Reviewing 'Casino Royale' - The Countdown to Bond 25

CINEMATIC 007 -- "The only question remains... Will you yield in time?" The Countdown to 'No Time To Die' continues with a review of 'Casio Royale.'
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[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

A terrific first outing for Craig as Bond. I acutally think it's his best film. Mads as Le Chiffre is excellent. It captures the spirit of the book very well, whilst adding a contempary twist(the whole post 9/11 atmosphere).

[@sethdavis459]

That was Calvin Dyson who commented on the card dealing woman and the hotel receptionist

[@PurushaDesa]

"I hope this little pandemic of ours isn't causing you to perspire."

[@PurushaDesa]

Caitypie rules the World Ever seen the film _Contagion_ with Matt Damon and Marion Cotillard? Thought it was underappreciated back in 2011 and boy have I been vindicated. Very well researched film with eerie parallels.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

@@PurushaDesa There's a terrific thriller that you need to see called Panic in The Streets which was directed by Elia Kazan. The film is about a race to stop two guys from leaving New Orleans that are carrying plague.

[@PurushaDesa]

Ricardo Cantoral That sounds excellent. Thanks for the recommendation. For obvious reasons I am no longer complaining about a neverending watchlist and boxset overload!

[@gregmize01]

I won't be worried until every sheep starts wearing masks

[@TheBondExperience]

Very entertaining review, but that poor bloke at the end....! Tsk, tsk....

[@seangalvin3196]

Having a card game as thee set piece was very timely. Poker was very much in the cultural fabric of mid 2000's. Great movie that made a card game as tense as any Mexican standoff.

[@obadiahplainman8897]

Yep. That’s why a lot of my friends wanted to go see it.

[@landrya9938]

I really can’t decide my favorite Bond film between Casino Royale, Goldfinger and Goldeneye. They’re all very different movies but of near-perfect, equal quality in my opinion.

[@TheBeird]

My absolute favorite Bond film. I can bemoan how the Craig era turned out, but at least I got one that seemed tailored for me

[@vordman]

Great review, guys. I just about agree with everything you said. CR is an amazing film. Everytime I watch it I spot something new.

[@robertharvey2604]

This is my favorite Bond film. It's, as you say, flawless. Daniel is spot on right from the start. The rest of the cast is terrific. The action sequences are amazing. I'm a Connery fan, and always rated Dalton to be the 2nd best Bond, but Craig edged past Dalton into second place. The Craig Era had its ups and downs but this one is solid.

[@thedarkknightman6150]

My bond is piece brosnan, he was the one that got me in to the 007 franchise.

[@johnrigs6540]

Goldfinger and On her Majestys secret service had always been my favorite Bond films... until I saw this one. Even now,14 years later I think it remains the best James Bond film of all time. As a classic 1960s era fan,I still have a hard time saying that but it's just the truth! Craig was absolutely sensational as Bond-the story and action were excellent-it also featured the single best casino scene in movie history-one of the series classic villains and,of course,the Bond girl ever. If there was anything negative about the film it is that it set the bar so high that as good as the most recent films have been...They've never reached the heights of this again. A true classic and the best in the series!

[@lw2978]

I would agree whole-heartedly with your comments re. order of favourite films and then this firmly establishing itself as the best Bond film in my opinion. I remember watching it in the cinema and even the little things like his hire car, a Ford Mondeo (Fusion in the Us) that he drove up to the hotel in looked cool (it was a new model at the time!) The combination of plotting, characterisation, acting and action were perfect. Just brilliantly pitched and executed all-round.

[@anthonycusack9289]

Absolutely love this film, it was an instant classic and made me fall back in love with the Bond series after the 4 year gap from Die Another Day. Daniel Craig is a fantastic Bond and I cannot wait for when we eventually get to see his swan song No Time To Die.

[@MGEX8206]

2004: My best mate and I catch a curious sounding film called Layer Cake at the cinema. We checked it out because we liked Matthew Vaughn's previous work. Had never heard of this guy Daniel Craig before but but liked what I saw from him...I was pretty sure we had our next James Bond at that point. 2005: Sure enough...Craig is our next Bond. He takes a a load of heat online...I'm not sure what the haters are smoking. Summer 2006: After finishing Uni, I move to south west England, struggling to settle in and make friends, I decide to catch Casino Royale with my Dad. Well... 1. Theme tune...lights out. 2. The reboot aspect of the film...that felt odd. I've mentioned before how its impossible that all six Bonds can be the same individual without the use of a fountain of youth but they must have given Craig-Bond amnesia as well or something. As a result I find it hard to compare the Craig-Bonds to the pre-Craig Bonds. 3. Overall though, while it had a very different feel to Die Another Day, this film was...well, Craig was everything I'd hoped he'd be as Bond. Action wise...couldn't ask for more. 4. Only issue with the film is...the stuff with Bond and Vesper before the twist dragged on a bit. Since then...I've picked it up on DVD...so it's gotten a few rewatches over the years. Two things you guys brought up that were interesting. 1. M's portrayal. I don't think they rebooted her character so much as the change in her attitude was a side effect of rebooting Bond. In Goldeneye, she was relatively new in the job, compared to that version of Bond who was already a legend at MI6. She still snarked at Brosnan-Bond a bit though. With Craig-Bond...here's a Bond that she's meant to have recruited...that she sees as wet behind the ears...in need of more of a reality check. 2. Interesting that you guys made comparisions to OHMSS. Looking back...I think they overcooked the romance a bit there. With this one...it's a factor...but not something that completely dominates the film. Overall...worth an 8 at least...maybe a 9...hmmm...nah I'll give it a 9/10.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Overcooked ? I think it was pitch perfect having Tracy involved in the action and the romance. She was supposed to be Bond's significant other and tragically, James ended up being her own undoing. I didn't feel the same emotional impact with Vesper because the writers foolishly omitted themes that were tied to the character which was existential dread and the agony of being powerless in a world of uncertainty.

[@philhellmuth2771]

This is a 10/10 no question Agree that the romance is overcooked in OHMSS. Here it's just a side plot. In spectre an no time to die they learn all the wrong lessons from the romance aspect here. Romance isn't what makes this movie great. In the other 2 films they go all in in the emotional romance aspect and it just falls flat because madleine is just a boring character. Why exactly does bond fall in love with her??

[@ainsleyperry5192]

For me, What makes this move so good is Ian Fleming's book was the perfect skeleton to build the story on. The Ghost of Fleming is all through this film. One of the little scenes that's so good is when Bond is checking into the hotel. In the foyer the 2 tennis ladies turn to have a 2nd look at Bond. Even women are allowed to look once in a while. Fleming always refered to Bond as a " Blunt instrument." Cheers, Chris Perry.

[@markleckband4495]

This movie is a masterpiece. You’re not my type. Smart? Single. 🤯

[@gregmize01]

❤❤❤❤

[@mastroia0077]

Vesper's death is one of the most shocking scenes I've seen in the cinema. it's very strong. She took his hands, saying goodbye, closing the door and then widening her eyes as death came... Bond, desperate to save her and then coming to his senses that she died was strong. epic scene.

[@Ma0Matthew47]

Thank God you guys are still making these podcasts even though the wait is so damn long!

[@Aceimus1066]

Ah man I'm crying with laughter at the end with David. You guys are great.

[@Attywab]

The Chinese lady who is in the scene playing poker with Le Chiffre and others is portrayed by the same actress who played Ling in the beginning of You Only Live Twice where James Bond is supposedly shot in his bed.

[@herculepoirot1916]

The Felix Leiter "Does it look like we need the money": That is in reference to him and Bond. He is speaking to him as a fellow soldier. He means that nabbing Le Chiffre means more than the winnings. Plus Fleming always wrote of the flowing money that agents always had during missions, and that the end is more important to them than expending finances.

[@herculepoirot1916]

@@ZombyMammoth That actually also seems like a valid explanation. Although his demeanor always seemed like he was speaking of Bond and him together. Who knows...

[@garybryant1501]

Mitchell leaked the Embassy incident to the press

[@blabbyboy]

Great movie. We had the privilege of staying in a room just above the main entrance to the Grandhotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary. Epic Bond pilgrimage!

[@matthewpahnke2613]

Best Bond film in the franchise as far as I'm concerned. This to me is a great piece of cinema. More than just an action movie the way I view the other titles in the franchise.

[@Dohsoda]

When this movie came out, I was just beginning to become a Bond fan. I had not seen all the movies at the time. I did not care for it simply because my idea of James Bond was more of the fantastical adventures of Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan. However, after the 2nd and 3rd viewings I grew to love it. It's a terrific James Bond movie, and it pushed me to finish and soon own all the movies on those Ultimate Edition box sets. I was in my Junior high years when this movie came out and Craig is now my second favorite James Bond actor behind Sean Connery.

[@scottmazerall]

Very good review, great job as of late for content as well. I could only imagine what we would have gotten with no time to die release...ah well soon enough. Really starting to enjoy your content more than other Bond channels. Keep up the great job!

[@Jjoe2356]

It's funny, but watching your reviews, kind of changed the way I see some of the movies, the way I see the franchise entirely... I don't know exactly why. For example, this movie, I didn't liked very much, but perhaps the anticipation for the review, made me see it differently, and I started to love it. This was my first bond movie, as and adult, and it was so different than what we had... The point is, because of these reviews, i'm watching the movies again, something i don't do in ages, and it's being a strange reconnecting experience.

[@ennesshay5040]

The dealer (Madame Wu) in the early card game is played by Tsai Chin ~ ''Darling, I give you very best duck !!!''

[@xmoroseguyx]

I still think that casting Clive Owen, And making a more stealthy film could have been a interesting direction

[@jamesbiggs8187]

Like Joe I am an OHMSS man. I was also a dissenter when I first heard that Craig had been chosen as the new Bond. So Craig had an uphill battle to win me over. BUT BOY DID HE WIN ME OVER! Casino Royale is almost flawless and Craig nails every scene to the point where I find it hard to argue with anyone who might suggest he usurps Connery as the best of all the Bonds. OHMSS remains my favourite (perhaps for sentimental reasons which Joe has touched upon) but I never thought a movie would come out this late in the franchise that would challenge (and in most cases beat) the rest of the Bond movies - Connery's included - up to that point (Skyfall would later do the same). I agree with pretty much everything said here by you fellas. The one issue I had at the time of release - and continue to have - is the gun barrel opening and the Chris Cornell theme song. And (if I'm being really picky) I would have liked the 007 theme (both Monty Norman and John Barry variations) to have featured more (though to be honest there are few scenes that afford that opportunity). It's a 10 out of 10 from me.

[@ghani666]

Completely agree, except for the Monty Norman theme. David Arnold teasing us and withholding that from us for over 2 hours only to finally deliver it at the very end was perfection! A classic example of why restraint is so important.

[@RighteousBrother]

When Bond catches himself in the mirror wearing the Tuxedo, it's the first time he's seen himself in a tux tailored to him, and he's taken with how different it looks on him. Hes already a capable and hard bastard, now he's taken the next step to being sophisticated too.

[@diogocatalano9557]

Exactly. This guy is not James Bond. Just a stupid policeman.

[@leonbell5141]

Love your videos and has given me a new appreciation of the bond franchise 👏🏽

[@Tom_Brennan]

I have to agree, this movie is perfection. A solid 10 for me. It's tragic that other Craig outings didn't live up to such a strong start. It's also tough to think of a least favorite part, but two small things come to mind. I severely dislike all of the Sony product placement throughout the film. Apart from that, I always cringe at the Richard Branson cameo. He's a terrible extra.

[@jameskroeper1759]

Scott hinted at in his brief review of the Daniel Craig 4K Collection but didn’t finish is that only “Skyfall” & “Spectre” are genuine 4K discs. While “Casino” & “Quantum” are just upgrades from 2K. Great work Joe & Scott.

[@timguccione2009]

Another great review as always, but that end bit was classic! 👌🏻

[@davidmalone916]

Thanks joe and Scott another brilliant review I are a great combination !

[@simonbrunner3062]

37:11 You can only do this every 37 years or so. Otherwise it would cheapen the romance in OHMSS and Casino Royale. You need to establish Bond as the lone wolf through a series of movies to get the full impact of him eventually falling in love across. I hate that they tried to shoehorn a romance subplot into Spectre. It comes out of nowhere, there's nothing to convince the audience that this is the big one, and worst of all, it cheapens what Craig's Bond had with Vesper.

[@philhellmuth2771]

Absolutely agree. Ruins spectre, as does other bullshit they shoehorn on to make it an emotional story

[@PaulKyriazi]

I learned a few things that I didn't get, such as Mathis, listening to your two. The movie has a great pre-title scene done in black & while. Great surprise ending the podcast with a bang.

[@pruebakfd]

Excellent video, where can I find the versión of james bond theme that you use in the intro?

[@thedarkknightman6150]

I really love this movie, my 2nd fav Daniel crag movie, lots of action and the best sound track by chris RIP.

[@jackhime5628]

this was the first bond film I watched with my parents and one of favorites of daniel craig time as james bond

[@TCFan25]

Thanks Jo for the Move On film recommendation with Mads Mikkelsen - well worth the download and highly advise to do it before YT pulls it down. I'd say it's more Transporter than Bond though...but still great movie!👌

[@RolandHulme]

This was super entertaining! Nailed my thoughts on the movie, too. I turned up to the cinema in a tuxedo! 😂🤣

[@matthewbuzzell8601]

Another great episode! Thank you! Since we now have a bit of a wait for NTTD, might you and Scott consider taking on NSNA for review? Thanks for considering!

[@greg19561]

I think what happened was that the team that put this film together looked at how popular the Bourne movies were, in which Matt Damon's character is a real person who has real emotions. In Casino Royale, we have a James Bond who isn't some suave, wise-cracking caricature of a person. Instead, in this film, we have a Bond who gets hurt, bleeds, and needs to gulp down Scotch to calm his nerves after a fight. And the action sequences are not simply artificially tacked on just to add suspense. All of the action sequences are necessary to move the plot along. And this is a James Bond film where we actually have an emotional investment in the Bond character. By contrast, one of the worst films in the series is Moonraker, where Roger Moore has been reduced to a tired punster who dashes off silly double entendres and jokes as if he's playing a stand-up comedy routine. Thankfully, in Casino Royale, Bond is a real guy, with abilities as well as limitations, and a vulnerability that adds suspense to the events as they unfold. Absolutely the best Bond film of all time. Hands down.

[@simonbrunner3062]

51:36 ...and right on cue, there's a frame showing Mathis with a bowl of pistachio nuts. Yeah, I think he fits the bill. Especially if you take his role in Quantum of Solace into account.

[@liquidgeorge]

Casino Royale is BRILLIANT. Almost everything about it is the perfect alignment when imagining the best case scenario of what the film would be like before it was released. It falls behind OHMSS and The living Daylights for me, but I would be hard pressed to argue that it is objectively the best film in the entire series.

[@greatvaluestevemcqueen7048]

Any chance of you guys doing a ranking at the end of these reviews?

[@brianjacob8728]

eva green was the Q of hearts in the opening credits scene.

[@bondjamesbondsandiego0075]

Great review for a great movie! Kind of a twist there at the end with David Zaretsky!

[@ChipWhitingtonIII]

Was never a fan of the Craig era films, but objectively speaking, they definitely did the right thing going completely against whatever it was they thought they were doing with Day Another Day.

[@nicholasstevenson7574]

great movie, if only the other Craig Bond movies were on the same level

[@jamielynch9807]

Legends! This is exactly what I needed. Thanks guys. Now if you could find a way to survive being stuck inside with a 5 year old lunatic my day would be complete 👍👍

[@romariofaldes1036]

Best Bond Movie, Best Bond Theme, Best Bond... Bring on No Time To Die.. November🎬

[@davidbull7210]

Fantastic film and like you said I could watch it again and again which is not something that can be said for some of the others. I've only watched Spectre twice and there was about three or four years in between (and no new film!)

[@isabelleottawa3818]

Will be watching Move On. An idea for future video would be to give us some suggestions of good action thrillers in the vein of Bond.

[@garybryant1501]

A character looking for someone dressed in red in Venice and a drowning was that an intentional homage to Don't Look Now ?

[@aaronwalderslade]

Least favourite part: I thought the poker hands were ridiculous. There are so many wonderful historical Texas hold em situations that they could have borrowed from for a much more gripping scene than this unbelievable series of premium hands. I agree the movie is practically flawless but I love Texas and I felt a bit short-changed by the card table action. Favourite part: The "break" in the card game and the way they all pretend nothing has happened when they resume play. I love the black comedy of that.

[@TCFan25]

If the movie was exclusively focused on the card game itself without the action scenes etc left and right, then I believe they would have had to be much more focused on the points you raised. For the most part they aren't expecting the audience to be generally up on Poker, so hence they can get away with it.

[@aaronwalderslade]

@@TCFan25 I actually think the poker was confusing for a novice to understand because they tried to get every type of hand in. Even I couldn't follow the dealer push up and down the cards like hungry hippos to "explain" each hand. It was ridiculous and no dealer would do that with every hand. It was unbelievable for an experienced poker player to watch, and too much for a novice to take in. I think it would have been far better if they'd focussed on a tennis match of pairs vs trips with a nut flush for Bond on the turn followed by a surprise boat for LeChiffre on the river. Then the final time LeChiffre has the full house again, and Bond plays as if he can't believe LeChiffre would beat his flush yet again. Pushes all in "you don't have the boat this time. No. I'm all in." "Oh dear, Mr. Bond. Your flush loses again. Bruhahaha!" Only to slow roll LeChiffre with a higher full house. That would have been class, or even quads. I would have loved that. That way the first win becomes a demonstration for the viewers and the second isn't at all confusing.

[@Dohsoda]

Bond fans! I have a question, is the Casino Royale Director's Unrated cut worth a watch?

[@eabcool]

Not too many detractors on this one. I wasn't sure about Craig, but by the time the film gets to Jamaica it felt like classic Bond. There was a sexiness to this film that sadly hasn't come back in subsequent Craig films. I think Vesper's death was more shocking in the book having it happen 'offscreen'. Never could figure out in the novel why Bond loved her, she just mostly cried in the last third of it. Fleming sort of had Bond fall for all the girls in the end though. Reviews at the time seemed slightly critical of the end dragging on, but that's really the story, the first hour of the movie was invented for the screen.

[@lennydaiglejr3094]

A near perfect film, my two nit picks, the Ford commercial as Bond is driving to The Ocean Club and a couple of shots where Craig , collecting the DB-5 , is awkwardly framed when talking Solange into having a drink.

[@gregmize01]

At the time Ford owned Astin Martin

[@JeremiahEmbury]

Casino royal is good and daniel craig is ok as bond but i prefer thunderball and sean connery as the quiticential and favotite bond of mine.

[@MartieD]

This is the best Bond movie. Best Bond, Best villain, best Bond girl, best soundtrack, perfectly written, with the two great action sequences bookending a tense, uninterrupted thriller. Brilliant!

[@art-of-techno]

The only two things i regret is the chase at the beginning, just a little too long and the lack of typical Bond humour but otherwise i agree, great movie! 9/10

[@billkoenig1552]

Amusingly, Ian Fleming pronounced it "Casino Royal," but ROY-ale took off.

[@user-yk3rx7ok1i]

Great movie indeed. At the begining I would like some more references to Bond's naval service before beeing recruited as a 00 agent. Also, what bothers me with Casino Royale is that it totally ignores some basic things from the previous movies. For instance: 1) In Dr. No we see Bond and Felix Leighter meeting for the first time. Here we see them again meeting for the first time! 2) In Goldfinger the Service (Q) provides for the first time the DB5 to Bond, in replacement to his old Bentley. Here we see that Bond is winning the car in cards and it is his own. These things are a little annoying to me...

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I don't think film does justice to Fleming's psychological journey nor is Craig portraying Fleming's Bond but I can take the film for what is and that's a well crafted action film.

[@curiouscase0075]

It's so far removed from the book it's offensive to call it a faithful adaptation. It's a generic actioner, Jason Bourne hijacking a Fleming novel.

[@florantegalvez8498]

Great, great review gents!

[@kellymarsick7754]

I never quite understood why vesper killed herself,and I think I get it but I don't at the same time and I just need a straight forward explanation of why she locked the elevator then looked like she was struggling to breathe and it seemed like she was begging for help from bond to rescue her. It was the only confusing part of this masterpiece of a movie

[@skakirask]

Caterina Murino is the most beautiful Bond girl in the franchise. I wish she had more screen time!

[@rosemaryfarell5264]

Last 30 minutes drags on.

[@andrewwalsh5366]

Nice one boys

[@xyrising2675]

"There's a group of fans that don't care for this film..." .... ::raises hand::: Too much to go into but there are a lot of issues with this movie. After having read the book Casino Royale I see why certain Bond fans think it's great but even with sticking closer to the original source material than all the other movies it doesn't make that much of a difference. It's the best of the Craig Era but Craig acts Bond in a boring way that is nothing like the book Bond (for all the "it's just like the book though!!" Bond people). It copies the Bourne movie style WAY too much, too often Bond makes decisions that Bond wouldn't normally make, the list goes on... Scott mentioned people's issues with Skyfall as well. Yea I wrote a 5 page paper on why Skyfall sucks, lol.. Good movie if you take Bond out of it and just have it as an action movie but it doesn't belong in the Bond franchise... I know I just triggered all the Jason Bond/James Bourne Fans but oh well, ha.

[@yuothineyesasian]

While I love Casino, I get what you are saying. Skyfall seemed like a slapped together project as a send off for Dench. Which I don't mind I just wish it was a better movie.

[@curiouscase0075]

It's much less to do with Craig's ability as an actor and more to do with him being hugely miscast. But then before any of that, the script is where the film falters as the personal journey for Bond doesn't weave well with Le Chiffre's plot and Bond's romance with Vesper because it's so redundant. It has no impact on the villain's scheme and Vesper's betrayal so much of the drama feels forced. Then with Craig's casting, a bland score (theme song aside) and generic, overblown action sequences it compounds all the issues. Above all, the tone of the film - which takes itself way too seriously - demands audience intellectual engagement but it really doesn't warrant it. It's the fake 'grittiness' distracts from the film's flaws. And it's that same fake grittiness that doesn't gel with the outrageous idea of a spy foiling the villain's scheme by gambling. To take that as seriously as this film does is a huge disservice. There was a sense of joie de vivre in Fleming's novel that is completely lost here.

[@xyrising2675]

@@curiouscase0075 OMFG!!! Breakdown of the decade!!! I never thought of most of that but it's 100% true and accurate. I'm going to copy/paste your reply (and give you credit as well) whenever I need to address why Casino Royale wasn't that great like everyone thinks.... I seriously wish I could stack thumbs up clicks haha

[@curiouscase0075]

@@xyrising2675 Haha thanks. Though it is more of a list, sadly. There's another paragraph in the comments section that delves deeper. Feel free to use either haha! :P

[@YOLT]

My favorite Bond movie!

[@bamboomike4295]

My favorite book and second favorite Bond movie! I just can’t get past the parkour scene, and it is the one part of the movie that moves it out of timeless status to me. Great content though guys!

[@adamcollins915]

They got around Craig's lack of good looks by getting him pumped up & putting him in swimming trunks. It worked!

[@TCFan25]

And getting bashed, bruised, bloodied etc that neither the previous Bonds ever experienced.

[@TrainerCTZ]

"You get it in the feels" blah, stomach acid tastes bad. Good review besides the regurg

[@brendanweinerth5228]

Love the review! But please button up your shirt

[@tresbond7591]

19:18 is what true heartbreak looks like.

[@leonbell5141]

Have you thought about reviewing the books and comparing them to the movies or some top 10s would be good content until the next movie comes out 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@erikdolnack2737]

On the whole, I think Casino Royale [2006] is a fantastic Bond movie! It would easily rank in my top-10. But I just don't at all like the idea of James Bond falling in love. It humanizes Bond too much, and for me, that's a mistake. I think the point of Fleming's Bond character is that HE'S IN CHARACTER the whole time while he's working as a secret agent. Thus he never reveals his true human self. This is the essence of Connery's Bond, and maybe Roger Moore's as well. The BIG problem I have with Timothy Dalton's Bond, and especially Daniel Craig's Bond is their films force us to go inside Bond's head too much. I don't want to be Bond's psychoanalyst. I just want to be wowed by him in action. To me, Bond is all style and no substance. The style is the whole point. Bond, if played properly, should be impossible to read. But Craig's Bond wears his heart on his sleeve constantly. A professional secret agent would never reveal their true motives like that. A secret agent would never make it personal. Bond should always be cool, calm and collected, regardless of the situation. This is why I don't at all approve of the Dalton/Craig approach to the character.

[@Attlanttizz]

Best outtro evaaaah :D

[@qambarbokhari8657]

DCs' best outing as 007 ever , all the followings were plain bull*#&#. All hopes pinned on NTTD.

[@lanejoyner5175]

Casino is a masterpiece. Martin Campbell does it again. Love the David Arnold score as always. Highlight of the movie is the train scene with Vesper. Love the Ocean Club scenes. Great film

[@nickryan4126]

Judi Dench should not have carried over from the previous continuity. It was confusing and distracting.

[@gregmize01]

To you

[@zacharyantle7940]

I mean, November is still upcoming isn’t it? 😂

[@str.77]

Casino Royale is a very good Bond film, one of the best not to star Sean Connnery. But there are some things that always put me off: Daniel Craig in a tuxedo may work at the first sight, but no longer after he's been beaten up poisoned again and again. Then it become a constume (though not as bad as on the horrid Spectre poster). The dialogue on the train might be entertaining (though a bit pretentious) but it becomes cringeworthy in the car. Vesper says things she wouldn't say and Craig can't pronounce certain words. And of course, that card game - the game itself, not the event going around. If you don't know the rules to that silly game it is hard to follow, especially in the end. I still don't know why Bond has won. And of course, the round of players is nothing compared to the days of Dr No and Thunderball. Chasing Dimitros into the corpses exhibition I also could have done without. Real classy product placement. Can I have the BMW back? Anyway, too many overlong action sequences.

[@daxtonmounger3445]

Casino royale is second only to skyfall in my view.

[@stevena3244]

Not quite up to the high level of Tomorrow Never Dies or Diamonds Are Forever but a reasonable entry.

[@sethdavis459]

I get the tomorrow never dies thing, but.. Diamonds are Forever? What makes that better than this? No hate, just curiosity

[@stevena3244]

@@sethdavis459 What makes Diamonds Are Forever better than this? I will make a list: Bond wearing sandals; 2 x Blofield = 2 x better; Bambi and Thumper - race and gender representation before it became legally mandated to do so; Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint - gay representation before it became legally mandated to do so; Bond conversing with a rat; Incapacity due to fire extinguisher liquid to the face; Tiffany Case showing more cheek than usual; Connery looking like an experienced 65 year old Bond; Bond eluding two guys dressed as astronauts who, despite being on Earth, and obviously wanting desperately to get into character, move as if they are on the moon; Moon buggy chase; Strong independent woman turns into useless bimbo; Elephant wins big; A Felix Leiter so good he should have been renamed Felix Zippo; A seemless transition of a car balancing on one side to it balancing on the other. Need I go on?

[@sethdavis459]

Selador A lot of good points, I didn’t mean that with any sort of insult towards your opinion or nothin btw. I was just interested in your reasoning. DAF isn’t personally my favorite, but you’re right. There‘s tons of really fun things in that movie

[@stevena3244]

@@sethdavis459 No worries mate. I was making a joke. Diamonds is the utter nadir of the series. Should never have been made😊

[@MrMrjack18]

@@stevena3244 Casino Royale is the best James Bond movie... there you go ! It has planty of action, fast exciting pace amazing script, suspense, drama, great and Craig at his best !!!

[@alfredvalrie5541]

1:01:23 🤣🤣🤣

[@christhornycroft3686]

This movie kills every single major Bond cliche that I hated. Bond doesn't get the girl nor is he terribly successful in the mission. The only reason he's alive is because Le Chiffre's own guys took him out before Bond was practically castrated. I'd say that's a pretty big failure. But it's believable. The Bond of the novels is not a superhero. He has flaws. He's a drunk and a drug addict. Quite literally. I'd like to see that explored. James Bond after he retires and what he goes through mentally.

[@antoniomckay8802]

This films romance better than OHMSS for one big reason!Both the actors in Casino Royale can Act!! In OHMSS only Diana Rigg was a real actor..Lazenby was AWFUL!!!

[@rosemaryfarell5264]

James Purefoy should have been cast. Craig is a great actor but I just never got he was Bond.

[@gregmize01]

😹😹😹😹

[@MickeyLeeBukowski]

Third best after FRWL and OHMSS.

[@jaysonw8730]

Ugh🤫🤔🤭Camile/olga k’s, got cv too. Should’ve, touch on how vesper save bond’s life, with the defibrillator.

[@davemcq4798]

Joe and Scott, another great review. Thank goodness for the reboot and Casino Royale. The franchise needed oxygen after the poor choices involving Brosnan and the carbon dioxide feeding performance of the lead, Having Craig in the role made Bond more acceptable universally. I struggled for years to accept Dalton and to this day cant bring myself to even watch Brosnan as Bond. His gun barrel opening alone causes nausea and lightheadedness, causing me to grab the nearest object for support before blacking out!!! Lazenby was one of the best, Connery and Craig are the best as of Bond 25. Moore is a guilty pleasure of watching an alternate universe Bond. Thanks very much Joe, and to Scott for your Countdown Reviews, enjoyable watching, and very humorous on more than one occasion. Please keep up the good work.

[@brianjacob8728]

the us is way past broke (as is the uk), so felix was wrong.

[@VegaPhil]

This film is fantastic, it looks spectacular with beautiful colours and style, Vesper is incredible, Daniel Craig plays it well and great pacing throughout the story. The only thing that leaves an odd taste in my mouth is the choice to make this a reboot. I hate that because it makes this one, and to some extent the rest of Craig's bond films separate from everything else that's gone before it and I personally like the fact that whoever is playing the parts in the films it is the same continuity and it's disappointing to me that they made it apart from everything else. I get that some of the cool parts of the film would not necessarily be there without that "origin" aspect but I can't change how I feel. But doesn't change how great this film is.

[@matthewsmith5021]

But why does Bond suspect Mathis? And why does Le Chiffre say your friend Mathis is my friend Mathis when he’s innocent all along

[@oswintaylor2905]

I was so disappointed when they cast Daniel Craig as James Bond. I didn't think Bond should be blond and when Martin Campbell said that Craig's hair is fine and they weren't going to dye it, I was even more furious. I knew Craig was a good actor as I had seen him in a TV series called Our Friends in the North and he was so memorable in it, he owned the screen playing a character called Geordie, but I couldn't see him as James Bond. I was very drunk when I saw Casino Royale for the first time and I thought it was rubbish. This was not Roger Moore/Pierce Brosnan style! When I saw it for a second time with a clearer head, the film was absolutely brilliant and blew me away. Craig is the first Bond actor to be nominated for a BAFTA award and rightly so. This is a brilliant movie and I'm so pleased to have been proven wrong. I wish all future Bond movies could have kept this high standard. Goes to show that the missing ingredient is Ian Fleming himself! Skyfall is also excellent but SPECTRE was a bit of a let down and Quantum of Solace was atrocious! I couldn't see a thing on screen with that shaky camera!

[@TCFan25]

Moral of the story: Never watch a brilliant movie first time when drunk. That would have worked best for QofS and Spectre.

[@LardGorth]

The scissor lift on the building site has always bothered me. There has never been a scissor lift with the hydraulic lines connected to the control panel in the lifting platform. All the hydraulics run from the engine up in to the rams on the scissor booms below the platform and the panel is connected by an electrical wiring loom. There's no way Bond could have made it drop by hitting it with a wrench.

[@apyorbitz]

Speaking of Quantum and feeling realistic, one thing that always bothered me is in the beginning Mr. White says something like "We're thinking you're listening to our every phone call but you don't even know we exist" and then 2 seconds later "Oh we have people everywhere". Like...if you have people everywhere, shouldn't you know that MI6 doesn't know you exist?