Casino Royale
the perfect Bond movie?

Here are 8 reasons why Casino Royale is one of the best Bond movies of all time.

1. A classic Ian Fleming source 
2. The action is raw and feels real
3. Vesper!
4. The battle between LeChiffre and Bond is one of the most epic poker games of all time.
5. The torture scene
6. The shower scene
7. Slow moving scenic shots to establish location.
8. Daniel Craig nails it on his first try

Back to Basics

After watching James Bond earn his license to kill in a grainy and effective pretitle sequence, we are treated to an epic first first third of the movie. While Casino Royale certainly jumps right into the action, it also takes time to develop the characters of Bond and Le Chiffre. For example, after an intense chase through Madagascar, the movie slows down for an excellent scene involving Le Chiffre playing poker on his yacht.

In this scene, you first get a glimpse of Le Chiffre’s cold and calculated persona — as well as his ruthless streak, when he tells his henchman to show his guests out or push them overboard. Combined with his earlier dealings in Africa, Le Chiffre is a fleshed-out villain very early in the film: something a Bond film has not delivered in a long time.

Of course, this movie is about James Bond’s adventures, not Le Chiffre’s. As such, the next chunk of the film is devoted to redefining the character of James Bond. This is where the movie succeeds best of all.

After 20 films and 43 years, the movie-going public has a predefined image of 007. Casino Royale manages to hold true to that while showing that Bond is much rougher around the edges than in previous incarnations.

Early on there is a pivotal scene in M’s flat that truly shows how different Bond is from when we last saw him in Die Another Day. In addition to the now-famous “blunt instrument” line, she spends most of the scene criticizing and berating Bond and essentially telling him if he doesn’t change his ways he is not far from the cold hands of death. It felt a bit like the scene between Bond and M in GoldenEye, but with far more disdain in M’s voice.

Casino Royale is beautifully paced and filmed

When criticizing the older Bond movies, people often say, “they sure did take their time.” To me, that was always a plus! It allowed for better character development and for incredible sweeping cinematography of exotic locations. “Taking their time” is exactly what made the early movies so great.

When you rush pivotal scenes to get more explosions and chases, you often lose the heart and soul of a film. The real key is finding a satisfying mix between the two, which is where Casino Royale succeeds.

For now, let’s jump past the brilliantly staged Bondian action sequence in the Miami Airport and move onto where the movie really enters classic-Bond mode. When Martin Campbell slowly follows a wide angle shot of Bond’s train to Montenegro traveling through the countryside nostalgia really kicks in and the audience knows they are in for a treat.

The train ride also gives us a chance to really get to know Vesper. Rather than quickly introduce the Bond Girl as yet another piece of eye-candy, the film takes this opportunity to flesh out both her and Bond’s characters.  As the two of them enjoy a meal, they also have a chance to share some of the sharpest dialouge in the entire series.

“You think of women as disposable pleasures rather than meaningful pursuits. So, as charming as you are, Mr. Bond, I will be keeping my eye on our government’s money and off your perfectly formed ass.”

~ Vesper Lynd to James Bond

This scene was very reminiscent of the dining car scene in From Russia With Love — and is interlaced with more exterior shots of the train passing through stations.

The slow-pace and beautiful cinematography continues at Casino Royale, with more sweeping shots of Bond and Vesper’s arrival … and Bond inspecting his practically gadget-free Aston Martin: a welcome change after Die Another Day‘s asinine invisible car.

The Poker Game

The beautiful cinematography continues at Casino Royale, as the camera follows Bond walking through the casino to a private table for the epic poker game.

Some feared that using a poker game as the movie’s centerpiece was a sure-fire formula for a boring film. However, both the screenwriters and Martin Campbell rose to the task and created one of the best extended segments in Bond’s long and storied history.

The entire scene at the poker table is full of suspense and you’re never quite sure how Bond is going to make his comeback. Mads Mikkelsen’s icy demeanor accentuates his small amount of dialoug, while Daniel Craig’s calculating and intense eyes and body language keep the audience on the edge of their seat.

Interlacing the action, character development and near-death experience scenes with the well-paced poker ones shows a real sense of urgency in the marathon card game. When Bond finally does beat Le Chiffre it feels like a job well done: something that he worked long and hard for and was well deserved.

Le Chiffre

With Le Chiffre bankrupted and Bond victorious, we come to the most intense scene of the movie, if not the entire series: the torture sequence. Having read the novel numerous times I knew what was coming, but I was still shocked at the brutality of the scene.

Parts were truly cringe-worthy, but the film did a good job of giving a few moderately humorous lines to balance out the horror of what was being done to him. Craig and Mikkelsen’s deliveries are the keys to this scene and truly make it stand out.

All the world is going to know that you died scratching my balls.

~ Le Chiffre to 007

Before getting to the finale of the film, let’s take a moment to dissect Mads Mikkelsen’s portrayal of Le Chiffre. While he was not a classic over-the-top megalomaniac villain a’la Blofeld or Hugo Drax, he succeeded in a way that few before him have.

Mads was sinister – both in appearance and actions – and his line delivery was top-notch. His facial reactions of sheer shock every time Bond returned to the poker table after being seemingly “knocked out” as well as his reactions during the torture sequence quickly escalate Mikkelsen to the upper echelon of Bond baddies.

The Title Sequence

Despite the lack of naked silhouettes dancing around, the title sequence works brilliantly. The entire piece felt like a moving book-cover from the earlier Bond novels. Chris Cornell’s song, which I hated at first, has grown on me and works perfectly with the animation.

The sequence also tells the story of Bond becoming 007 through its use of black and white and later red, which I found quite interesting. I did not, however, like how they used Craig’s face. I was not a fan when it was done in the past and it still does not work for me. But aside from that, no real qualms.