Add another voice to those praising the new Casino Royale. It's by far the best James Bond movie since the early Sean Connery editions; as a series "re-boot" the film is entirely successful. Fresh, gritty and exciting, Casing Royale is an intricate thriller but also a character drama, and well-grounded in Ian Fleming's original novel. Daniel Craig is the epitome of Fleming's "blunt instrument," and more: a 21st century, one-man wrecking crew who bleeds.
Special kudos to the screenplay, the acting by Craig, Judy Dench and Giancarlo Giannini, and the gorgeous international locales. My only quibbles: a very lame theme song and even worse visuals in the opening title sequence.
Unexpected was the elaborate parkour ("free-running") segment, featuring Sebastien Foucan as a bomb-making terrorist on the lam with Bond in hot pursuit. This vertigo-inducing scene was immediately reminiscent of the hot parkour action in the 2005 French movie District B13.
Casino Royale is a winner. We may go again. Here's hoping that Daniel Craig's next installment is just as good.
(Watch this video for an exciting sample from the much lower budget District B13.)
Posted by Alan at November 20, 2006 05:56 PM