James Bond - Casino Royale

Finally a Bond movie you can watch without laughing. A gritty and riveting thriller with perfect action scenes and a likeable hero. It’s a bit Bourne-like, yes, but it doesn’t matter. 85% (23.05.2009)

After a year and a half, I’m changing my review. Maybe it's because I've started to enjoy poker, maybe it's because more bombastic action like the opening in Madagascar would only hurt it, and mostly maybe it's because I’m finally willing to separate the terms "Bond" and "Bourne," whilst also acknowledging that a similar concept doesn't mean plagiarism. Instead, I enjoyed two and a half hours of a thrilling adventure that Daniel Craig is happy to drag you through with him. It’s all done with such vigor that you'll take punches too, and when Eva Green whispers sugarplums in your ear, you'll melt. A couple of hours after watching it, I am unbearably tempted to put the disc in the DVD player again. Could a film have a better calling card? (09.11.2008)

Als jemand, der das Phänomen des Superagenten im Geheimdienst Ihrer Majestät von Kindesbeinen an liebt (es begleitet mich seit 1984, als ich den ersten Moore-Film sah) und der alle Bond-Filme gesehen hat, sage ich dazu: Casino Royale ist ein Bond-Film der alten Schule, den ich seit Goldfinger vermisst habe. Daniel Craig ist Bond in bester Connery-Tradition, aber neu, ungeschminkt, fast menschlich. Er gibt der Legende Glanz und Spannung zurück. Martin Campbell hat auf brillante Weise spannende Action-Fahrten im Gewand der alten Schule mit einem ruhigen (aber an sich elektrisierenden) Pokerspiel verbunden, das den Gentleman-Stil von Guy Hamilton und Terence Young widerspiegelt. Vielleicht ist der heutige Zuschauer nicht an dieser konservativen Spionageebene interessiert, aber ich war völlig gefesselt. Kein Zweifel, die guten alten Zeiten kehren zurück und die übertriebene CGI-Action-Ära von Pierce Brosnan verabschiedet sich. Ich werde sie nicht in schlechter Erinnerung behalten, doch nur Daniel Craig ist der Bond meines Herzens, schön Hand in Hand mit Sir Connery. Bonds Menschlichkeit, sein Egoismus, seine Verletzlichkeit, seine Zerbrechlichkeit - all das vermittelt Craig mit außergewöhnlicher Glaubwürdigkeit und Selbstverständlichkeit. Hand in Hand damit gehen der fantastische Bösewicht Cifra (Auric Gildfinger, hier hast du endlich einen ebenbürtigen Partner!), das charmanteste Bond-Girl (reizende Ursula, verzeih mir, aber Eva Green schenkte Vesper eine Seele, nicht nur ihren Körper) und die stets charmante Judi Dench. Martin Campbell lieferte mehr als nur Action-Routine, er hält den Film wunderbar zusammen und die Chemie zwischen den Figuren stimmt wie bei einem Aston Martin. Obwohl Casino Royale bei weitem nicht frei von Problemen ist, nicht ohne Logikfehler, Naivität, seichtere Passagen, Unvollständigkeit und Unvollkommenheit auskommt, eben alles, was von Natur aus zu dieser Reihe gehört, ist er dennoch definitiv der beste Bond-Film seit den 1960er Jahren. (16.11.2006)

Or: When James walks in Jason’s footsteps... The black-and-white prolog and the first scene after the opening credits sets the bar high, but unfortunately the creators didn’t manage even to come near it for the rest of the movie. The new Bond is not lacking atmosphere, a good technical side and ingenious action. But what it is lacking is a better screenplay to hold everything together better and more balanced pacing. (21.04.2022)

It was a terrible blow at the time. After four adventures with the elegant Brosnan, the tough guy Craig came, an uncompromising sharpshooter, a bleeding brawler, a tormented sarcastic, and a rough mountain of secret agent potential. In front of his charisma, out of respect, I almost hid under the seat, but he didn't fit my previous perception of the Bond brand. The dry lines remained, the technical toys gave way to dirty action, and it was only after a long 14 years since the premiere that I finally realized, during a specific "regeneration" revision, how perfectly balanced the Montenegrin card spectacle turned out to be. From the black and white intro to the Italian shot. (05.12.2006)

Casino Royale is a departure from the long-standing British tradition and in many ways differs from its older predecessors. It is less noble, and polished, and contains less (self) irony. It is much more of a modern, fast-paced action thriller, where James Bond's name might not even have to appear. However, that is not, in my view, detrimental, and in some respects, it is a pleasant change from familiar clichés. Daniel Craig is not immediately as likable, and he needs to earn the audience's favor differently. No Bond film has likely experienced such a good character actor who is also physically up to par. Eva Green is not only a beautiful girl in sexy dresses, but the same applies to her acting. She is primarily an excellent actress. The action scenes and chases are well-directed by Martin Campbell and are a highlight of this film. The script is average, but it also managed to avoid absurd sci-fi constructions and devilish inventions. All in all - a pleasant surprise in the action genre. Overall rating: 80%. (04.12.2007)

At least for me, Casino Royale was the biggest surprise of this season (but no wonder just 24 days after its release :-). Martin Campbell succeeded in the restart for the Bond brand that didn’t work even in Golden Eye. Bond is simply better than ever before. This is greatly due to the excellent Daniel Craig and I’m glad that the misgivings about his being cast as 007 were wrong because it’s him who is the powerhouse of the whole movie. The action sequences are simply genius (I was thrilled by the whole Miami / Ruzyně airport operation), and not to few, not too many of them. The romantic storyline is enchanting and very well conceived, at last we have the chance to see inside James Bond. And no shortage of dry lines and jokes. Almost every other wisecrack is a Bond-movie cliché and it is really great to follow the gradual evolution of Bond’s character... I’m just curious if this great movie will be trumped by the third Bourne next year. (07.12.2006)

Nach einiger Zeit und nach einer Wiederholung ist in mir dieser 21. Bond-Film ziemlich gereift. Außerdem habe ich mich dank Dark Shadows in Eva Green verguckt, und dank Die Königin und der Leibarzt finde ich immer mehr Gefallen an Mads Mikkelsen. Sie wechseln sich in Casino angenehm ab, Mads gibt einen sehr leckeren Bad Boy mit einem blutenden Auge ab und Eve ist eine andere Art von Schönheit als die, mit der James bisher ausgegangen ist. Die Handlung ist gut, die Szenerie angenehm fürs Auge, die Action und der Humor genau richtig, und natürlich fehlt auch nicht die makellose Schlusspointe. Nun, ich habe es genossen. (27.08.2012)

A smart, cleverly directed, and uncluttered action film that can boast an incredibly charismatic lead actor. The new Bond is in no way a polished charmer like Timothy Dalton or Pierce Brosnan, but an agent of the special service sharp as a razor, whose face is covered with scars from top to bottom and a drop of blood is also visible every moment. Although it is a Bond film, Casino Royale bears by far the fewest trademarks referring to that famous British spy. Instead, we can watch an excellent action film rather than a continuation of the legendary franchise. Martin Campbell, in addition to his assured direction, also did away with lot of legends, myths, and established Bond traditions (wisecracks, women, etc.), and the result? James Bond can fall in love. And the best part is, you can actually believe him. The opening action in Madagascar is exhilarating and I haven't seen anything so gripping in a long time. Eva Green? Stunning. One of the best and most original Bond films. (21.11.2006)

Nach "Bond" (Connery), dem "seltsamen Bond" (Lazenby), dem "witzigen Bond" (Moore), dem "Rambo-Bond" (Dalton) und dem "Mix-Bond" (Brosnan) kommt ein nächster Kerl. Daniel Craig – ein "harter stinksaurer Bond". James Bond 007 - Casino Royale ist ein fesselnder Film, den Sie vom Anfang bis zum Ende interessant finden werden. Der Teil "mit dem Kran und den restlichen Dingen" ist eine der bombastischsten Actionszenen, die ich im Kino je gesehen habe. Es ist eindeutig die beste Passage des ganzen Films. Der Rest ist aber auch super. Ich hätte nie gedacht, dass man eine Pokerpartie spannend und fesselnd drehen kann. Bond der neuen Generation hat mich nicht enttäuscht – Craig ist sympathisch, er wirkt wie ein Mensch und nicht wie eine Maschine, die Nymphen mit großen Brüsten verführt, er ist rau wie Schmirgelpapier und außerdem unterhaltsam. Prima. (28.08.2009)

Casino Royale is a Bond movie that reminded me of Ian Fleming's books. Although set in the present day, it has such a retro vibe to it. Craig's Bond is a pretty tough guy, so he pleasantly surprised me with his wit when talking to Vesper. Mads Mikkelsen is a brilliant actor in my opinion, and Eva Green was the proverbial icing on the cake. Less action was definitely not a bad move. At least you can tell the difference between a spy film and an action film. (05.08.2016)

A fascinatingly complex and engrossing Bond film. The alternating of action and conversational levels is excellent and the whole film is full of emotion (especially the "co-emotions" you have to share with 007) and has absolutely stunning interiors and exteriors. Daniel Craig is a completely different, new, and better type of Bond than Pierce Brosnan was. He's a lot tougher, he doesn't fuck with anyone or anything too much, and with his magical eyes, icy calm expression, and methods that really don't give anything away, he commands the proper respect as the new Bond. Brosnan was suave, likeable, and always reminded me of the old school. Craig is nonchalant, incredibly charismatic, and can brilliantly combine old school elements with new, modern, or progressive attributes. In addition, the script is very well-developed and Martin Campbell directs (especially in the first scene) like a dream. (19.08.2011)

I've never been a big fan of James Bond movies, but Casino Royale is a shining exception. Much of the credit for this goes to the leads: the boyish-looking Daniel Craig as Agent 007 and the sultry Eva Green as Bond girl. I was also very impressed by Mads Mikkelsen, who portrayed a suitably repulsive villain with great verve. Even the script didn't seem as stupid as at other times, plus I enjoyed the action scenes this time. (80%) (01.12.2022)