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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Casino Royale (2006)

Casino Royale (2006)

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Released 2-Apr-2007

Cover Art

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Action Featurette-Becoming Bond
Featurette-James Bond: For Real
Featurette-Bond Girls Are Forever (2006)
Music Video-Chris Cornell: You Know My Name
Menu Animation & Audio
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 2006
Running Time 138:39
RSDL / Flipper RSDL (74:16) Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By Martin Campbell
Studio
Distributor
SONY Pictures
Sony Pictures Home Entertain
Starring Daniel Craig
Eva Green
Mads Mikkelsen
Judi Dench
Jeffrey Wright
Giancarlo Giannini
Caterina Murino
Simon Abkarian
Isaach De Bankolé
Jesper Christensen
Ivana Milicevic
Tobias Menzies
Claudio Santamaria
Case ?
RPI $29.95 Music David Arnold


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None English Dolby Digital 5.1
Italian Dolby Digital 5.1
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 2.40:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 2.40:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English
Italian
English for the Hearing Impaired
Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement Yes, especially for Omega watches
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    In 1995 much was made of the fact that GoldenEye had modernized the Bond movie series, but in truth, most of the changes were merely cosmetic. However, with Casino Royale, Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have not only re-invented James Bond, they have made him far more interesting, grounded, and relevant for the 21st century. Both the film and the DVD are first rate.

    "The name's Bond, James Bond".

    The character of super-spy James Bond was created by author Ian Fleming (1909-1964) who, like his fictional character, led a colourful life which included being a British Spy; and like Mr. Bond, he was also a Commander in British Naval Intelligence. While Fleming's novels and the Bond movies often have a very tenuous relationship, one cannot easily discount the rich material that Fleming provided for the Bond universe. While the Bond film scripts were to differ greatly from Fleming's stories, the central characters, style, and swagger of the Bond films is all still Fleming.

    However, from the start, producers Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli wanted their Bond movie series to appeal to a wider audience than just Fleming's readers. As a result, Bond became less of a cold-blooded killer, with a licence to kill provided by the UK Government, and a far more charming, suave, and witty gentleman. Indeed, early Bond Director Terence Young took matters even further and infused the character with a thoroughly debonair and dashing charm, also arming him with a fierce intelligence and an impeccable taste in clothes, wine, food, and exotic women.

    With Casino Royale, there are now 21 official Bond films, and three unofficial ones - most notably the appalling Never Say Never Again (1983). In Casino Royale, the character of Bond returns to the character presented in the novels. He is far from the indestructible superman armed with the fancy tongue-in-cheek gadgets that we seen in the recent Bond films. This Bond frequently displays fear, panic, and pain. We see him disheveled, bleeding, bruised, and sweating. He gets captured, beaten, and humiliated. It makes his triumphs and the film's climax all the more satisfying.

    This is the third adaptation of the 1953 novel of Casino Royale. It was originally adapted, following its publication, for American television with Barry Nelson playing Bond. Thus with the film rights already sold, EON Productions, producers of the official Bond films, could not use it. But, following the success of the early Bond movies, in 1967 Casino Royale hit the big screen as a lame all-star Austin Powers-like, spy send-up starring Peter Sellers, David Niven and Woody Allen.

    However, EON Productions gained the rights in 1999, and decided to make a prequel. Like the excellent, Batman Begins, this approach discards all the baggage of the previous films, and allows a fresh start, making this film a sort of Bond Begins.

    As for the film's plot, Bond (Daniel Craig) has just earned his Double-0 status, but he blows his first assignment. Unperturbed, Bond follows the clues to the Bahamas, where he locates a sleazy middle man (Simon Abkarian), and his gorgeous trophy wife (Caterina Murino). But when Bond learns about a terrorist attack at an airport, he rushes off before enjoying the caviar, champagne, or the girl. M sees his potential, and as the best card player in MI6, he's sent to defeat Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a nefarious European criminal and money launderer. Bond's aim is to bankrupt Le Chiffre at a high-stakes poker game at a casino in fictional Montenegro. Unable to pay his mounting debts to other crime lords, MI6 hopes Le Chiffre will be forced into making a deal and naming names.

    In most of the previous Bond films there is a recognisable and well-loved formula: We have a pre-title, over-the-top action sequence that is distinct from the rest of the film. This is followed by the Bond-style title sequence with theme song and nude silhouettes of girls dancing. Then Bond chats with Moneypenny, M, and then Q. Finally, Bond heads off on his new mission armed with fancy gadgets, cool one-liners, and plenty of cheesy innuendo.

    In Casino Royale, some of the recognisable elements of the Bond universe are present, but interestingly, many are missing. For example, the opening titles are well themed and clever, but far from the iconic work of Maurice Binder. Also the very recognisable James Bond Theme provided by Monty Norman and John Barry is only heard at the film's end, and I don't believe Barry's catchy 007 theme, used regularly during Bond action sequences since From Russia With Love, is heard at all. The famous gun-barrel opening has been significantly altered, and the recurring characters of Moneypenny, and Q are nowhere to be seen. While there are still sun-drenched exotic locations, we also get some gritty, horrible ones. Indeed, apparently this is the first Bond film to feature scenes with rain. Gone are the puerile double-entendres, which were funny forty years ago. Now, Bond relies more on his instincts, strength, and skill, and far less on gadgets. While there are a few gadgets in the movie, none are over-the-top. Now, Bond has to generally fight his way out of a tough spot - no jet packs, invisible cars, or laser-beam watches to help him. The card game synonymous with Bond, Baccarat, has been replaced with the current card-playing-rage in all the pubs and cable TV, Texas Hold ’Em. Perhaps most importantly, as villains go, there's no cat-stroking megalomaniac, hell-bent on world domination, assisted by cartoon-like henchmen. The fate of the world is never at stake in this movie, which is a notable change in Bond plotlines, and a considerable relief.

    Another welcome change is that with Casino Royale there is a partial return to the Englishness of the Bond universe, which has been lost in recent years. The early Bond films were show-pieces for British culture - British music, art, manufacturing, and style. This has been replaced recently with global product placement. For example, Bond was to drive BMWs in recent films. But in this movie, while Bond might start behind the wheel of a Ford, he later wins a shiny silver Aston Martin in a card game.

    Encouraged by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, Kiwi Director, Martin Campbell, who ushered in the last new age of Bond with GoldenEye in 1995, has managed to re-invent Bond. This time, Bond is based on the brooding loner presented in the original novel by Fleming, who saw his debonair secret agent as a bit of an educated thug - a rogue and a gambler. For example, having being taunted in the movie's prologue for having only a learner's permit to kill, Bond answers with a ferocious brutality, that will eventually lead his character to bitter callousness. He is, as described by M, a "blunt instrument". Why pick a lock when you can kick down the door?

    Daniel Craig is the sixth actor to have played Bond in the official films. His predecessors include the former Aussie soldier from Goulburn, George Lazenby, and the unflappably dapper, Roger Moore. Personally, I have always liked the rugged and cheeky Sean Connery, and the playful and debonair Pierce Brosnan the most, but thoroughly disliked the sulky and uncharismatic Timothy Dalton for his contribution to what I find to be the most boring of the Bond canon.

    However, the 38-year-old Craig is perhaps the best Bond since Connery, and makes the most of the dialogue written by Bond series veterans, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who are assisted here by Paul Haggis, known for the excellent Million Dollar Baby and Crash. Craig also brings a fresh Steve McQueen-like toughness and arrogance to the role, while occasionally balancing flashes of sadism and humanity. Craig's muscular frame provides the appearance of someone who could easily kill with his bare hands. He also carries off the fight scenes with the most brutal authenticity, since Lazenby. This Bond is happy to drown his enemies in the sink of a men’s room, or throttle them in hotel stairwells. I'm also sure the buffed-up Craig bears more flesh in this film, than all the other Bond actor's combined. This new physicality can be evidenced in the early chase scene. This time, instead of a car, boat, or helicopter chase, we have a chaotic chase on foot through an African construction site. This scene is played out at a furious pace, and Bond's quarry, played by French athlete, and co-founder of the sport of Free Running, Sebastien Foucan, moves with a high degree of fluidity and urgency. But this new physicality can also be seen when it's Bond, and not a Bond girl, who is lovingly filmed emerging from the water in a swimsuit.

    The supporting cast are great: Judi Dench makes her fifth appearance as M, and again provides a strong and at times, even scolding, performance as Bond's pragmatic boss. In his mission, Bond is assisted by the shrewd and elegant, Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), a British treasury official who's keeping a close eye on Bond and his state-sponsored gambling stake. Vesper intends to maintain a professional distance from her temporary colleague, and as such, initially resists Bond's charms, and provides a decent foil as well. But sadly, Le Chiffre is a little too clichéd as a villain - complete with a facial scar and a blood-weeping bad eye. But fortunately, Mikkelsen is subdued, and shows plenty of restraint in the role, making the most realistic portrayal of his character.

    Casino Royale stalls occasionally and is a bit too long, indeed it's the longest Bond film yet. It even seems to end several times. But fortunately it takes its time to develop the characters. These flaws in pacing can be overlooked considering the film sets the stage for a new generation of Bond movies. One which I welcome.

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Transfer Quality

Video

    Overall the transfer is excellent, and looked wonderful when viewed with a projector, and on my widescreen television.

    The transfer is presented in a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.40:1, 16x9 enhanced.

    The sharpness is excellent, consider for example the shot of the yacht's detailed rigging at 18:52. The black level is also excellent, with true deep blacks. The shadow detail is perfect, for example, consider the exterior night scene at the driveway at 33:55.

    Colour is a very important aspect in this film, and it is used extensively in the story telling, such as during the black and white prologue, that bleeds into colour with a Bond kill. We are also treated to wonderful, sun-drenched exotic locations such as the Bahamas and Madagascar. The transfer exhibits a beautifully saturated colour palette, with accurate skin tones.

    This is obviously a recent print, and Sony have done an excellent job with the DVD authoring. There are no problems with MPEG, Film-To-Video, or Film Artefacts.

    English and Italian subtitle streams have been recorded for this DVD, and the English subtitles are accurate.

    This is a Single-Sided, Dual Layer disc, with the layer change well placed at 74:16. The feature has been divided into 28 chapters.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The audio lacks the surround-sound bombardment we have been treated to with recent Bond films, but still provides an excellent home theatre listening experience.

    There are two audio options on this DVD: English Dolby Digital 5.1 and Italian Dolby Digital 5.1.

    The dialogue quality and audio sync are excellent on the default English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track.

   As mentioned above, the very recognisable James Bond Theme provided by Monty Norman and John Barry is only heard at the film's end, and I don't believe Barry's catchy 007 theme, used regularly during Bond action sequences since From Russia With Love, is heard at all. Rather, the orchestral score is provided by David Arnold, in his fourth Bond outing. The title song, You Know My Name, is performed by Audioslave's Chris Cornell. While a number of people dislike this tune, personally, the single version is on my iPod. I believe it to be one of the best, and appropriate title songs (if you consider the song's lyrics) in many years.

    The surround presence and activity suits this more dialogue-based, Bond film. While the surround sound mix is often quite front-heavy, the rear speakers are used effectively to help carry the score and provide ambience throughout, such as the rain at 6:47, and the cheering crowd at 9:29. Occasionally there are also some great directional effects, with panning between speakers, such as during the gun battle at 17:08. This more subtle approach maintains an immersive soundfield while keeping the viewer firmly focused on the screen.

    While there is not a strong LFE track, the subwoofer is utilised when appropriate, for example during the explosion at 51:26.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

    This Two Disc Set has genuine and interesting extras.

Menus

    Animated with audio.

Disc One

Forced Anti-Piracy Advert

    This automatically plays when Disc One is loaded.

Teaser Trailer

    The teaser trailer for Spider-Man 3 automatically plays before we get the DVD's menu.

Disc Two

Featurette - Becoming Bond

    This extra is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, 16x9 enhanced, with Dolby Stereo audio. It runs for just over 26 minutes and features interviews with the producers, director, and Daniel Craig. The featurette covers the two-year search for the new Bond, which led to their October 2005 announcement. We also get a brief look at the history of how Casino Royal came to the big screen finally for EON Productions, and some footage of the film's press launch.

Featurette - James Bond: For Real

    This extra is also presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, 16x9 enhanced, with Dolby Stereo audio. It runs for about 23 minutes and focuses on the stunt sequences in the film. Casino Royal uses stunt men, far more than CGI, and there are interviews with the director, stunt coordinators, and Craig, as well as SFX Supervisor, Chris Carbould. We see some of the behind-the-scenes production footage, and have a brief look at Free Running, with segments from Channel 4's documentary, Jump London.

Featurette - Bond Girls Are Forever (2006)

    This extra is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, with Dolby Stereo audio. It is divided into three segments: A New Kind of Woman; Children of Our Generations; and Bond Meets His Match. Hosted by former Bond-Girl from The Living Daylights, Maryam d'Abo, this extra is a series of interviews with some of the past Bond girls, such as Ursula Andress, Honor Blackman, Halle Berry, Jill St John, and Maud Adams, as to what it means to be a Bond girl, and how it affected their lives.

Music Video - Chris Cornell: You Know My Name

    Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, with Dolby Stereo

Censorship

    There is censorship information available for this title. Click here to read it (a new window will open). WARNING: Often these entries contain MAJOR plot spoilers.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    Casino Royale has been released on DVD in Region 1 and Region 4. If you ignore the PAL/NTSC difference, and some of the dubbed languages and subtitle streams, our versions are much the same. Casino Royale has also been released as a Blu-ray disc, and as such, has become the highest selling high-definition DVD in either format. The Blu-ray version has been encoded with the MPEG-4 AVC format, and is presented in its original theatrical widescreen format of 2:40:1, at 1920x1080p. Having watched this version, albeit in 720p, I was very impressed. This will be the first Bond film not to be released on VHS tape. Casino Royale will not be released on HD DVD either.

Summary

    Casino Royale should attract a new group of fans who will respond to the movie's more grounded and gritty approach.

    The video quality is excellent.

    The audio quality is also excellent.

    The extras are genuine.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Brandon Robert Vogt (warning: bio hazard)
Friday, May 11, 2007
Review Equipment
DVDSony RDR-HX715 DVD recorder, using HDMI output
DisplaySamsung 106cm Plasma TV (42 Inch). Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable.
Audio DecoderBuilt in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials.
AmplificationSony STR DE-545
SpeakersJamo

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