Casino Royale (2006) Review

With No Time To Die finally set to hit cinemas in a few weeks, I thought it was time to go back and watch the other Daniel Craig Bond films and that starts with Casino Royale and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a newly minted 007 have to win a high level poker game in order to stop a criminal funding terrorism. 

Main Character

This was Daniel Craig's first time in the role and I thought he did a fantastic job as James Bond in the film. He is super intense and basically plays a cold hearted killer, but it really works and Craig nails this action machine that easily makes him the deadliest Bond and one that fits the modern age for sure. When he needs to put the charm on he does a good job and I thought the combination of the two really worked for the role that was needed here. 

Supporting Characters

Eva Green plays Vesper and she is truly brilliant, for years we have seen Bond Girls be damsels that are submissive to Bond but that isn't the case here. She matches Bond for smarts and intelligence with her being her own character that has development and I really liked how the two of them progress throughout the film. Mads Mikkelsen plays Le Chiffre our villain here and he is also great, this is a desperate man who feels pretty human despite of the terrible things he does and I really liked how this bought him to Bond. Judi Dench reprises her role as M and she is just great, I really like her and Craig's dynamic and she feels like a mum who is pushing her son but gets frustrated all of the time and it works well here. Giancarlo Giannini and Jeffrey Wright both have roles here and are effective despite their limited screen time. 

Story  

The story is really good, seeing this relatively new 007 is fascinating and it feels like this world is updated and is done really well. The stakes are really high and the scenes at the poker table are so effective and tension building with great characters throughout. Literally my only issue is that I feel like the film goes on for too long. The final 20 mins feel unnecessary and for me could have been cut and used as the start too the sequel and would have been much more effective. 

Script

The script is really good, the mix of drama and humour is really well done and due to Craig's charisma it is really effective but it allows him to build relationships with the other characters and create an interesting journey for us to watch. 

Style 

The action is fantastic, this action is brutal and has some of the best stuntwork that you will ever see in a film. This film has one of the best parkour chase and car crash scenes that I have ever seen and credit has to be given to the crew to really make this action seem less silly and way more intense and destructive. 

Overall

Overall, Casino Royale is a fantastic film. It stands out as a top level Bond film but also a top level film in general and if you haven't seen it then you should as if you like action this is the one for you. 

Rating - 9/10