DVD Reviews

Casino Royale: 2-Disc Widescreen Edition

For the 21^st film in the iconic James Bond spy franchise, the creators decided to return their beloved character back to his basics, and begin a fresh new run on the series by telling Bond’s inaugural story.  Directed by Martin Campbell (who debuted Pierce Brosnan as Bond in Goldeneye), Casino Royale represents a Bond just underway.  In the first few minutes of the film, we see Bond violently earn his license-to-kill 007 status, and when the opening credits fire-away afterward, you get the feeling you will be seeing something very worthy for the next couple of hours.  His character is explored and humanized in ways never done before (thanks to a script polish by Crash director Paul Haggis), as we not only see Bond make mistakes that nearly cost him his life, and the lives of others, but also how he puts himself on the line emotionally.

The film’s central plotline revolves around a criminal financial handler named Le Chiffre, who loses a client’s fortune after he invests the money in his own conquest that Bond ends up foiling.  In an effort to earn the money back before his client comes looking for the lost funds, LeChiffre sets up a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale, which Bond signs up for to prevent any finances reaching terrorist hands again.  The film also focuses on the one woman who Bond apparently falls in love with, Vesper Lynd (played by Kingdom Of Heaven’s Eva Green), and how their relationship molded the Bond we’ve known for years to this point as a man who uses women as “disposable pleasures”.

The strongest aspects about Casino Royale are as follows.  1) Daniel Craig infuses Bond with new life and appeal by bringing not only a physical presence that villains can fear, but a depth of emotion to the character that surpasses almost every actor that has been cast in the role before.  2) The film has been stripped down to its grittiest basics (with no Q to be found, comes no gimmicky gadgets, and super-powered weapons to save our hero, who has to rely on his will and his skill) that in turn, have created some of the most fantastic action sequences ever put to film because of their hard-hitting realism.  The on-foot chase sequence after the opening credits is such a thriller, you’re adrenaline will pump while you sit, guaranteed.  And even though the gadgets are gone, doesn’t mean their still aren’t plenty of Bond elements to enjoy…like the fast cars, the gunplay, the exotic locations, and the staple dialogue found in every film (although it gets tweaked a little in the martini department).

The weakest aspects about Casino Royale in my opinion are the women, and I don’t mean that in any discriminating way.  I just don’t buy Eva Green as THE woman who spun Bond’s world to the point where he would have given his whole life to her.  And with Judi Dench returning as M from the Brosnan-era films, you can throw chronological continuity right out the window.  If they re-booted the entire franchise with this film from the ground up, then they should have re-cast M as well.  Many have also stated the poker sequence is a momentum killer, and although I admit in slows the film down in pace, it is still a necessary mystique to the entire tale.

The 2-Disc Widescreen edition has a lot to offer for Bond fans and DVD fanatics on the first disc.  The image transfer is surprisingly stunning for a standard definition DVD.  There are times, in certain shots, where the film looks as good as an HD copy.  The sound also rip-roars your system, and for a regular 5.1 mix, it is a seriously impressive audio feat.  The second disc is where your disappointment is bound to surface because the disc is devoted to only 4 selective options.  Two of them are worthwhile features, as “Becoming Bond” traces Craig’s journey in acquiring and fulfilling the role, and “James Bond: For Real” closes in nicely on the four major stunt sequences of the movie.  But the “Bond Girls Are Forever” (originally a TV special that’s been updated for Royale) is a cliché feature that’s incredibly dull, as one Bond girl from the Timothy Dalton-era decides to embark on a journey to interview the rest of them.  The Cornell video is a time-waster, so where the hell is the trailer?  M.I.A.  Most likely you’ll see it on an ultimate edition somewhere down the line.

Based on the entertainment value of Casino Royale, I would go on record as saying that the Daniel Craig-era of Bond is off to a thrilling start, and hopefully he continues to push the envelope of the character with each new installment.  This DVD edition is a strong outing as well, great on the sound and picture, but the extras need a little more care.

Review By Ryan Young