daniel Craig would make a sterling James Bond as I have seen most of his edgy, out of the box film roles in "Layer Cake," The Mother," Sylvia," "Munich," "Road to Perdition" to name several. Craig is and has always had weight, focus and importance on the screen. And as James Bond he brings all of these qualities to bear and "Casino Royale" is the better for it.

Many actors were rumored to have been considered for the re-inventing of James Bond and Daniel Craig was not a popular choice but his interpretation here should put all the naysayers at bay for Craig more than re-invents...he makes this part his own.

Martin Campbell ("Goldeneye," "Beyond Borders") stays clear of all the wham-bam, thank you M'am special effects of all the former James Bond films and concentrates on the things that make all films important: character, relationships and emotional commitment.

The James Bond of "Casino Royale" (it was the first in Ian Fleming's series of books on Bond) has just been given the so-called honor of the "007" impranteur and, though he has been an operative for a time, he is still considered the odd man out, the dangerous one, the one who will stop at nothing to solves his cases. On the surface this would seem like the ideal government spy but the operative word here is "government," the biggest block of bureaucracy there ever is or was and as such "it" requires Bond to follow procedure as M (Judi Dench) reminds him time and again.

The Bond of "Casino Royale"is physical, violent, without too much conscience, sexy, fit: more likely to kick you in the groin than serve you a glass of White Burgundy. But this Bond also has a heart and, though he has a couple of dalliances with women, he makes a real connection to one in particular, Eva Green as Vesper Lynd. Though I would have liked somone with a warmer, cushier screen presence than Green, this romance also sets up what is to become of Bond, romance-wise for the rest of the Bond series of novels and, I assume....films.

The action sequences are personal and physical (the kind that you never saw Brosnan do) as well as excitingly staged and produced. "Casino Royale" marks a change of direction and focus of the Bond franchise and from the evidence on the screen, I would have to say it looks like the producers have a winner in Daniel Craig and a homerun in their first outing with him.

"

Back with a vengeance

James Ferguson | Vilnius, Lithuania | 12/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was beginning to wonder if James Bond was dead, but along comes Daniel Craig to breathe new life into the role, giving us a lean, mean 007 that blows previous Bonds away. Martin Campbell went back to the basics, retooling Bond and giving him a much more physical presence, reminiscent of Sean Connery. From the opening sequence we see we are in for a real treat, as Campbell takes nothing for granted. He knows he has to earn the audience's respect, and he does with a thrilling chase scene in the chaotic urban center of an African republic.



Bond really comes across as a rogue agent in Casino Royale, stealing his way into M's apartment to leave her coded messages, taking risks that threaten painstaking operations and getting himself into jams that require MI6 to bail him out. This is a young impetuous Bond, overanxious and thrilling to watch as Craig fills his role with the energy of a stage actor.



There is also one of the best villains in recent years with Mads Mikkelsen as the cold blooded Le Chiffre. He heads an international cartel not so much bent on world destruction as on taking advantage of the chaos in which we live. He is a much more believable villain than Spectre and relies on much simpler methods of getting his piece of flesh from someone.



It is also refreshing to see Bond have a real love interest in Eva Green, not the usual banter that rings hollow. Bond is not afraid to expose himself in this movie, revealing a much more vulnerable figure than we have seen before.



MI6 also finds itself as a much more porous organization, capable of being infiltrated so that Bond doesn't know who to trust in key moments. All he has is the support of M, played to deadpan perfection by Judi Dench.



Everything about this movie is fresh and clean, including the opening credits. Bond hasn't looked this good since the early films in the series with Sean Connery. There is even an amusing scene where Bond wins a 1964 Aston Martin in a poker game, a tip of the hat to Goldfinger."

Reboot is remarkable!

Robert Owsley | Chicago | 09/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I loved the first Blu-Ray edition. I have not seen the Collector's Edition yet, but they have added so much more to this. I got this from the BluRay.com website....



*Bonus View Picture-in-Picture visual commentary with Director Martin Campbell and Producer Michael G. Wilson (BD Exclusive)

*"Know Your Double-O" - the Ultimate James Bond Trivia Quiz, a BD-Live enabled multi-skill level, multi-player trivia game (BD Exclusive)

Documentaries

*Ian Fleming's Incredible Creation - A remarkable look at the birth and continued success of James Bond, including never-before-revealed information about Bond's creator and the origins of 007.

*The Road to Casino Royale - The story of why it took over 50 years for the Bond filmmakers to bring Ian Fleming's first 007 novel to the big screen, featuring the amazing behind-the-scenes stories of the many attempts to make the film.

*James Bond in the Bahamas - A fascinating examination of the links between the the cinematic Bond and the Bahamas, with never-before-told behind-the-scenes stories from Casino Royale, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, For Your Eyes Only and The World Is Not Enough.

*Ian Fleming: The Secret Road to Paradise - A revealing exploration of the world of James Bond's creator. In this documentary, discover why Ian Fleming was drawn to the Bahamas, and learn the cinematic Casino Royale's unique link to an important chapter in 007's secret history.

*Death in Venice - A break down of one of the key scenes in the film.

*Becoming Bond - An intimate look at how Daniel Craig stepped into the role of James Bond.

*James Bond: For Real - A behind-the-scenes look at the ground-breaking action and the stunts in Casino Royale.

*Bond Girls Are Forever - An extended version of the 2002 AMC television special, with new footage and interviews of the new Bond Girls.



---Featurettes---

*The Art of Freerunning - An in-depth look at the freerunning chase and the freerunning technique with the sport's founder, Sebastien Foucan.



---Filmmaker Profiles: in-depth conversations with key creative forces behind Casino Royale, including never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage:

*Martin Campbell, Director

*Chris Corbould, Special Effects

*Phil Meheux, Director of Photography

*Gary Powell, Stunt Coordinator

*Alexander Witt, Second Unit Director

*David Arnold, Composer



---Deleted/Extended Scenes---

"Rescue & Recovery"

"Squandering Government Funds"

"Cricket Pavilion"

"Gettler Raises Bond's Suspicions"



---Storyboard Sequence---

Freerunning Chase -- Watch the storyboards presented in animatic form, or view them in comparison to the finished film sequence.



---Scene Deconstruction---

Catching a Plane: From Storyboard to Screen, featuring outtakes and never-before-seen footage.



---Music Video: Chris Cornell "You Know My Name"



---Crew Commentary: Audio Commentary with scene-specific comments and observations from many of Casino Royale's creative team."