| Casino Royale (Two-Disc Collector's Edition + BD Live) [Blu-ray] | ![Casino Royale (Two-Disc Collector's Edition + BD Live) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51P8DGLM%2BJL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Actors: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Tom Chadbon, John Chancer, Jesper Christensen
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $38.96
Buy New: $21.85
You Save: $17.11 (44%)
New (35) Used (13) Collectible (1) from $20.74
Avg. Customer Rating:  1096 reviews
Sales Rank: 1377
Format: Ac-3, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: Blu-ray
Number Of Items: 2
Running Time: 144
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 5.3 x 0.5
MPN: COLBR24923
UPC: 043396249233
EAN: 0043396249233
ASIN: B001DSNF8C
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Release Date: October 21, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 10/21/2008 Run time: 144 minutes Rating: Pg13
Amazon.com
The most successful invigoration of a cinematic franchise since Batman Begins, Casino Royale offers a new Bond identity. Based on the Ian Fleming novel that introduced Agent 007 into a Cold War world, Casino Royale is the most brutal and viscerally exciting James Bond film since Sean Connery left Her Majesty's Secret Service. Meet the new Bond; not the same as the old Bond. Daniel Craig gives a galvanizing performance as the freshly minted double-0 agent. Suave, yes, but also a "blunt instrument," reckless, and possessed with an ego that compromises his judgment during his first mission to root out the mastermind behind an operation that funds international terrorists. In classic Bond film tradition, his global itinerary takes him to far-flung locales, including Uganda, Madagascar, the Bahamas (that's more like it), and Montenegro, where he is pitted against his nemesis in a poker game, with hundreds of millions in the pot. The stakes get even higher when Bond lets down his "armor" and falls in love with Vesper (Eva Green), the ravishing banker's representative fronting him the money. For longtime fans of the franchise, Casino Royale offers some retro kicks. Bond wins his iconic Astin-Martin at the gaming table, and when a bartender asks if he wants his martini "shaken or stirred," he disdainfully replies, "Do I look like I give a damn?" There's no Moneypenny or "Q," but Dame Judi Dench is back as the exasperated M, who one senses, admires Bond's "bloody cheek." A Bond film is only as good as its villain, and Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre, who weeps blood, is a sinister dandy. From its punishing violence and virtuoso action sequences to its romance, Casino Royale is a Bond film that, in the words of one character, makes you feel it, particularly during an excruciating torture sequence. Double-0s, Bond observes early on, "have a short life expectancy." But with Craig, there is new life in the old franchise yet, as well as genuine anticipation for the next one when, at last, the signature James Bond theme kicks in following the best last line ever in any Bond film. To quote Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin, now I know what I've been faking all these years. --Donald Liebenson
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1091 more reviews...
 A NEW JAMES BOND WITH STEROIDS! January 8, 2009
Critics gave the film a positive response, in particular Craig's performance and credibility. During production this had been subject to debate by the media and the public, as Craig did not appear to fit Ian Fleming's original portrait of the character as tall, dark, and suave. The Daily Telegraph compared the quality of Craig's characterization of Bond to Sean Connery's and praised the script as smartly written, noting how the film departed from the series' conventions. The Times compared the more assertive portrayal by Craig to Timothy Dalton, and praised the action as edgy,[64] with another reviewer citing in particular the action sequence involving the cranes in Madagascar.[65] Critics Paul Arendt of BBC Films,[66] Kim Newman of Empire[67] and Todd McCarthy of Variety[68] all described Craig as the first actor to truly embody Ian Fleming's James Bond from the original novel: ironic, brutal, and cold.
The film was similarly well received in North America. MSNBC gave the movie a perfect 5 star rating.[69] The film was described as taking James Bond "back to his roots", similar to From Russia with Love,[70] where the focus was on character and plot rather than the high-tech gadgets and visual effects that were strongly criticised in Die Another Day.[68] Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie an aggregate rating of 94%, the highest rating for a wide-release of the year. It is the fifth-highest rating for a Bond film on the site behind Goldfinger which received a 95%, The Spy Who Loved Me and From Russia with Love which both received a 96%,[71][72] and Dr. No, with a 97% score.[73] Metacritic gave the movie a Metascore of 81, signifying "Universal Acclaim."[74] Entertainment Weekly named the film as the fifth best of the series,[75] and chose Vesper Lynd as the fourth best Bond girl in the series.[76] Some newspaper columnists and critics were impressed enough by Craig's performance to consider him a viable candidate for an Academy Award nomination.[77][78][79] Roger Ebert gave the film a four out of four star rating, the first for any of the James Bond films he reviewed. Ebert stated that Casino Royale answered many of the questions he had begun to ask himself about the 45-year-old series, like why no character seems to have any real emotions. Ebert also felt that this was the first Bond film that got him to care about Bond, and the rest of the characters.[80]
However, the film met several mixed reactions. Though American radio personality Michael Medved gave the film three stars out of four, describing it as "intriguing, audacious and very original... more believable and less cartoonish, than previous 007 extravaganzas", he commented that the "sometimes sluggish pacing will frustrate some Bond fanatics."[81] Similarly, a reviewer for The Sun praised the film for its darkness and Craig's performance, but felt that "like the novel, it suffers from a lack of sharpness in the plot" and believed that it required additional editing, particularly the finale.[82] Commentators such as Emanuel Levy concurred, feeling the ending was too long, and that the film's terrorist villains lacked depth, although he praised Craig and gave the film a B+ overall.[83] Other reviewers responded negatively, including Tim Adams of The Observer who felt the film came off uncomfortably in an attempt to make the series grittier.[84]
Bourne or Bond: That Is The Question January 8, 2009
What this film comes down to, in terms of whether it will appeal to you or not, is the simple question of which type of spy you prefer: classic Bond (Sean Connery, Moore) or that of Jason Bourne. Personally, I hated the classic Bond films with their portrayal of a spy who can supposedly save the earth but is so flabby and out of shape (not to mention has a drinking problem and smokes too much). I also detested the unbelievable villians and the chicks with genital names. Austin Powers really nailed exactly what the classic Bond films presented as our superspy and how silly it is that anyone would rely on this man.
Now, what about the new Bond? He looks pumped and conditioned, as one would imagine a superspy would be. He is cold and brutal, but with an emotional depth hidden right beneath the surface. Craig is amazing and delivers a fantastic performance (and don't bring up the hair. It's not as if the man were as blond as Flash Gordon, not the hair colour should matter).
The film itself is very fast paced and much more realistic than the early Bond films, with the villians' goals being global terrorism and destabilization of the markets. While not as flashy as taking over the world with a giant laser, it is much more believable. I understand that the early Bonds were closer to the author's original vision, but sometimes, very rarely, scripts are better than the material on which they are based. This is one of those times. To end, if you love the classic Bonds, you most likely will hate this. However, if you under 50 like me and loved the fast pace, kicking major derriere of the Bourne films, you will absolutely love this. Do you want a killer spy or do you want a cheesy pick up artist? The choice is yours.
The most brutal and viscerally exciting James Bond film yet! January 8, 2009
James Bond seemed dead, but along came Daniel Craig who brought the best in the business back, but giving us a lean, mean 007 that blows previous Bonds away. As well as giving the performance of his career in the process. Daniel Craig gives a galvanizing performance as the freshly minted double-0 agent. Suave, reckless, and possessed with an ego that compromises his judgment during his first mission to root out the mastermind behind an operation that funds international terrorists. 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.
For longtime fans of the franchise, Casino Royale offers some retro kicks. Bond wins his iconic Astin-Martin at the gaming table, and when a bartender asks if he wants his martini "shaken or stirred," he disdainfully replies, "Do I look like I give a damn?" There's no Moneypenny or "Q," but Dame Judi Dench is back as the exasperated M, who one senses, admires Bond's "bloody cheek." 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.
From its punishing violence and virtuoso action sequences to its romance, Casino Royale is a Bond film that, in the words of one character, makes you feel it, particularly during an excruciating torture sequence. Double-0s, Bond observes early on, "have a short life expectancy." But with Craig, there is new life in the old franchise yet, as well as genuine anticipation for the next one when, at last, the signature James Bond theme kicks in following the best last line ever in any Bond film.
Honourable January 7, 2009
PLOT
In this prequel-style instalment, a young James Bond is promoted to "00" status and deployed on various missions; some physical, some cerebral, some emotional.
REVIEW
To me, there's the first three Connery films - more thrillers than action films - all of them deserving credit. Then there's all the dated and boring entries spanning the ensuing 30 years, with only the very occasional exception. And then there's Daniel Craig and his Casino Royale. The real James Bond has kindly stood up.
There are at least two sequences that I will always remember from this film. The first precedes the opening credits, where Bond "earns his stripes"; the second is where he overcomes an attempt on his life whilst playing poker. I cannot go into these exquisite moments in any more detail because I'll ruin the film for those who haven't seen it.
Of course, for the explosion fanatics, there are plenty of heavy-duty action scenes worthy of note, especially one taking place at Miami airport. For the torture scene, I was hoping for the thing that the Chinese do with water droplets, but I wasn't let down too badly...
It's great to see they've trashed the "Q" and/or "R" characters, and Moneypenny, and that stupid character played by Robbie Coltrane, and given all such residual screen time to Judi Dench's "M" and the new Felix Leiter (played understatedly by Jeffery Wright). They've also eased-up on the mindless "nightcap" affairs. Instead, one core emotional encounter comes slowly into focus, and we finally get a glimpse at why Bond became the way he is.
ELEPHANT STAMPS
Daniel Craig for Acting.
"Do I look like I give a damn?" January 6, 2009
Anyone who has followed the James Bond series over the last four decades knows that the new Bond has changed... In "Casino Royale," 007 do not identify himself with the classic words, "Bond. James Bond," and instead of playing Chemin-de-Fer or Craps, he plays Poker and he doesn't care whether his vodka martinis are shaken or stirred nor he drinks a Smirnoff vodka, or a five-star Hennessey, or a Dom Perignon'52... He never pauses to take a finger of Caviar... He never enjoys a good cigar and is less preoccupied with matters of sex...
But he is a more trained Bond, a cold-hearted killer improvising, modifying, and overcoming, uttering to M in one decisive moment his most significant line, "So you want me to be half monk, half hit-man!"
In taking the part, Daniel Craig completely inhabited the character of the super agent 007... There is something empathetic about him and something human...He so lets you in behind his blue eyes and into his emotional life...
His opponent is the villain banker Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) who tries to get rich in supplying funds for terrorists... To continue doing so, Le Chiffre wants to win back his losses in a no-limit showdown Poker game with $115,000,000 in chips at Casino Royale in Montenegro...
Ivana Milicevic plays Le Chiffre's Bosnian bodyguard who nearly eliminates our hero... Valenka is harmful but not pure evil as her boss...
Simon Abkarian is the middleman Alex Dimitrios involved with Le Chiffre, who knew where to put his hands on weapons and people who could use them... He works with anyone who has money...
The Italian actress Caterina Murino (Solange) reveals her sexy side as the frustrated woman so upset in her marriage...
Jeffrey Wright plays the undercover CIA agent Felix Leiter 'bleeding chips at the poker tournament;' and Giancarlo Giannini plays the 'contact' Mathis...
Eva Green is Bond's love interest Vesper Lynd... Green and Craig have electric chemistry on screen together... Vesper's character seems ambiguous, impudent and complicated... One night--slumped in the shower fully clothed, radiating inner beauty--her quiet look is capable to melt Bond's cold heart and free his doubtful mind... In another, she disconcerts him with her pretty 'Algerian love knot.'
"Casino Royale" lacks the fundamental technology exhibition which plays an important part in any Bond films... The traditional "James Bond Gun Barrel Sequence" and the "James Bond Theme" disappeared... The only thin bit of continuity is Judi Dench's fifth return as the cool, scheming chief Lady M...
Directed by Martin Campbell, the movie has it all: spectacular locations from Prague, London, Miami and Nassau-- and amazing actions involving the superb Aston Martin DB5 coupe in a high-speed mountain chase; a rush to stop a fuel tanker at Miami Airport; a combat with an Ugandan terrorist; a pursue in a four-wheel bulldozer; a breathless foot chase across highest cranes; and an unexpected climax in one of the buildings on the canals of Venice...
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