Interview: Campbell on Casino Royale
The director talks Bond!
The James Bond news machine is heating up with the recent announcement (finally!) of the lead actor to portray Bond in Casino Royale, Daniel Craig. The film is to begin shooting soon and the release date is now set for November 17, 2006.
This weekend IGN FilmForce had the chance to question Royale helmer Martin Campbell at the press day for his latest film, the upcoming Sony sequel Legend of Zorro, which releases on the 28th of this month.
Though Campbell and everyone else involved is still remaining tight-lipped about the specifics of James Bonds' 21st big screen adventure (not counting the original Casino Royale or Never Say Never Again), Campbell answered as many questions as he could this weekend and shed at least a bit of light on the upcoming spy flick.
Q: Did you have any input in the selection of Mr. Craig?
MARTIN CAMPBELL: Oh, yeah.
Q. Is there going to be anything of the novel in the movie?
CAMPBELL: A lot of it, yeah.
Q: How are you going to handle the genital flogging scene from the book?
CAMPBELL: Very interesting. You're the second person who's asked that. I think I'll do it in close up. (Laughs) There are a lot of women who will love that. I've got to get PG-13, so it's a very interesting dilemma.
Q: Every time they have gone from a popular Bond and replaced him, the films have not been as successful. How do you avoid that?
CAMPBELL: I dunno. You just do the best movie you can make. It's as simple as that.
Q: Why do you think Craig will make a great Bond?
CAMPBELL: Because, first of all, he's a great actor. And I think it's in Casino Royale, where Fleming said he looked like Hoagie Carmichael, which is a very interesting comparison. And he's a very interesting looking guy and I think he has all the attributes to make a grittier and tougher bond. A much more interesting – just different and more interesting in my view.
Q: It seems every time they say that the story is overwhelmed by all those gadgets.
CAMPBELL: Well, first of all there are no gadgets in the first one. So, how about that?
Q: So is it mostly the title being used and the basic plot rather than specifics from the book?
CAMPBELL: The only thing you can't use from the book – I don't know how many of you have read it – it was written in 1953 [and] was set against the Cold War. In fact, it was the first one that involves Smersh, and we've obviously had to change that. But, essentially the book remains pretty much in tact. The whole game takes place. La Chiffre is the bad guy, who was the bad guy there. Your genital whacking scene, whomever came up with that, that all remains. So, it's pretty much the last 2/3rds of the movie will be like the book. And Bond will fall in love with Vesper Lynd, as he does in the book. He's just got his 007 stripes when he gets into the story so he's got some rough edges on him to begin with and hopefully, by the end of it, he'll become the 007 we all know and love.
Q: Does it restart the franchise?
CAMPBELL: Yeah, I guess so.
Q: Does this mean you start remaking the other movies?
CAMPBELL: That's exactly the same question I asked them. When's the point you start re-making Dr. No? Who knows? No, this is the last book they are filming. Because, all the rest have been done.
Q: Do you think the re-start of Batman Begins had to do with this?
CAMPBELL: No, I think they always wanted to get the book and they never have been able to till just recently. Now they have the book. I think Cubby, Barbara, said Cubby always wanted to make the book. They made one. Not a good movie. A spoof with five bonds, which Ursula Andress was one, by the way.
Q: Have you cast any of the new Bond girls?
CAMPBELL: Not yet. We were more worried about casting Bond…
Q: Is there a chance Judi Dench will return as M?
CAMPBELL: Yeah, we're discussing that at the moment. Yeah, maybe.
Q: Did you talk to Pierce about coming back?
CAMPBELL: No, that wasn't my choice. That was over before I came into those discussions as they were.
Q: When is it going to start?
CAMPBELL: End of January. I hope!
Q: Do they have a release date?
CAMPBELL: Yes, November.
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Next James Bond film to start shooting in January
PRAGUE (AFP) - Shooting of the next James Bond film, "Casino Royale," will start in the Czech Republic in January, Prague-based international film production Stillking Films said.
"It's the first time a Bond film will be shot in the Czech Republic," said Misha Olexova, marketing director with Stillking Films, which has landed the role of local co-producer. "I believe it is also the first time that most of the film will be shot outside the UK," she added.
Prague film studios will be used for the six-month shooting in the Czech Republic. The Czech capital and its surroundings as well as the spa town of Karlovy Vary will serve as a backdrop for the screen adaptation of Ian Fleming's first novel with newly-selected Daniel Craig in the star role of the legendary British secret agent.
Shooting will also take place in the Bahamas, Italy and Britain.
Stillking Film's managing director, Matthew Stillman, said the co-production deal signed with EON Productions, the film company behind the series of Bond films over the last four decades, is "an important step for us as well as the local film community."
Apart from Craig who replaces Pierce Brosnan, other roles in "Casino Royale" still have to be decided, Olexova said. "We are still in the pre-production phase," she explained. "Casino Royale" should be released worldwide on November 17 next year.
Stillking Films, which also has offices in the Britain, Chile, South Africa, Spain and the United States, has been involved in a series of major feature films since its creation in 1993, including "Van Helsing", "The Bourne Identity", "Everything is Illuminated", "Doom" and "The Illusionist."
Prague has become a major center for movie production over the last decade, with recent major feature films including Roman Polanski's film "Oliver Twist".
Moneypenny axed from Casino Royale
(Yahoo! UK) Producers of the forthcoming James Bond movie Casino Royale have axed the legendary Miss Moneypenny character.
Moneypenny, who has waved the suave superspy off on some of his most perilous missions, been written out of the new film because she only fleetingly appears in Sir Ian Fleming's original novel.
Gadget inventor Q, last played by John Cleese will also be absent from the new film - in which British actor Daniel Craig will play 007 for the first time.
The news is the biggest indication the new film will deviate substantailly from the spirit of previous Bond adventures.
Co-producer Michael G Wilson confirms, "Neither Miss Moneypenny nor Q will appear. Neither of them are in the book.
"The film will update the novel but stick very closely to the storyline."
Campbell's Royale Decree
New film to get personal with James Bond.
Director Martin Campbell spoke with USA Today about his next project, the James Bond adventure Casino Royale. "We're going toward a much more realistic Bond, much more From Russia with Love than we've had in the past."
The filmmaker promised that Casino Royale will explore the "embryonic stuff" about Bond, such as his choice of martini, car and, of course, his treatment of women.
"(Bond) talks about how it's too boring to have a relationship," said Campbell. "You meet, and it's all exciting, then it starts to fade, and you go through the uncomfortable part of having to get rid of the girl, etc. It's a very interesting observation, given his sort of misogynistic views."
As in Ian Fleming's 1953 novel, 007's love interest in the film will be Vesper Lynd, a key role that remains uncast.
"She's the one who forges him into the Bond that we all know and love," Campbell revealed. "He certainly falls in love with (Vesper), and it does change him forever. It's a genuinely deeper relationship. The film deals much more on a personal level with Bond."
James Bond Loves Lara Croft?
The latest on the Jolie rumors.
The rumor mill recently suggested that Daniel Craig's leading lady in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Oscar winner Angelina Jolie, was in the running to play Bond girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale.
According to The Sun, Jolie has read the script but wants the character "toughened up" before she would agree to accept the role.
"Angelina would rather play a baddie than eye candy," an alleged insider advised the tabloid, which has proven fairly accurate in its past Bond reports.
And there we have the injection of a mega star to gurantee this boat doesn't sink.
Craig Talks Casino Royale
The new James Bond spills some beans.
MTV spoke with Daniel Craig, the big screen's new James Bond, who revealed some tidbits about the next installment of the franchise, Casino Royale. "It's going to be very different from anything else," the Munich co-star told MTV. "It will have certain elements that will make it a Bond movie."
"[Screenwriter] Paul Haggis has done a rewrite of the script and has written great dialogue. The lead girl part is fantastic, the characters are all fantastic. It's a Bond film. We're making a Bond movie first and foremost."
Craig also confirmed that Casino Royale will essentially restart the franchise, focusing on 007's early days. "There's a lot of similarities with the book but yes, of course it's been updated. It has to be. It's a suspension of disbelief that we're renewing Bond, and that this is the first time you see him."
Craig concedes slipping on Bond's tuxedo is a big risk. "Yes, I could fail miserably, but maybe I can do something that's different and make the franchise last another 30 years - as opposed to another three."
Quote from: Daniel Craig
It will have certain elements that will make it a Bond movie
It's a Bond film
We're making a Bond movie
how insightful :ponder:
Bond Finally Gets Byrned
Vesper Lynd reportedly cast.
The Mail on Sunday is the first outlet to report that 26-year-old Aussie actress Rose Byrne has won the role of Bond girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. Byrne's name first surfaced as a contender over the weekend. The Mail claims the official announcement will be made Friday; a production source has also advised IGN FilmForce that the role has been cast and will be announced this week.
Byrne is best known for her role as Briseis in Troy. She has also appeared in Wicker Park and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. The rumor mill once pegged her as a contender for the role of Lois Lane in Superman Returns.
The Mail claims "Rose had to give a special password, Alcazar, to get into the audition. People were joking that they didn't want Daniel Craig's mum to find out and spill the beans like she did when her son was cast. ... All the actresses had to perform a bedroom scene with Daniel where Bond says he is leaving the service to be with Vesper Lynd. [Producer] Barbara Broccoli was particularly impressed by Rose."
Casino Royale begins filming at the end of the month. The other rumored cast members include Simon Abkarian, Caterina Murino and Seydina Balde.
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This is good news. She was great in "Wicker Park". Inasmuch as anything was great in "Wicker Park", she was.
I'm starting to get good feelings about this flick. Bond movies seem to go in waves, where there will be a good movie, then a stretch of self-parodying crap, then a good movie again. This one seems like it might be a good movie.
hell yes. this might be the first bond movie i'll pay to see.
hopefully, also the last.
'Royale' pain: New Bond girl, villain missing
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Sony's "Casino Royale" kicked off its long-anticipated production in Prague on Friday. Although the globe-spanning shoot has locked down exotic locales and an intrigue-laden script, at least two things are still missing: a leading lady and a worthy opponent for Agent 007.
Although it isn't unprecedented for a studio to begin principal photography on a film with two major cast elements unsettled, it is unusual for a project of this budget and scope. However, a source familiar with the Martin Campbell-helmed production said scenes involving James Bond's love interest don't begin for more than a month, and the studio still has some breathing room before compromising the film's schedule.
"They're talking to three to four girls right now," "Royale" scribe Paul Haggis said. "Every week I read there's a new Bond girl, and I call them and they say, No, you idiot."
Daniel Craig was cast as Bond in October, leaving the remainder of the cast a mystery. In recent days, Rachel McAdams and Thandie Newton have emerged as possible Bond girls. An insider said casting of the villain is much further along than that of the female star.
One agent familiar with the film's casting said Sony is in an unenviable position because anyone the studio chooses will have leverage during negotiations because of the ticking clock.
"To be that exposed is unheard of," the agent said. "(The actor or actress) can have them over a barrel. Not to have your two principal leads (by now) is awfully strange."
Mikkelsen is le villain in 'Casino' pic
Source: Hollywood Reporter
The cast of Sony's "Casino Royale" is near completion.
Mads Mikkelsen will fill the shoes of James Bond nemesis Le Chiffre, sources confirmed. The Danish actor joins Daniel Craig and Judi Dench in the Martin Campbell-helmed film, which began principal photography Jan. 27 in Prague. All that's missing now is a leading lady for the martini-loving agent; the studio is expected to make an announcement within days.
In the book, which was Ian Fleming's first in the long-running series, Bond matches wits with Le Chiffre while playing high-stakes baccarat. The evil genius, also known as the Number or the Cipher, is a banker for terrorists and criminals with a penchant for torture. Le Chiffre is rumored to have been inspired by British occultist Aleister Crowley.
Mikkelsen's casting had been widely expected after news surfaced this week that the actor's taxi driver father reportedly told fares that his son had won the coveted role.
Mikkelsen's credits include "King Arthur" and the first two installments of the gritty Danish crime trilogy "Pusher."
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why not just double-cast judi dench as M and the new bond girl?
Quote from: MacGuffin on February 01, 2006, 02:54:08 PM
[Paul Haggis said. "Every week I read there's a new Bond girl, and I call them and they say, No, you idiot."
that's because you wrote Crash.
Bond Girl Search Over
Green, Wright Enter Sony's Casino.
Sony Pictures has announced that French actress Eva Green (Kingdom of Heaven) has been cast as love interest Vesper Lynd in the next James Bond installment, Casino Royale. Today's official announcement brings to a close a long, highly publicized search for the next Bond girl. A string of big-name Hollywood stars and lesser known foreign actresses were linked to the role that eventually went to Green, who first became known stateside for her role in The Dreamers.
"Vesper is a pivotal role in Casino Royale and it takes much more than beauty to make this role work," said Amy Pascal, Chairman of the Columbia Pictures Motion Picture Group. "When you think about the great James Bond adventures, of course you think about action and espionage, but you need to have palpable sexual tension in the movie and in casting Vesper, we really needed to up the ante, because this character is very much an equal to Bond and central to our story. We believe Eva as Vesper, Mads as Le Chiffre and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter are perfect additions to our cast and we couldn't be more excited about the way this project has come together."
Also officially cast in the film is U.S. actor Jeffrey Wright (Shaft, Syriana) as Bond's CIA counterpart and friend, Felix Leiter. Wright is only the second African-American actor to portray Leiter (Bernie Casey was the first in the unofficial Bond pic, Never Say Never Again). Leiter was maimed and written out of the series in 1989's License to Kill so Wright's casting confirms that the series will be rebooted with Casino Royale.
Other announced cast members include: Giancarlo Giannini as Mathis, Caterina Murino as Solonge, Simon Abkarian as Dimitrios, Tobias Menzies as Villiers, Ivana Milicevic as Valenka, Clemens Schick as Kratt, Ludger Pistor as Mendel and Claudio Santamaria as Carlos.
These new additions join a cast that already includes Daniel Craig as the big-screen's sixth actor to play 007, Judi Dench reprising her role as his boss "M"," and Danish thesp Mads Mikkelsen as the villainous Le Chiffre.
Casino Royale is now filming in Prague for a fall release.
Quote from: MacGuffin on February 16, 2006, 07:51:45 PM
Bond Girl Search Over
Green, Wright Enter Sony's Casino.
Sony Pictures has announced that French actress Eva Green (Kingdom of Heaven) has been cast as love interest Vesper Lynd in the next James Bond installment, Casino Royale. Today's official announcement brings to a close a long, highly publicized search for the next Bond girl. A string of big-name Hollywood stars and lesser known foreign actresses were linked to the role that eventually went to Green, who first became known stateside for her role in The Dreamers.
"Vesper is a pivotal role in Casino Royale and it takes much more than beauty to make this role work," said Amy Pascal, Chairman of the Columbia Pictures Motion Picture Group. "When you think about the great James Bond adventures, of course you think about action and espionage, but you need to have palpable sexual tension in the movie and in casting Vesper, we really needed to up the ante, because this character is very much an equal to Bond and central to our story. We believe Eva as Vesper, Mads as Le Chiffre and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter are perfect additions to our cast and we couldn't be more excited about the way this project has come together."
Also officially cast in the film is U.S. actor Jeffrey Wright (Shaft, Syriana) as Bond's CIA counterpart and friend, Felix Leiter. Wright is only the second African-American actor to portray Leiter (Bernie Casey was the first in the unofficial Bond pic, Never Say Never Again). Leiter was maimed and written out of the series in 1989's License to Kill so Wright's casting confirms that the series will be rebooted with Casino Royale.
Other announced cast members include: Giancarlo Giannini as Mathis, Caterina Murino as Solonge, Simon Abkarian as Dimitrios, Tobias Menzies as Villiers, Ivana Milicevic as Valenka, Clemens Schick as Kratt, Ludger Pistor as Mendel and Claudio Santamaria as Carlos.
These new additions join a cast that already includes Daniel Craig as the big-screen's sixth actor to play 007, Judi Dench reprising her role as his boss "M"," and Danish thesp Mads Mikkelsen as the villainous Le Chiffre.
Casino Royale is now filming in Prague for a fall release.
Okay. That's an impressive cast they've assembled. Jeffrey Wright + Giancarlo Giannini = instant credibility.
No Rose Byrne makes me sad, though.
there's only a few actresses i would accept as replacements, fortunately they chose one of em..
Quote from: MacGuffin on February 16, 2006, 07:51:45 PM
Sony Pictures has announced that French actress Eva Green (Kingdom of Heaven) has been cast as love interest Vesper Lynd in the next James Bond installment,
Quote from: Pubrick on January 17, 2006, 10:36:27 PM
hell yes. this might be the first bond movie i'll pay to see.
hopefully, also the last.
yes, for some reason i think i'm interested in this film now. after months of not-giving-a-shit.
I heard her name rumored for the first time on Dark Horizon just the other day. I thought the idea was too good to be true. Glad I was wrong.
I can't beleive this. This might be decent. If Craig takes the Dalton approach to the character (don't laugh, he really tried to be the most credible secret agent of them all) and they take it easy on the CGI and make the most of that great soundstage for some great Casino sets this could be quite a success.
http://www.craignotbond.com/
This is just the worst display of geekdom I've ever seen.
Quote from: hacksparrow on February 22, 2006, 08:14:01 AM
http://www.craignotbond.com/
This is just the worst display of geekdom I've ever seen.
More evidence to support my thesis: people are dumb.
Royale Revealed!
Casino Royale teaser trailer and poster online.
CommanderBond.net was the first to bring to our attention that the teaser poster and trailer for the next James Bond movie, Casino Royale, are now online. The teaser trailer is dubbed in French since it first appeared on a French TV show.
The teaser poster, which can be seen below, is a very Film Noir shot of new 007 Daniel Craig dressed in a tux and sitting at a card table with a gun in hand. It was first posted by the Finnish site Nordisk Film. The moody poster evokes the 1950s-early '60s era of Bond novelist Ian Fleming.
The French-dubbed teaser trailer is heavy on mood and action. It can be seen at Planete 007 but it can only be viewed in Internet Explorer, otherwise the page comes out as code. The first part of the teaser trailer is in Noirish black and white, showing Craig's James Bond beating and killing a few different men (one in a restroom, the other in a stairwell and another in a study). There is also a scene between 007 and his boss "M" (Dame Judi Dench).
Then the teaser trailer bursts into color to the familiar strains of the James Bond theme, showing us glimpses of Bond and love interest Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) on the beach, Bond girl Solonge (Caterina Murino), the villainous Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) and Bond's parkour chase/fight with Mollaka (Sebastien Foucan).
There are also shots of the luscious-looking Bahamas, Bond plowing a bulldozer into a wall and sending henchmen scurrying, 007 beating up African soldiers, Bond escaping from explosions and gunfire, and finally the classic image of James Bond dressed in a tuxedo in a casino. This last shot zips in on Bond's face as he turns and looks coldly at the camera. It's a little forced but it clearly establishes Daniel Craig as the new 007.
In related news, the current issue of U.K.-based Car Magazine features a cover story on James Bond's new ride, the Aston Martin DBS, in Casino Royale. The cover and the story feature a new still photo of a tuxedo-clad 007 standing next to the DBS.
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EDIT: Updated better quality Quicktime teaser:
Teaser Trailer here. (http://pdl.stream.aol.com/aol/us/moviefone/movies/2006/casinoroyale_018129/casinoroyale_trlr_01_maleos_hiq_dl.mov)
Damn. I'd hope'd it'd look a little more classy and vintage, but stylistically it still looks just like the last couple of Bonds, i.e. like any other action film. Putting half the teaser in black and white didn't help, and looked just as tacked-on as it was. Boring, and my expectations (if I even had any) are lowered accordingly.
The Name's Cornell, Chris Cornell
Audioslave frontman performs Casino Royale title song.
Chris Cornell, the screaming siren voiced frontman of Audioslave (and former lead singer for Soundgarden, as well as Temple of the Dog) has written the main title theme to the new James Bond entry Casino Royale.
Cornell collaborated on the song, entitled "You Know My Name," with long time Bond composer David Arnold (who has scored all the Bond films since Tomorrow Never Dies)
"I've always loved Chris' work, both as a writer and as an artist, and had hoped someday to find the right film to inspire him," said Lia Vollack, President, Worldwide Music for Columbia Pictures. "His music is both soulful and tough. It was the perfect complement to Daniel Craig and CASINO ROYALE."
Cornell joins ranks with the likes of Paul McCartney & Wings, Sheryl Crow, Chrissie Hynde, and Madonna in terms of being a modern pop icon who has penned an original James Bond theme song.
oh no. :doh:
i wanted goldfrapp to write it.
New Trailer here. (http://playlist.yahoo.com/makeplaylist.dll?id=1482401&sdm=web&qtw=480&qth=300)
It might just be Eva Green but this looks like it will be pretty entertaining. Its just too bad about the archetypal villain with a facial scar.
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Call it, "How Bond Got His Groove Back."
Got exactly what I wanted; a worthy Bond reboot. What the series needed. M calls him a "blunt weapon" and that's exactly what this Bond is. This is before he becomes the debonaire agent, so there's no Q, no Miss Moneypenny, no Bond theme (until the end) -- all conscious decisions to point to this fact. But we get to see what creates the suave man men wanna be and women wanna be with. This Bond makes mistakes, isn't so sleek, almost sloppy in some ways -- and all of that is fine. It humanizes him. I wouldn't exactly compare this to the Bourne films, but the film does make efforts not to repeat what has come before while still being a Bond film. Before this the Brosnan Bond films were kinda becoming cartoons. But here Craig plays a Bond stripped down to be rebuilt back up. It will be interesting to see what direction the next film will take.
The action was fine, but the core of the film is the romance. The back-and-forth/give-and-take banter between Bond and Vesper was pitch-perfect. A woman as an equal. The chemistry was right there.
I love a lot of things in the film and since Bond got me into film when I was around 5 years old it was a great experience to get excited about a Bond movie again.
I think it straddles the realistic Bourne type modern gritty thriller and the more fantastical style of Bonds past. Craig is pitch perfect and although I like all of the Bonds for different reasons he's definitely up there with the best. The acting is all of a high standard, I felt Judi Dench suffered a little bit from crappy writing but she still fulfilled the role. Mads Mikkelsen is great as being a sleazy and creepy villain without being a complete cartoon plus he's hot under the collar since his neck is on the line throughout the film as well which added a nice dynamic.
The action is refreshing and brilliantly staged and you can see that time and effort and a lot of care went into it unlike say the fucking cartoon CGI windsailing on a car part on the ocean scene of the monstrosity that is Die Another Day. It's a brave film to make and they don't shy away from the violence and darker sides of the situation which really left me satisfied and surprised.
There are a few things that really pissed me off. The theme song - piece of shit, damn you Chris Cornell. The dialogue - the script is, for the most part, pretty solid but some of the dialogue is painful to watch for the wrong reasons; especially during some of the romance scenes. I felt Craig and Green had a good chemistry and I liked that she wasn't a bimbo but the dialogue came close to messing that up on many occasions. Finally, THE PRODUCT PLACEMENT. Fuck's sake: I'd better drive this Ford Mondeo, oh I've received info on my Sony Ericsson phone, now I'll look at this database on my Sonv VAIO laptop, Lynd says: 'What's that a Rolex?' he replies: 'An Omega.'!!! They even manage to get a two in one shot with Louis Vuitton shop in the background then pan left to reveal Chanel. I appreciate they have to make money back but come on, you don't need so so so many shots doing that and ones that linger on it. I'm praying for less to no product whoring on the next film.
All that said - I enjoyed the film enough to cancel out the problems and not be bothered by its shortcomings. To the people that made this film: the child and the adult in me salute you... Bring on the next one!
I really liked this too, especially the fight between Bond and Spider Man at the beginning.
i was not really looking forward to this movie until this week. i think for a long time i held the last few films, neverending casting rumors & controversy, and the fact that Tarantino wanted to do it, against Casino Royale, but with the huge wave of good buzz this week i was finally excited to see it. the first bond movie i ever saw was Goldeneye and i really liked it. i can recall seeing posters for one of the Timothy Dalton Bond films at a movie theatre when i was younger and having no interest or knowledge of the character. but i saw Tomorrow Never Dies in theatres as well, liked that one and got to The World Is Not Enough and had either outgrown it or the series had gotten very goofy. (Denise Richards/"I thought Christmas only came once a year"!) to this day i've only seen the first 3 Bond films (Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and Goldfinger, all great), and the first 3 Brosnans. i didn't have enough interest in Die Another Day to get around to it / past Halle Berry. so with that history in mind, i liked this film. like Goldeneye, which i suppose was the last time the series got a major makeover its a mix of very old fashioned elements and very modern touches. certain inescapable elements threaten to hold the series down despite its desire to move forward. the biggest problem was probably the length though, it definitely has about 30 min of extra meat. craig was good, and eva green was great to watch. hopefully it gets even better from here.
ADMIN EDIT: *SPOILERS*
Oh man, I'm on a streak of three new films being good. Flags of Our Fathers became a top contender for best of the year, Borat just one of the funniest movies I've seen and I guess the icing on the cake is that I finally got the Bond film I've been waiting for.
I'll be honest, I'm a die hard Bond fan. Any supposed rejuvanation of the series always strikes me wrong. The producers who continue to make the films will always have a grasp on the series I think will always limit it. Finally, Casino Royale is a Bond film that lives up to the expectation. I'm not thanking the producers for doing this. I'm thanking The Bourne Identity series for forcing the producers to make this film.
I always tease Star Wars fans for liking a nerdy series with little qualification. Now I also tease LOTR fans for the same thing. I see both series as only having personal endearment instead of any quality. While watching Casino Royale, I realized my history of loving the Bond films was also mainly based on just personal endearment. The most classic Bond movies really are corny. The older they get the worse they look. The series rests on the look of Sean Connery because if any other actor would have been in those films the series would have bombed. That's why (I imagine) Cary Grant only would sign to do one of them. When I watched Casino Royale, I finally realized I was loving a movie with little regret or second thinking. This movie is good entertainment.
This film also falls perfectly into the series. It still is a Bond film and not a Bourne protege. It just cleans up all of the faults. When I assumed the film would fall into an excess of action scenes, I realized there were only three and the film actually had a patient story. Of course, the story is about Bond falling for another girl. Nearly every Bond movie has utilized this effect and just repeated it. The thing is all the Bond movies have only been half ass. All were just imitative of other actioneer efforts. With this one I really did buy into the story and didn't just laugh at the scenes that tried to dig at emotional feelings. A few lines here and there were misplaced, but the emotion was believable in the vein of Hollywood stuff.
The better element of the story is that it was vein of many other Bond films. I saw the appearance of good ole Felix from the CIA plus other little Bond hallmarks that were to become standard issue in every Bond film. The difference between this film and another film like Superman Returns is that the reuse of hallmarks here never became desperate homage. This is a Bond film all in its own. I felt Superman Returns was a poor remake of the original with only some added twists. I guess the greatest hallmark in Casino Royale was in the death of Eva Green. She's became the martyr figure in Bond's life. When this was used in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, I did buy into the storyline. It mainly was because I felt George Lazenby showed good acting. I would have been embarassed to have seen Moore or Connery try to show any such emotion at their beginning stale stages. Both needed time doing other roles to improve their talents. Craig is believable to me. He's shown good stuff in movies like Sylvia and the underwhelming Speilberg film, Munich. He makes the emotional subplot work in this film.
Do I like Daniel Craig as Bond? I love him as Bond. Is he the best? I don't think it matters. Sean Connery is still the poster child for the series, but every Bond has a trait to him that makes them lovable to different people. Before Casino Royale I never faultered in identifying myself with Timothy Dalton just because his serious attitude. I think I'm trading in Dalton for Craig. One, Craig is blonde (as am I), Craig is serious (like Dalton) but unlike Dalton, Craig actually is funny. His cool confidence doesn't remind me of British pleasantry the way Dalton's always did. It reminds of American sense of humor. Brassness mixed with brutality. But always cool. I keep the series in heart because I do find indentification in the character. Liking the right actor thus becomes crucial.
I'm a happy man with Casino Royale. I finally have a Bond movie to revisit with sincere appreciation. I still watch The Spy Who Loved Me and The Living Daylights, but I have to hide my face at some of the corniness on display. Roll on with more Bond films of Daniel Craig as Bond and this improved writing in place. This could become a good series for the adult in everyone to like as much as the child in everyone liked the earlier works.
I enjoyed this, and think that along with The Prestige it makes good for two highly entertaining movies in one year.
...but the corniness is still rampant by the end, and the 'paul haggis touch' is visible.
..... GT please put a spoiler warning in your post
Liked it a lot, Craig is perfect. I think the shot of Bond and Lynd in the shower is iconic.
Boring, so so boring. The action at the beginning was strange, because they're clearly doing Ong Bak type acrobatics at points, so I forgave that because I figured they were just setting up how the action for the rest of the movie would be. Nope. Turns out it's a slow, slow movie about a poker game, with a bit of romantic betrayal put on the neverending end. The last Bond film I liked was Goldeneye, which blended action with a pretty decent storyline. I'm not normally into action movies, but it's freakin James Bond, and he sat at a table for most of the film. Craig was good, but what's the use. I bet the next one will be great.
One of my favorite films from this year, the most enjoyable action film experience I've had in the theater since I thought the theater was for action for films.
I thought the directing was really strong.
highly enjoyable up until the poker game. those cutaways to eva green and the other french dude as the peanut gallery were fucking hilarious. every time the dealer says something, he explains it to her in the most "the audience might not get this" tone, and eva greens "aha" faces are priceless. overall good but waaaay too long.
I liked this... it was a well done comeback for the series and it can build from here.
Craig was good, but I still would have prefered somebody else to play Bond (even Julian McMahon)... Craig makes me laugh with his constant "Blue Steel" face (or is it Magnum?)
Anyways it was entertaining, and Eva Green was great. Nothing too exciting, but good fun.
007's Next Mission Revealed?
Pic may be based on Fleming short story.
The follow-up to Casino Royale will reportedly be based on the Ian Fleming short story Risico, which appeared in his 1960 book For Your Eyes Only.
"Bosses were so pleased with how well Casino Royale has been received that work has already commenced on Risico at Pinewood Studios," claimed a source for the British tabloid The Sun. "Some of the same characters will crop up again. But one of the main aspects will be to develop Bond's complex personality."
The problem with Risico is that its basic plot and characters was already used for the 1981 film version of For Your Eyes Only. In Fleming's Risico, 007 is sent to Italy to investigate a heroin ring and crosses paths with the likes of Colombo and Kristatos, both of whom were featured in the Roger Moore movie.
It should be noted that, although A View to a Kill (another short story in For Your Eyes Only) and FYEO have both been filmed, neither movie truly used the plots from their respective source novels. Fleming's From a View to a Kill saw 007 investigating the murder of a dispatch-rider; FYEO had M sending Bond on an "off the books" assignment to avenge the murder of his old friends, the Havelocks, by Herr von Hammerstein. The film featured the murder of the Havelocks and the inclusion of their vengeful daughter, but M's employing 007 as a means to fulfill a personal vendetta was not used.
Fleming's short stories 007 in New York and Quantum of Solace have never been referenced in any Bond film, and only a semblance of The Property of a Lady can be gleaned from the big-screen version of Octopussy. 007's investigation of a female Secret Service double agent in that story could prove an interesting challenge for Bond in the next movie, especially in light of what transpired in Casino Royale.
It seems plausible that screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade might use the gist of Risico -- 007 in the Mediterranean to investigate a crime ring -- while adding and adjusting other elements to fit with the series' newly adopted down-to-earth, character-driven approach.
Wade recently advised the BBC, "In the next film the emphasis has to be on the unfinished emotional business at the end of Casino Royale. It has to be dealt with in such a way that his character continues to have an arc. ... It can't just be he's tough and he's tempered steel and totally impervious. There are things he still has to resolve. So that's the legacy of Casino Royale and it's important to have it so the actor has something to play."
Eva Green, who played Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, recently revealed that Vesper's French-Algerian boyfriend may be the villain of the next film, while Daniel Craig advised IGN that the sequel will see 007 going after "the threat behind the threat."
It really blew me away last night. Man, was I impressed with the action that didn't stop. Although, I was kicked out of the movie emotionally by a crying baby.
Never been a Bond fan but I gave it a chance. I was inmensely bored by this. Really, to the point of actually wanting to leave, but at that time of the day, traffic jams are a pain in the ass so I stayed and tried to sleep, but it didn't work.
I don't get it. This is another action movie in which the hero and villains do humanly impossible things like jumping up to the top of buildings, with the obligatory "emotional" moments, climax, and so on...same old same old.
Craig is a fine actor and he does well, but the praise he's getting is ludicrous. He pulled it off with class after being treated like shit by the fanbase and that's cool, but that's not enough to propose the guy for serious awards. Eva Green is basically wasted. She looks hot and sexy, so? Wasn't that expected? I couldn't get into the love story cause everything is so schematic it takes away any possible leftover of surprise that could be there. Giannini again, is totally wasted too, in another of his cop/protective/know it all/relliable figure roles, and yeah you'r eright Ultrahip, everytime they cut to him and eva so he can "explain" to the audience what's going on in the poker game was laughable at best.
Following the recent trend, this is over long too.
so this was okay, despite being unnecessarily long and void of any good villian. daniel craig was refreshingly ballsy, bringing more grit and testosterone to pierce's over-manicured bond.
here's my beef - where's the goddamn theme song? saving it till the end credits is lame. i understand the risk of overdoing it but come on, the best part of any bond film is when he just does something badass and the song explodes triumphantly. it's like the whole point of watching these damn movies. even during the 95-minute card game scene, the crux of the entire movie, that dragged on forEVER - did we get the theme song then? or any song for that matter? nope. if your movie is called casino royale and people are nodding off during the casino scene, you got problems.
Quote from: ©brad on January 17, 2007, 10:35:16 PMhere's my beef - where's the goddamn theme song? saving it till the end credits is lame. i understand the risk of overdoing it but come on, the best part of any bond film is when he just does something badass and the song explodes triumphantly. it's like the whole point of watching these damn movies. even during the 95-minute card game scene, the crux of the entire movie, that dragged on forEVER - did we get the theme song then? or any song for that matter? nope. if your movie is called casino royale and people are nodding off during the casino scene, you got problems.
I think you missed the point. He wasn't 007 until the end, hence the "Bond... James Bond" and theme song held off.
A quote taken from another thread:
Quote from: Alexandro on January 17, 2007, 07:32:38 PM
Bond (one of the best of the year???)
From a Bond fan to a non-Bond fan, there is a point to be made.
See, as far as movie going goes, Casino Royale was my favorite time at the movies last year. Many saw a snore fest, many saw potential for better Bond in the future and many saw a great Bond movie. I saw the last two options. I think what excites many fans is how much of a chink in the armor Casino Royale represents for the series. This film was only made possible by the horrendous reviews from Die Another Day, but back in 1977, Moonraker also received horrendous reviews while also gaining huge incomes. The producers (thinking of the longevity of the series) had the next film be For Your Eyes Only which was somewhat of a throwback Bond film. But, the series immediately went back to goofy afterward with Octopussy and A View To A Kill. When License to Kill and The Living Daylights underperformed, the idea that a serious Bond movie could ever be made again was in doubt.
Casino Royale is not only the biggest Bond hit ever, it is also the only Bond film to be based on his personal life. License to Kill and On Her Majesty's Secret Service either just have a scene or a mention to his personal life. Now the writers are promising that the sequels will continue in this trend and Bonds fans are excited and perhaps, as you likely believe, also overreacting. Yes, Casino Royale is still an action film with actioneer hallmarks of ridiculousness, but the majority of the Bond crowd is excited for the future.
I'm done with top ten lists on this site, but hell, I'd consider Bond one of the best of the year because I'd have to represent the part of me that grew up predominantly on action movies. Everyone has these genres that appeal to them so I won't stop myself from acknowledging a major shift for the longest running series ever. But, yes, many serious critics are lessening their standards. I really don't think I am. I never took X-Men: The Last Stand seriously, but Andrew Sarris did seriously review it when it came out....
Quote from: MacGuffin on January 17, 2007, 10:53:20 PM
Quote from: ©brad on January 17, 2007, 10:35:16 PMhere's my beef - where's the goddamn theme song? saving it till the end credits is lame. i understand the risk of overdoing it but come on, the best part of any bond film is when he just does something badass and the song explodes triumphantly. it's like the whole point of watching these damn movies. even during the 95-minute card game scene, the crux of the entire movie, that dragged on forEVER - did we get the theme song then? or any song for that matter? nope. if your movie is called casino royale and people are nodding off during the casino scene, you got problems.
I think you missed the point. He wasn't 007 until the end, hence the "Bond... James Bond" and theme song held off.
yes, yes i definitely missed that.
Quote from: The Gold Trumpet on January 18, 2007, 01:33:57 AM
A quote taken from another thread:
Quote from: Alexandro on January 17, 2007, 07:32:38 PM
Bond (one of the best of the year???)
From a Bond fan to a non-Bond fan, there is a point to be made.
See, as far as movie going goes, Casino Royale was my favorite time at the movies last year. Many saw a snore fest, many saw potential for better Bond in the future and many saw a great Bond movie. I saw the last two options. I think what excites many fans is how much of a chink in the armor Casino Royale represents for the series. This film was only made possible by the horrendous reviews from Die Another Day, but back in 1977, Moonraker also received horrendous reviews while also gaining huge incomes. The producers (thinking of the longevity of the series) had the next film be For Your Eyes Only which was somewhat of a throwback Bond film. But, the series immediately went back to goofy afterward with Octopussy and A View To A Kill. When License to Kill and The Living Daylights underperformed, the idea that a serious Bond movie could ever be made again was in doubt.
Casino Royale is not only the biggest Bond hit ever, it is also the only Bond film to be based on his personal life. License to Kill and On Her Majesty's Secret Service either just have a scene or a mention to his personal life. Now the writers are promising that the sequels will continue in this trend and Bonds fans are excited and perhaps, as you likely believe, also overreacting. Yes, Casino Royale is still an action film with actioneer hallmarks of ridiculousness, but the majority of the Bond crowd is excited for the future.
I'm done with top ten lists on this site, but hell, I'd consider Bond one of the best of the year because I'd have to represent the part of me that grew up predominantly on action movies. Everyone has these genres that appeal to them so I won't stop myself from acknowledging a major shift for the longest running series ever. But, yes, many serious critics are lessening their standards. I really don't think I am. I never took X-Men: The Last Stand seriously, but Andrew Sarris did seriously review it when it came out....
Yes, I was under the impression this was a more serious Bond movie, I don't know, more raw. I understand your points, but I still consider myself capable of enjoying a good action movie. And I just didn't found that here. I don't feel I know Bond too much, cause his love story is composed of purely common places, so maybe for the Bond fan this is new. For the non-Bond fan, this is the same thing we always see. I don't see that many differences between this one an MI3, for example. But I've never been a fan of Bond, or of Mission Impossible, or Rocky, Rambo, Bourne and all that stuff. So this movies are a hard sell for me.
When the movie started and they didn't showes the main theme with Bond walking in I actually got excited. I though "hey, maybe this WILL be different". So the dessapointment when "different" meant that the guy runs like Tom Cruise and jumps like Tobey Maguire was even bigger...
Quote from: Ultrahip on November 29, 2006, 04:19:16 AM
highly enjoyable up until the poker game. those cutaways to eva green and the other french dude as the peanut gallery were fucking hilarious. every time the dealer says something, he explains it to her in the most "the audience might not get this" tone, and eva greens "aha" faces are priceless.
This stood out as pretty silly to me as well. As if Eva had not bothered to at least read a book about poker before putting herself in this position.
The movie was okay. I was kinda hoping for more. I think I would have like it a lot more if it didn't have those moments (like the one mentioned above) where the writers had no faith in the audience's ability to understand what was happening. I would have liked to have spent more time seeing the love story happen organically. I like when they meet, but I thought the shower scene was stupid and that their hearts melt for each other way too fast for who they are. I could completely believe that their bond would be a very strong one, but they fall in love at the instant it's needed for pretty blantantly manipulative purposes. Still, they have some good moments together.
Eva was gorgeous, of course, and I liked Craig a lot in the role. I like the direction the series is heading in (please no more invisible cars and Denise Richards). Everyone says that and now I've said it, too. This movie did succeed in making me actually anticipate the next Bond movie, so that's good.
Quote from: matt35mm on March 15, 2007, 12:14:46 AM
This movie did succeed in making me actually anticipate the next Bond movie, so that's good.
Dr. No?
Campbell kept new Bond on course
By Mike Snider, USA TODAY
Casino Royale director Martin Campbell is onmipresent in the extras on the film's DVD (out this week, $29; Blu-ray disc, $39), just as the action film veteran (The Legend of Zorro, Vertical Limit ) served as a steady presence in directing the debut of Daniel Craig (Munich) as the new James Bond. He talked with USA TODAY about the film and DVD.
Q: Casino Royale is the second Bond film you've directed (the first was 1995's GoldenEye). In the end, how does Daniel Craig stack up to Pierce Brosnan and other Bonds?
A: The truth is they are two very different Bonds. Very different Bonds. GoldenEye was simply Bond in the traditional sense. It was just really a continuation of what had gone before, whereas Casino Royale, in tone, it certainly goes back to the tone of the books, which I find very different to the way movies portray Bond. So I think to compare them is impossible because of the different tones of the two movies. Both are terrific actors as Bond.
Q: Among the extras on the DVD is one about casting the new Bond. How tough was that?
A: I think in the end we tested eight actors for the role and Daniel was one of those. Although, there was no test on (GoldenEye) because Pierce Brosnan was a slam dunk at the time. Daniel came in with such criticism, that of casting a blond Bond. Actually, he fits into (author Ian) Fleming's description of Bond far more accurately than any of the other Bonds.
Q: Another of the DVD extras focuses on the stunts and effects. Was there one thing that Daniel Craig did that surprised you?
A: Action is much trickier than it seems. It's always given a bad rap. The thought is, for an actor of Daniel's ability who's by and large done much more esoteric, if you will, sort of independent performances ... for him to sort of go headlong into what is a movie that involves an awful lot of action that there is a real learning curve for him. To begin with, he committed himself wholly to it. It did take him a little bit of time, but at the end of the movie he was totally comfortable with it. Probably what would have taken me 10 to 15 takes probably took one or two. He very quickly learned over the course how to handle himself with action. And he looked fantastic as well. ... Both (Craig and Brosnan) are extremely good at action.
Q: Even on the behind the scenes segments on the DVD, some of the stunts look pretty precarious.
A: The truth of this is you can't put any actor in any sort of danger. First of all, it's very stupid and, secondly, the insurance company won't let you do it because a twisted ankle would shut you down. (On above-ground stunts), Daniel was wired up but nevertheless he had to get to the top of that building and it does involve more than just slipping in the odd close-up and cutting to the stunt double. He had to go very high, a few hundred feet off the ground. He didn't complain, but we're all a little terrified of it when it involves heights. But he was always safe at all times and he knuckled down and did it.
Q: There's no commentary on either the DVD or the Blu-ray Disc. Is one planned for a future edition?
A: Yes, we are doing a commentary. I think (the studio) tends to milk these things (with Bond films). When I did GoldenEye, I did it with the producer (Michael G. Wilson). We'll probably do it with (the producers). There may be some deleted scenes.
Q: So far there's no director for the next Bond film (currently scheduled for 2008). Are you interested?
A: After GoldenEye, I was asked to do subsequent Bonds, but I declined because it felt as if I'd be repeating myself. But this one is based on a Bond that's more interesting. To be honest, I would just say I'd never say never.
New DVD Edition Of 'Casino Royale' To Reportedly Contain Three Discs
To feature an audio commentary; possibly deleted scenes...
Source: commanderbond.net
After the somewhat bare-bones DVD release of Casino Royale back in March of this year, one question many James Bond fans were asking was what we could expect on the eventual ultimate edition release of the film.
According to sources for CBn, the forthcoming ultimate edition DVD for Casino Royale will reportedly contain three discs—one for the feature film and an additional two for special features.
Back in March, director Martin Campbell discussed the Casino Royale DVD with USA Today and revealed that a commentary would be in store for the next release: 'Yes, we are doing a commentary. I think [the studio] tends to milk these things [with Bond films]. When I did GoldenEye, I did it with the producer [Michael G. Wilson]. We'll probably do it with [the producers].' He also added that 007 fans may see some of the deleted scenes included as well.
More recently, in an interview with Hollywood In Hi-Def, Campbell was asked if he had begun work on any of the special features to accompany the new Casino Royale release: 'All I've done is watch the movie. I'm fascinated by the quality of it. But that's about as far as I've gone. I'm sort of busy at the moment looking at other projects.'
'Certainly I have to OK the scenes that have been cut out. That's good. I think people are fascinated by scenes that are cut out and I put most of them back into the disc. I hope there's going to be an extended documentary because they (documentary film crews) are with us all the time, doing interviews all the way through. The documentary on the existing movie (DVD/Blu-ray discs) is just a little short. I just wanted more...'
While a release date has not yet been revealed, many Bond fans are speculating that the new Casino Royale DVD could come out around the time Daniel Craig's Bond 22 hits theatres in November 2008.